1099 / Self-Employment Tax Calculator

When you're self-employed — freelancing, consulting, or running a small business — you don't have an employer splitting Social Security and Medicare contributions with you. Instead, you pay the full 15.3% Self-Employment (SE) tax yourself: 12.4% for Social Security (on up to $176,100 of net earnings for 2025) and 2.9% for Medicare (uncapped, plus an extra 0.9% if your combined wages and self-employment income exceed $200,000 single / $250,000 married filing jointly). SE tax is calculated on 92.35% of your net profit, not the full amount, to roughly mirror how a W-2 employee's employer-paid share isn't taxed as income.

The upside: you can deduct half of your SE tax from your taxable income, and many self-employed taxpayers also qualify for the 20% Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction under Section 199A, which further lowers your federal income tax (subject to income thresholds and business-type limitations not modeled here). Because no employer withholds tax from your income, the IRS expects quarterly estimated payments — typically due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year — to avoid an underpayment penalty.

Note: This calculator provides a simplified estimate. It does not model QBI phase-outs for specified service businesses, self-employed health insurance deductions, SEP-IRA/Solo 401(k) contributions, or local taxes — consult a tax professional for a precise number.