Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026
If you're self-employed, you pay both the employer and employee share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. This calculator shows exactly what you owe — and how to reduce it.
1 Your Self-Employment Income
Revenue minus business expenses (before taxes)
2 Deductions (Optional)
Self-Employment Tax
for 2026 (estimated)
Quarterly Estimated Payments
To avoid underpayment penalties, pay these to the IRS:
What Is Self-Employment Tax?
When you work for an employer, they pay half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65%), and you pay the other half through payroll deductions. When you're self-employed, you're both the employer and employee — so you pay both halves: the full 15.3%.
The tax applies to 92.35% of your net self-employment income (the IRS allows this adjustment to account for the employer half). The good news: you can deduct 50% of what you pay in SE tax from your gross income on your federal tax return.
2026 SE Tax Rate Breakdown
FAQs
No. You only need to pay self-employment tax if your net self-employment income is $400 or more in a year.
Use IRS Form 1040-ES. You can pay online at IRS Direct Pay (free) or EFTPS. The 2026 due dates are April 15, June 16, September 15, and January 15, 2027.
You can't reduce the SE tax itself much, but you can reduce your taxable income using deductions like a SEP-IRA (up to 25% of net earnings), health insurance premiums, and legitimate business expenses. At higher income levels, electing S-Corp status can reduce SE tax significantly.
The IRS charges an underpayment penalty (currently around 8% annualized). To avoid it, you need to pay at least 90% of your current year tax or 100% of last year's tax (110% if income was over $150K).