Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
Calculate your quarterly estimated tax payments: SE tax + income tax, safe-harbor check, and the four 2026 due dates. Built for freelancers and 1099 earners.
Freelancers who skip quarterly payments meet the underpayment penalty in April. This calculator takes your expected annual self-employment income, subtracts deductions, and produces the four payment amounts the IRS expects on Form 1040-ES — including the 15.3% self-employment tax that surprises every new 1099 earner.
It also checks the safe-harbor rule (pay 100% of last year's liability, 110% for higher incomes) so you can lock in a payment floor even when this year's income is unpredictable.
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Freelancer Tax Calculator
Calculate SE tax, federal income tax, state tax, and quarterly estimated payments for 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and SS wage base are based on IRS inflation-adjusted figures for the 2026 tax year (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) and the SSA 2026 wage base ($184,500). State income tax rates are simplified (flat/representative rates). This calculator is for estimation only — consult a tax professional for filing.
How freelancer taxes stack up — illustrated
Freelancers are treated as both the employee and the employer. You first subtract business expenses on Schedule C to get your net profit, then pay 15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of it (12.4% Social Security up to the $184,500 base, plus 2.9% Medicare). Before income tax you may subtract half of the SE tax, the 20% QBI deduction, and the standard deduction ($16,100 single in 2026). The remaining taxable income is taxed at federal brackets plus your state rate, and because no employer withholds, you pay the total in four estimated installments on Form 1040-ES.
The stacked bar shows the tool's sample: $85,000 gross with $5,000 of expenses and California as the state. After expenses, SE tax, federal, and state tax, $57,409 reaches take-home — a 32.5% effective rate on the gross.
Jonah, a freelance video editor in Brooklyn, earns $72,000 and has $9,000 of business expenses on Schedule C, filing single in New York.
- Net profit:$72,000 − $9,000 = $63,000 on Schedule C
- SE tax base:$63,000 × 92.35% = $58,181
- SE tax (15.3%):$58,181 × 15.3% = $8,902
- Deductions & quarterly:½ SE ($4,451) + QBI 20% + $16,100 standard deduction → taxable income; total ÷ 4 funds each 1040-ES payment
About this quarterly estimated tax calculator
This page covers how much should i set aside for taxes 1099, self employed quarterly taxes, 1040-es payment calculator, estimated tax payments freelance — all the same underlying task as quarterly estimated tax calculator. The tool above is FreeToolHub's freelancer tax embedded in full: every feature works right here, and nothing you process is uploaded to any server.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I set aside for taxes as a freelancer?
A common rule of thumb is 25–30% of net income, but the accurate number depends on your tax bracket, state, and deductions. The calculator computes SE tax (15.3% up to the wage base, then 2.9%+) plus income tax, and splits the total across the four quarterly due dates: April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
What is the safe-harbor rule for estimated taxes?
Pay the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's tax (110% if your AGI exceeded $150,000) across the year and you avoid underpayment penalties entirely — even if you owe a balance in April. Many freelancers with variable income pay the safe-harbor amount and true up in April.