1099 Tax Calculator 2026: Self-Employment Tax
Estimate your 2026 self-employment tax, federal and state income tax and quarterly estimated payments on 1099 income.
Freelancing, driving for an app or picking up 1099 contract work? This calculator estimates your 2026 self-employment tax, federal income tax and optional state income tax on that income, then splits the total into the four quarterly estimated payments the IRS expects.
Your results
self-employment tax ($16,647 total estimated 2026 tax, single)
Total tax as a share of net profit 20.8% · Half of SE tax deducted $5,652 · QBI deduction $11,650
Quarterly estimated payments: each ($14,983 a year, based on 90% of this year). Next due date for 2026 income: January 15, 2027. The April, June and September 2026 payments were due earlier in the year.
| Item | Per year | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Gross 1099 income | $80,000 | $20,000 |
| Net self-employment profit | $80,000 | $20,000 |
| Social Security tax (12.4% of 92.35%) | -$9,161 | -$2,290 |
| Medicare tax (2.9% of 92.35%) | -$2,143 | -$536 |
| Federal income tax | -$5,344 | -$1,336 |
| Left after tax | $63,353 | $15,838 |
How the numbers work
- SE tax base: $80,000 × 92.35% = $73,880.
- Adjusted gross income: net profit − half of SE tax ($5,652) = $74,348.
- Federal taxable income: AGI − standard deduction − QBI deduction ($11,650) = $46,599.
Estimates for planning only. Not tax, legal or financial advice. Results use 2026 federal rates (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32) and the state tables listed below, and may differ from your actual withholding. Consult a qualified tax professional. See our disclaimer.
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How It Works
- Enter your gross 1099 income and business expenses, plus any self-employed health premiums or W-2 wages.
- Choose your filing status, an optional state and whether to apply the QBI deduction.
- Select Calculate to see your self-employment tax, income tax and quarterly payment. Add tax already withheld or last year's tax to refine the quarterly figure.
How Self-Employment Tax Works in 2026
As an employee, your employer pays half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. When you work on a 1099, you pay both halves yourself as self-employment (SE) tax, figured on Schedule SE:
- Start with net profit: your 1099 and other business income minus ordinary business expenses (Schedule C).
- Multiply by 92.35%. This mirrors the employer-half deduction an employee effectively gets. If the result is under $400, you owe no SE tax.
- Social Security: 12.4% of that amount, up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Wages from a W-2 job count toward the same cap, so enter them if you have them.
- Medicare: 2.9% with no cap, plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on SE earnings above $200,000 (single), $250,000 (married filing jointly) or $125,000 (married filing separately).
You then deduct half of your SE tax (not counting the Additional Medicare Tax) when you work out your adjusted gross income. That lowers your income tax, not the SE tax itself.
Income Tax on 1099 Earnings
After the half-SE-tax deduction (and health insurance premiums you pay yourself, if you qualify), the calculator subtracts the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers, or $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and applies the federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
The qualified business income (QBI) deduction lets many sole proprietors deduct up to 20% of their business income. From 2026 there's also a $400 minimum deduction if you have at least $1,000 of QBI from a business you actively run. The calculator applies it as a simple option. Above the 2026 threshold ($201,750 single, $403,500 joint), limits for specified service businesses such as consulting, law and health can shrink or remove it, so check Form 8995-A or ask a tax professional. Turn the option off if you aren't sure you qualify.
Quarterly Estimated Payments
No employer withholds tax from 1099 pay, so the IRS expects you to pay during the year with Form 1040-ES if you'll owe $1,000 or more. Under IRS Publication 505, you generally avoid an underpayment penalty if you pay the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's tax (110% if last year's AGI was over $150,000). Enter last year's tax to use that safe harbor. For 2026 income, the April, June and September 2026 payments have passed, and the last one is due January 15, 2027. You can skip that January payment if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay everything you owe with it (2026 Form 1040-ES).
Self-Employment Tax at Common Profit Levels
Single filer, no state income tax, QBI deduction applied, 2026:
| Net profit | SE tax | Federal income tax | Total | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $4,239 | $942 | $5,181 | $1,166 |
| $50,000 | $7,065 | $2,667 | $9,732 | $2,190 |
| $80,000 | $11,304 | $5,344 | $16,647 | $3,746 |
| $120,000 | $16,955 | $11,506 | $28,462 | $6,404 |
| $200,000 | $28,234 | $25,196 | $53,431 | $12,022 |
Comparing a contract with a salaried offer? Use the W-2 vs 1099 calculator to find your breakeven rate, and our guide on how to set your 1099 contractor rate.
Sources
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 brackets and standard deduction)
- SSA: 2026 Social Security wage base
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding
- IRS: 401(k) limit increases for 2026
- IRS Schedule SE (Form 1040)
- IRS Form 1040-ES, estimated tax for individuals
- IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
- IRS: self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare)
- IRS: qualified business income deduction
Last updated . Data vintage: 2026 federal tables; SSA 2026 wage base.
How this number was calculated
- Profit = gross receipts minus business expenses.
- SE tax = 92.35% of profit × 15.3% (12.4% Social Security, up to the wage base, plus 2.9% Medicare) (Schedule SE).
- Half of the SE tax, plus any self-employed health premiums you enter, comes off to give adjusted gross income.
- Subtract the standard deduction, then the QBI deduction if it's on, apply the 2026 federal brackets (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), and add state income tax if you picked a state.
- For the quarterly figure, the target is 90% of the 2026 estimate, or last year's tax (110% of it if last year's AGI was over $150,000) when that's lower. The target is then divided into four (IRS Publication 505).
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is self-employment tax in 2026?
The rate is 15.3%, made up of 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare, but it isn't charged on all of your profit. Schedule SE first multiplies profit by 92.35%, and the 15.3% applies to that smaller amount. The Social Security part stops at the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and W-2 wages count toward that limit first. Estimate: with $72,000 of profit and $150,000 of W-2 wages, only $34,500 of room is left under the cap. The Social Security part drops to about $4,278, while Medicare stays at about $1,928. Sources: IRS Schedule SE, SSA contribution and benefit base.
How much should I set aside from each 1099 payment?
It depends on your profit, filing status, state, other income and whether you qualify for QBI, so no single percentage fits everyone. In the worked example above, about 20.6% of profit covers federal income tax and SE tax for a single Texan with $72,000 of profit. Estimate: a single Floridian with $60,000 of profit and no expenses would need about 20.1%, which is about $12,037 for the year. Run your own numbers in the calculator rather than relying on a rule of thumb. Sources: IRS Publication 505, IRS self-employment tax.
1099 tax calculator with deductions: what counts?
The calculator takes gross 1099 receipts, business expenses, self-employed health insurance premiums, any W-2 wages, a QBI on/off switch, filing status and an optional state. Business expenses come off before either tax is figured, so they reduce both SE tax and income tax. In the calculator, health premiums lower income tax but not SE tax. Estimate: adding $6,000 of premiums to the worked example cuts federal income tax from about $4,630 to about $4,054, while SE tax stays at about $10,173. Sources: IRS Topic 554, IRS Schedule SE.
When are 2026 quarterly estimated taxes due?
Only one 2026 date is left: January 15, 2027. The spring, June and September dates have already gone by. The IRS gives one way to skip the January payment: get your full 2026 return filed by February 1, 2027, and pay whatever balance is due along with it. You generally need to make estimated payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 for the year. Sources: IRS Form 1040-ES (2026), IRS Publication 505.
Can I take the QBI deduction on 1099 income?
Often, yes. If you qualify, the deduction is the smaller of two amounts: 20% of your qualified business income, or 20% of your taxable income before the deduction. New for 2026, the IRS sets a $400 floor for anyone with $1,000 or more of QBI from an active trade or business. Estimate: in the worked example, QBI is worth about $10,163 of deduction. Turning it off raises the total tax from about $14,803 to about $16,064. Above $201,750 of taxable income for a single filer, extra limits can shrink the deduction, and the calculator flags that. Sources: IRS, Qualified business income deduction, IRS Form 1040-ES (2026), IRS Form 8995.
Do I pay self-employment tax and income tax on 1099 income?
Yes. Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare, and regular federal (and usually state) income tax applies on top. Half of your SE tax is deductible when figuring income tax.
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