Self-employment tax calculator for 2026

How the self-employment tax calculator works

The self-employment tax calculator applies the Schedule SE (Form 1040) method with 2026 figures: 92.35% of net profit is taxed at 12.4% for Social Security, up to the $184,500 wage base, and 2.9% for Medicare with no cap (IRS Topics 554 and 751). It returns the tax, the deduction for half, and any 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax.

It does not estimate federal income tax, state tax or penalties. Those depend on your deductions and filing status, so the section on adding income tax below shows how to build the rest of the estimate. For the rules behind each step, read our explainer on the self-employment tax rate.

What you need to enter

• Net profit: gross receipts minus business expenses, not the total on your Forms 1099-NEC or 1099-K. Use a year-to-date figure and scale it up if the year is not over.
• W-2 Social Security wages: from boxes 3 and 7 of each Form W-2. These use up part of the $184,500 cap before self-employment income does.
• W-2 Medicare wages: from box 5, used only to test for the Additional Medicare Tax.
• Filing status: sets the Additional Medicare Tax threshold of $200,000, $250,000 or $125,000.

If you have a salaried job that also pays bonuses, count the bonus in your W-2 wages. How that bonus is withheld is covered on our bonus tax rate page.

The formula with 2026 figures

1. Net earnings = net profit x 92.35%. Below $400, the tax is zero.
2. Social Security part = 12.4% x the smaller of net earnings or ($184,500 minus W-2 Social Security wages).
3. Medicare part = 2.9% x net earnings.
4. Self-employment tax = Social Security part + Medicare part.
5. Deduction = half of the self-employment tax, taken on Schedule 1 (Form 1040).
6. Additional Medicare Tax = 0.9% of net earnings above your threshold after subtracting W-2 Medicare wages, figured on Form 8959.

Example: self-employment tax on $60,000 of profit

A single rideshare and delivery driver has $60,000 of net profit for 2026 after mileage and phone costs, and no other job.

The self-employment tax equals 14.13% of profit. That ratio holds at every profit level below the Social Security cap and falls above it.

Self-employment tax at other profit levels

At $250,000 the Social Security part stops at $22,878 and only the Medicare part keeps growing. The $278 of Additional Medicare Tax applies to the $30,875 of net earnings above $200,000; more on that surtax is on the Additional Medicare Tax page.

How much should a 1099 worker set aside, including income tax?

Add federal income tax to the self-employment tax to see the full bill. For the $60,000 driver, a simplified 2026 estimate, assuming single status, the standard deduction and the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, looks like this.

Setting aside about 20% of profit would cover this driver's federal bill; state income tax is extra. Someone in the 22% or 24% bracket needs a higher share. Our FICA tax hub compares this with what an employee on the same pay would lose to payroll tax.

What to do with your result

If the total of self-employment tax and income tax will be $1,000 or more after withholding and credits, plan quarterly payments. The remaining 2026 payment is due January 15, 2027. Use our guide to estimated taxes for the self-employed to split the amount, and check the estimated tax due dates before paying.