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Self-Employment Tax Calculator

Calculate your 2025 self-employment tax in seconds. See exactly how much you owe in Social Security and Medicare taxes as a freelancer or 1099 contractor.

Your Information
Enter your Schedule C net profit to calculate SE tax
$

Your net profit from self-employment (Schedule C, Line 31)

$

Box 3 of your W-2 - reduces your Social Security wage base

Enter your net profit to see results

Your self-employment tax breakdown will appear here.

What Is Self-Employment Tax?

Self-employment tax is the Social Security and Medicare tax that self-employed individuals pay. When you work as an employee, your employer pays half of these taxes. But when you're self-employed, you pay both halves - a combined rate of 15.3% on your net earnings.

The good news: you can deduct half of your self-employment tax when calculating your adjusted gross income (AGI), which reduces your overall income tax.

2025 Self-Employment Tax Rates

Tax ComponentRateApplies To
Social Security12.4%First $176,100 of net earnings
Medicare2.9%All net earnings
Additional Medicare0.9%Earnings over $200,000 ($250,000 if married)
SE Adjustment92.35%Applied to net profit before tax calculation

How to Calculate Self-Employment Tax

  1. Determine your net profit - This is your Schedule C, Line 31 (gross income minus business expenses).
  2. Multiply by 92.35% - The IRS only taxes 92.35% of your net earnings (this accounts for the employer-equivalent portion).
  3. Calculate Social Security tax - 12.4% on the first $176,100 (2025 wage base). If you have W-2 income, subtract those Social Security wages first.
  4. Calculate Medicare tax - 2.9% on all net earnings, plus an additional 0.9% on earnings over $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married).
  5. Deduct half - Half of your total SE tax is deductible on Schedule 1, Line 15, reducing your adjusted gross income.

Want to Find More Tax Deductions?

WriteOff automatically tracks your expenses and identifies every deduction you qualify for - reducing both your income tax and self-employment tax.

Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates based on 2025 IRS tax rates (Rev. Proc. 2024-40). It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for your specific situation.