Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 self-employment tax on 1099 and freelance income. See the 15.3% SECA split, the one-half deduction, and what to set aside each quarter.
Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Net Self-Employment Profit
This is your Schedule C net profit (business income minus expenses), not your gross revenue.
Tax Year
The tax year sets the Social Security wage base and the Additional Medicare thresholds.
Filing Status
Filing status only changes the 0.9% Additional Medicare threshold. Most earners under that level see no difference.
W-2 Social Security Wages (optional)
Wages from a regular job already taxed for Social Security. They use up part of the wage base, leaving less for the 12.4% portion of your self-employment tax.
Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Self-employment tax is federal only; state income tax is figured separately. Consult a tax professional for your situation.
Deduction & Quarterly Set-Aside
The quarterly figure covers self-employment tax only. Add federal and state income tax for your full Form 1040-ES payment.
Know What to Set Aside From Every Gig
ClockWage44's Hours Tracker logs shifts and gigs across multiple jobs, marks each income stream as taxable or not, and runs its paycheck engine on-device, so freelancers and side-giggers can see take-home to the cent.
How Self-Employment Tax Works (SECA vs. FICA)
W-2 employees split their Social Security and Medicare taxes with an employer under FICA: the worker pays 7.65% and the employer matches it. When you work for yourself, there is no employer to match, so you pay both halves under the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). That is the full 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare.
You do not pay that 15.3% on your entire profit, though. Schedule SE first multiplies your net profit by 92.35%. That step drops the employer-equivalent share, so a self-employed person is taxed on a base that matches a W-2 worker's taxable wage instead of being taxed on the money that would cover the employer half.
How to Calculate Your Self-Employment Tax Step by Step
Take a freelancer with $50,000 of net profit for 2026. Multiply by 92.35% and you get $46,175 of net earnings. That is well under the $184,500 Social Security wage base, so the full amount is subject to the 12.4% Social Security portion, which comes to $5,725.70. The 2.9% Medicare portion adds $1,339.08. There is no Additional Medicare Tax here because $46,175 is far below the $200,000 single-filer threshold. Total self-employment tax is about $7,064.78, an effective rate of roughly 14.1% on the original $50,000 of profit.
If your net earnings climb above the wage base, the Social Security portion stops at the cap (the wage base times 12.4%), while Medicare keeps applying to every dollar. Above your filing-status threshold, the extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax kicks in on top. The calculator adjusts for each of these as you change the inputs.
The One-Half Deduction and Quarterly Estimated Payments
You can deduct the employer-equivalent half of your self-employment tax as an above-the-line adjustment when figuring your adjusted gross income. That is half of the regular Social Security plus Medicare amount; the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax is left out. This deduction lowers your income tax, not your self-employment tax.
Because no employer withholds tax from freelance income, the IRS expects you to pay as you go through quarterly estimated payments on Form 1040-ES. The quarterly figure here covers self-employment tax only. Add your estimated federal and state income tax on top to size each payment. Self-employment tax is separate from income tax, and this tool does not estimate the income-tax side. For that, pair it with the take-home pay calculator.
From Tracking Hours to Paying Yourself With ClockWage44
Knowing your self-employment tax is only useful if you actually reserve for it. ClockWage44's Hours Tracker lets you log shifts and gigs across multiple jobs, mark each income stream as taxable or not, and see your take-home to the cent on-device. That makes it easier to set money aside every time you get paid instead of scrambling at quarter's end. Download the app so your set-aside math sits next to the hours you actually worked. If you also earn W-2 supplemental pay, the bonus tax calculator covers that side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about self-employment tax calculator
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
It is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare. That rate applies to 92.35% of your net self-employment earnings, not your gross revenue. High earners add a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax above their filing-status threshold.
How is self-employment tax calculated?
Start with your net profit (business income minus expenses), multiply by 92.35% to get net earnings, then apply 12.4% Social Security up to the wage base and 2.9% Medicare with no cap. The calculator above runs each step and shows the breakdown. To see how the same income affects your paycheck side, try the take-home pay calculator.
What is the Social Security wage base for 2026?
It is $184,500 for 2026, up from $176,100 in 2025. Only net earnings up to that cap are hit with the 12.4% Social Security portion. The 2.9% Medicare portion has no cap and applies to all of your net earnings.
Do I have to pay self-employment tax?
Generally yes, if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more for the year. At that point you file Schedule SE with your Form 1040. Below $400 in net earnings, self-employment tax usually is not owed and Schedule SE is not required.
Can I deduct part of my self-employment tax?
Yes. You can deduct the employer-equivalent half of your self-employment tax (the Social Security plus Medicare portions) as an above-the-line adjustment to income. It lowers your income tax, not your self-employment tax. The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax is not part of this deduction.
What is the Additional Medicare Tax and when does it apply?
It is an extra 0.9% Medicare tax on combined wages and self-employment income above $200,000 for single or head of household filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly, or $125,000 for married filing separately. These thresholds are not indexed for inflation, so more workers cross them each year.
Is self-employment tax the same as income tax?
No. Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare, the same programs funded by the FICA taxes withheld from a W-2 paycheck. It sits on top of federal and state income tax, which are figured separately on your taxable income. This tool estimates the self-employment tax slice only.
How much should I set aside for taxes as a freelancer or 1099 contractor?
Set aside your self-employment tax plus estimated federal and state income tax. Many self-employed workers reserve roughly 25% to 30% of net profit and pay quarterly estimated taxes with Form 1040-ES. This tool estimates the self-employment tax portion; add income tax for the full picture, and use the bonus tax calculator if you also take supplemental W-2 pay.