Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 self-employment tax in seconds. See how Social Security and Medicare taxes are figured for a freelancer or 1099 contractor.
Social Security wage base: $184,500 for 2026. The 2027 wage base has not been announced.
Your net profit from self-employment (Schedule C, Line 31)
Box 3 uses part of the Social Security wage base. Enter zero when the printed box is zero.
Box 5 coordinates Additional Medicare tax. Enter zero when the printed box is zero.
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.
2026 Self-Employment Tax Rates
| Tax Component | Rate | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | 12.4% | First $184,500 of combined W-2 wages and net earnings (2026 wage base) |
| Medicare | 2.9% | All net earnings |
| Additional Medicare | 0.9% | Wages plus net earnings over $200,000 ($250,000 married filing jointly; $125,000 married filing separately) |
| SE Adjustment | 92.35% | Applied to net profit before tax calculation |
How to Calculate Self-Employment Tax
- Determine your net profit - This is your Schedule C, Line 31 (gross income minus business expenses).
- Multiply by 92.35% - The IRS only taxes 92.35% of your net earnings (this accounts for the employer-equivalent portion).
- Calculate Social Security tax - 12.4% on the first $184,500(2026 wage base). If you have W-2 income, subtract those Social Security wages first.
- Calculate Medicare tax - 2.9% on all net earnings, plus an additional 0.9% on combined wages and net earnings over $200,000 (single or head of household), $250,000 (married filing jointly) or $125,000 (married filing separately).
- Deduct half - Half of your total SE tax is deductible on Schedule 1, Line 15, reducing your adjusted gross income.
Planning estimate, not tax advice
This calculator is a planning estimate using the Schedule SE formula (92.35% of net profit; 12.4% Social Security up to the $184,500 2026 wage base; 2.9% Medicare) and the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax thresholds. It does not cover church employee income, farm optional methods, spouses with separate businesses, or income tax. Verify the rules in the IRS Schedule SE instructions and consult a qualified tax professional for your specific situation.