Freelance Tax Calculator
Estimate annual and quarterly taxes for 1099 income using self-employment tax, 2025 federal brackets, and a flat state-rate input.
Last updated: 2026-03-18
Freelance tax calculator
Enter your values
Estimate annual and quarterly tax payments for 1099 income using self-employment tax, federal brackets, and a simple state-rate input.
Quarterly payment target
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Enter freelance income and deductible expenses to estimate annual tax and a rough quarterly payment target.
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Example calculations
Tap an example to prefill the calculator with sample values.
Solo consultant
$100k revenue, $15k expenses, 5% state rate
A common planning case where quarterly estimates matter but the taxpayer still wants a fast back-of-the-envelope view.
Result: About $24.2k total annual tax, or roughly $6,051 per quarter
Married freelancer household
$180k revenue, $30k expenses, MFJ, no state income tax
Useful for remote households in no-tax states that still need to account for the self-employment layer.
Result: About $35.1k total annual tax, or about $8,773 per quarter
Smaller side-business
$70k revenue, $10k expenses, single, no state rate
Shows how quarterly estimates still matter even when income is not near the top federal brackets.
Result: About $13.1k total annual tax, or around $3,283 per quarter
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How the freelance tax estimate works
Freelancers usually owe two different tax layers: ordinary income tax and self-employment tax. This calculator starts with net profit, applies the self-employment tax rules, then deducts half of that amount before running the federal bracket estimate.
The result is a planning number, not a return-ready filing amount. Withholding from other jobs, tax credits, prior-year safe harbors, QBI deductions, and real state tax systems can all move the actual payment amount up or down.
Freelance tax FAQs
How the calculator treats self-employment tax, quarterly payments, and planning assumptions.
What is self-employment tax?
Self-employment tax is the freelancer version of Social Security and Medicare payroll tax. When you work for yourself, you generally cover both the employee and employer shares, which is why this tax layer matters even before ordinary federal income tax is applied.
Why does the estimate only use 92.35% of net profit for SE tax?
That follows the IRS estimated-tax worksheet approach for self-employment income. The adjustment reflects how self-employment tax is computed before the Social Security and Medicare percentages are applied.
Why divide by four?
Freelancers often make estimated tax payments quarterly. This calculator simply spreads the annual estimate across four equal payments, which is useful for planning but not a substitute for safe-harbor or annualization rules.
Does this include withholding, credits, or spouse wages?
No. This version focuses on standalone 1099 income planning. W-2 wages, prior withholding, tax credits, spouse income, and QBI deductions can all materially change the actual amount owed.
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</script> Related tools
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