US rule · tax year 2026

Self-employed tax set-aside calculator (US).

Estimate US self-employment tax from IRS figures for tax year 2026, add the income tax rates you enter, and see what to set aside.

US self-employed tax set-aside, tax year 2026
Tax year 2026 figures, read from IRS pages on 2026-11-05: 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare on 92.35% of net earnings; Social Security part applies to the first $184,500 of combined wages and net earnings; no self-employment tax under $400 of net earnings.

Example values are shown so you can see the working. Replace them with your own. Estimate method: self-employment tax from the 2026 figures below, plus the income tax rates you enter. It does not model deductions, credits, brackets, the Additional Medicare Tax or state rules.

Self-employment tax
$14,129.55
Estimated total to set aside
$14,129.55
Share of profit
14.1%
Work shownrecomputed as you type
Net earnings = profit × 92.35% = $100,000.00 × 0.9235 = $92,350.00
Social Security part = $92,350.00 (the lower of net earnings and the $184,500 left under the $184,500 base) × 12.4% = $11,451.40
Medicare part = net earnings × 2.9% = $2,678.15
Self-employment tax = $11,451.40 + $2,678.15 = $14,129.55
Half of it is deductible for income tax: $7,064.78. Income tax base here = profit − half = $92,935.23
Income tax at your rate (0%) = $0.00; other income tax (0%) = $0.00
Total = $14,129.55 + $0.00 + $0.00 = $14,129.55. One quarter of it = $3,532.39.

You have not entered an income tax rate, so the total is self-employment tax only.

A planning aid, not tax or legal advice.

How it works

  1. Net earnings = net profit × 92.35%.
  2. Social Security part = 12.4% of the lower of net earnings and the Social Security base left after any wages (2026 base: $184,500).
  3. Medicare part = 2.9% of net earnings.
  4. No self-employment tax if net earnings are under $400.
  5. Half of self-employment tax is deductible in figuring adjusted gross income; the income tax base here is profit minus that half.
  6. Income tax = income tax base × the rates you enter. Brackets, other deductions and credits are not modelled.
  7. Not modelled: the Additional Medicare Tax, state self-employment rules, and anything specific to your return.

Sources

Questions

Is the result what I will owe?

No. It is an estimate by a stated method. Your return depends on deductions, credits, other income and filing status that this tool does not see.

Why do I enter my own income tax rate?

Income tax depends on your whole return. Rather than guess a bracket, the tool applies the rate you choose to the profit left after the deduction for half of self-employment tax.

What are the Social Security wages for?

The Social Security part applies up to a yearly base shared between wages and net earnings. If a job has already used some of it, enter the Social Security wages from Form W-2 so the tool leaves less for your profit.

Where do the figures come from?

The IRS pages listed under Sources, read on 5 November 2026. The figures are reviewed each January and when the law changes.

Is this for people outside the US?

It covers US federal self-employment tax only. Check your own tax authority for rules where you live.

A planning aid, not tax or legal advice. Runs in your browser; the figures you type are not sent to CORAA or stored.

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