Freelancer Tax Calculator 2026 Tax year 2026

Start your estimate ↓

Estimate your 2026 self-employment, federal and state taxes, then see how much to set aside each quarter. Plan & set aside — we don’t e-file.

This estimator uses 2026 brackets and wage base. See the 2027 preview for what IRS/SSA have (and have not) published.

By The PiggyMath Editorial Desk Last updated Sources and calculation method linked below
Educational estimate for 2026. AMT is not modeled; optional credits, local tax and NIIT are simplified. Method and limits

Your year

Results show a quality badge for state tax (flat/exact, exact brackets, multi-bracket approx, or coarse).
W-2 wages & QBI options
Your own W-2 Social Security wages (Box 3), used only for the Social Security cap. Do not replace with Box 5.
Enter Box 5 separately when different. Blank assumes the Social Security wage input; old links keep that assumption. Include spouse Medicare wages if filing jointly. Adjusts Additional Medicare on self-employment income only; wage-side Additional Medicare is not included. IRS rules.
Unrelated W-2, interest, spouse income, etc. Raises taxable income for brackets and the QBI threshold.
SSTBs phase out across the 2026 range and lose the deduction above it.
Wages your business pays (including an S-corp owner salary). Used for the §199A wage limitation above the threshold — not your personal W-2 from another job.
Unadjusted basis of qualified property — the other limb of the wage/UBIA cap.
Deductions & retirement
Above-the-line estimate — reduces AGI / QBI base, not self-employment tax. Capped at net profit after the SE half deduction.
Enter the deductible amount you expect to contribute. Reduces AGI; does not cut SE tax. Limits are not enforced here — see the Solo 401(k) calculator.
Credits, local tax & NIIT
Light Child Tax Credit estimate ($2,200 / child, phaseout, ACTC caps). Not a full Form 8812.
Simple dollar reduction to federal income tax due — education, dependent care, etc. Enter your own estimate.
Presets only fill the % field. PA EIT and NYC brackets vary — treat as a planning input.
If MAGI-like total exceeds $200k / $250k MFJ, we estimate 3.8% NIIT on the lesser of this amount and the amount over the threshold. AMT is not modeled.

State notes and NIIT / AMT caveats appear here after calculation.

All-in-one estimate

SE + federal + state (+ local / NIIT / credits when used). Share the scenario link or print a clean summary for your records.

Estimated total tax (year)
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Planning estimate — see checklist below.

Self-employment tax
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Federal income tax
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State income tax —
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Quarterly set-aside
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Total ÷ 4 budget reserve; includes state/local tax when entered. Not an IRS payment amount.
Monthly set-aside
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Net after tax
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Profit − total tax
QBI deduction
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QBI tax savings
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Federal income tax cut by §199A
Effective rate
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Total tax ÷ profit
Local tax, NIIT & credits
Local tax
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NIIT (est.)
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Credits (est.)
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What's included / excluded

Details: methodology · filing prep checklist (prep, not e-file).

Tax breakdown

SE vs federal income vs state (+ local / NIIT when used)

Accountant summary

Copy/paste or print this blurb — still an estimate, not a filed return

Before you enter your freelance income

Enter annual business profit after expenses. If you also have a W-2 job, enter Social Security wages in the W-2 field for the payroll-tax calculation and include taxable wages in Other taxable income for the income-tax calculation. These inputs serve different purposes.

The result estimates the household inputs you provide; it does not import your tax return, withholding or payments already made. Use the annual estimate as a starting point, then account for payments before deciding what remains due.

Only need the SE-tax portion? · Check the estimated-payment safe harbor · Payment dates

Planning guide checked 24 October 2026. IRS estimated-tax guidance. Published by PiggyMath; no CPA or enrolled-agent review is claimed.

Next: quarterly deadlines · filing prep · how we check our math

How this is calculated

Core engines match our dedicated tools: SE tax (15.3% on 92.35% of profit, $184,500 wage base, optional W-2 offset), federal income tax (2026 brackets + standard or itemized), optional SE health / Solo 401(k)–SEP above-the-line deductions, state income tax (flat = exact; CA/NY/NJ/OR/MN/DC = exact brackets; other graduated = multi-bracket approx with a quality badge), optional local %, light CTC / other credits, and the full QBI engine. NIIT shows a 3.8% estimate when MAGI-like income and investment income warrant it.

Worked example: $80,000 profit, single, Texas, QBI on — about $11,300 SE tax, federal income after QBI and the $16,100 standard deduction, $0 state, then a clear effective rate and quarterly amount.

One screen for the full freelance tax picture

See your self-employment tax, income tax, state estimate and QBI deduction together. The calculations use the same methods as our dedicated tools. SE tax matches the SE calculator; QBI matches the dedicated §199A tool; state figures use the same published state-tax data as the state comparison.

What this is not

These are estimates for planning, not a substitute for tax software or a CPA. AMT is not modeled. NIIT is a light estimate when you enter investment income above the MAGI threshold. CA, NY, NJ, OR, MN, and DC use exact statutory brackets by filing status; other graduated states use compact approximations with a quality badge. Local taxes, credits, SE health and retirement inputs are optional and simplified. See the included/excluded checklist in the results and our methodology.

How to use the quarterly figure

The quarterly figure is the estimated annual total divided by four for budgeting. It includes state and local tax when entered; those amounts are not paid to the IRS. It does not subtract withholding or estimated payments already made, so it is not the amount to send with Form 1040-ES. Check your federal payment separately with the IRS Form 1040-ES worksheet and your withholding, credits, prior payments and applicable safe-harbor rules. Use the quarterly calculator (reserve planning, deadlines and reminders) or the safe harbor if last year’s return is a better anchor. For a simple percent of each invoice, use the set-aside calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What does this freelancer tax calculator include?
It combines 2026 federal self-employment tax (Social Security wage base and optional W-2 offset), federal income tax brackets with the standard or itemized deduction, optional SE health insurance and Solo 401(k)/SEP above-the-line deductions, a state income-tax estimate with quality badges, optional local/city tax, light Child Tax Credit and other credit estimates, a NIIT awareness note, and the full §199A QBI engine — then shows total tax, effective rate and a quarterly set-aside.
Is this the same as filing software?
No. It is an educational planning estimate, not TurboTax, TaxAct, or a CPA return. AMT is not modeled; NIIT is a simplified estimate; graduated states use compact brackets; credits are light estimates. See the on-page included/excluded checklist and methodology.
Why enter W-2 Social Security wages?
W-2 box 3 wages already use part of the $184,500 Social Security wage base for the Social Security calculation. Use the separate Medicare wage field for the Additional Medicare threshold. Entering them prevents double-counting SE Social Security tax.

2026 figures are sourced in data/tax-constants-2026.json and listed with IRS/SSA links on Tax Constants 2026. Calculators read the mirrored values in assets/app.js (kept in sync by tools/verify_tax_constants.mjs). No Enrolled Agent or CPA has reviewed this page unless separately disclosed with credentials and a review date.

Sources

See the sources, assumptions and calculation-checking method for this tool. How we check our math →

Next steps

📅Quarterly Tax CalculatorPlan a quarterly budget reserve and review federal deadlines; confirm your payment separately.🧾Self-Employment Tax CalculatorSE tax alone — Social Security, Medicare and W-2 offset.📐QBI Deduction CalculatorDeep dive on §199A thresholds, SSTB and wage limits.💸Tax Set-Aside CalculatorWhat percent of each payment to park for taxes.✅Filing Prep ChecklistSituation → documents → forms for TY2026 / season 2027 (prep, not e-file).📄Tax Forms ExplainedSchedule C, SE, 1040-ES, 2210 and 8995 in plain English.