Self-employment tax calculator
Enter your business income and expenses. You get your 15.3% self-employment tax, federal income tax after the QBI deduction, and the quarterly payment that keeps April boring.
Your numbers
What you'll owe
Estimated total tax
$11,740
≈ 19.6% of profit · set aside 20% of every deposit
What do you do? Tap one to tailor this.
Each quarterly payment
$2,935
Due ~Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15
- Net business profit
- $60,000
- Self-employment tax (15.3%)
- $8,478
- QBI deduction
- − $11,152
- Taxable income
- $29,209
- Federal income tax
- $3,262
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Next question
Driving for work? Every 100 miles takes $72.50 off the profit you're taxed on.
Count my milesHow much is self-employment income taxed?
The short answer: federal tax on self-employment profit lands between roughly 19% and 22% for most single filers before any state tax. That is 15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of net profit, plus federal income tax on what is left after half the self-employment tax, the standard deduction and the 20% qualified business income deduction.
The percentage climbs with profit because income tax brackets are graduated while self-employment tax is flat until the Social Security wage base. On $50,000 of profit the total federal bill is about $9,435; on $100,000 it is about $21,915. Divide by twelve and you have the amount to move out of the account each month, which is the only version of this number that changes anything.
| Net profit | Self-employment tax | Federal income tax | Total federal | Effective rate | Set aside monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $3,532 | $319 | $3,851 | 15.4% | $321 |
| $50,000 | $7,065 | $2,370 | $9,435 | 18.9% | $786 |
| $75,000 | $10,597 | $4,600 | $15,197 | 20.3% | $1,266 |
| $100,000 | $14,130 | $7,786 | $21,915 | 21.9% | $1,826 |
| $150,000 | $21,194 | $15,964 | $37,158 | 24.8% | $3,097 |
Single filer, standard deduction, 20% QBI deduction applied, no state income tax included. Projected 2026 federal figures for planning — not tax advice.
self-employment pay vs a salary: what the same number is worth
A $100,000 contract is not a $100,000 salary. As an employee, your employer pays half of Social Security and Medicare and usually funds part of health insurance and paid time off. On self-employment income you carry all of it, so the same headline figure buys a noticeably smaller life unless the rate is higher.
The rough rule contractors use: add 25–30% to a salary figure to reach an equivalent self-employment rate, then keep every deductible expense on the books, because each deductible dollar removes both 15.3% self-employment tax and income tax at your bracket. That double effect is why disciplined expense tracking is worth more than any single deduction trick.
To compare a specific offer side by side — payroll tax, benefits value and the self-employment premium — use the 1099 vs W-2 calculator, then come back here for the reserve amount.
Self-employment tax by state
Federal SE tax is the same everywhere; your state income tax is not. Pick your state for a pre-filled estimate and local tax notes.
Next question
Driving for work? Every 100 miles takes $72.50 off the profit you're taxed on.
Count my milesWhat self-employment tax actually is
When you work for someone else, Social Security and Medicare cost 15.3% of your wages — but your employer pays half. Work for yourself and you pay both halves. That is self-employment tax, and it is separate from, and on top of, income tax.
The good news is that it applies to profit, not revenue, and only to 92.35% of that profit. Every real business expense you record shrinks the base for both self-employment tax and income tax, which is why sloppy expense tracking is the most expensive habit in self-employment.
Half of the self-employment tax then comes back as an above-the-line deduction, and up to 20% of qualified business income comes off taxable income too. The calculator applies both so the number you see is closer to what you will actually write a check for.
Frequently asked questions
How is self-employment tax calculated?
Self-employment tax is 15.3% — 12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare — applied to 92.35% of your net business profit. Social Security stops at the annual wage base; Medicare has no cap and adds 0.9% above $200,000. You then deduct half of the SE tax when figuring income tax.
How much self-employment tax will I owe on $50,000?
On $50,000 of net profit, the SE base is $46,175 and self-employment tax is roughly $7,065. Federal income tax comes on top of that, reduced by half the SE tax, the standard deduction and the QBI deduction.
Do I pay self-employment tax if I also have a W-2 job?
Yes, but your W-2 wages use up part of the Social Security wage base first, so only the remainder of your profit is hit with the 12.4% portion. The 2.9% Medicare portion still applies to all of it. Enter your W-2 wages above and the calculator handles it.
Can I lower self-employment tax?
Deduct every legitimate business expense — each deductible dollar removes both 15.3% SE tax and income tax. Above roughly $80,000–$100,000 of profit, an S-corp election can move part of the profit out of payroll tax, though it adds payroll filing and accounting cost.
Does self-employment tax vary by state?
The 15.3% self-employment tax is federal and identical in every state. What changes is the state income tax layered on top, which is why the reserve percentage differs between, say, Texas and California. Pick your state below for a pre-filled estimate.
Does this self-employment tax calculator include deductions?
Yes. Enter your business expenses and the calculator taxes profit rather than revenue, then applies the deduction for half of the self-employment tax and up to 20% qualified business income before figuring federal income tax.
What is the self-employment tax on $100,000?
On $100,000 of net profit the self-employment tax is roughly $14,130, and federal income tax comes on top after the standard and QBI deductions — around $24,000 total federal for a single filer, or about $2,000 a month set aside.
Estimates only, using projected 2026 federal figures. Not tax advice.
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