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1099 Self-Employment Tax Calculator

For the 2026 tax year, self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of net earnings: 12.4% Social Security on earnings up to $184,500 plus 2.9% Medicare, with half of it deductible against income tax. Enter your 1099 income and expenses to see SE tax, federal income tax, the QBI deduction and your four quarterly payments.

Updated for the 2026 tax year (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; IRS Schedule SE) Last reviewed

Reviewed by Hassan Ahmed, Founder and Software Developer. Not a licensed tax advisor.

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SE tax = 15.3% (12.4% Social Security up to $184,500 + 2.9% Medicare). Half of that is deductible from federal taxable income. Net self-employment earnings above $200,000 for this filing status also carry the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax (IRC 1401(b)(2)). It has no employer half and is not part of the deductible half. This estimate assumes 1099 income is your only earned income, because W-2 wages reduce that threshold.

Total tax owed

$10,885

Net income after tax: $44,115

Quarterly estimated: $2,721

Breakdown

Gross income
$60,000
Business deductions
− $5,000
Net earnings
$55,000
SE tax: Social Security (12.4%)
$6,298
SE tax: Medicare (2.9%)
$1,473
Total SE tax
$7,771
Half SE tax deduction
− $3,886
QBI deduction (20%)
− $7,003
Federal taxable income
$28,011
Federal income tax
$3,113
Total tax
$10,885
Effective tax rate
19.79%

2025 vs 2026: what changed

Compared with the 2025 tax year, the main 2026 changes for 1099 and self-employment income are a higher Social Security wage base and a higher standard deduction (SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).

2025 and 2026 federal figures for 1099 and self-employment income, with the primary source for each row.
Item20252026ChangeSource
Social Security (OASDI) wage base$176,100$184,500+$8,400 (+4.8%)SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations
Standard deduction, single$15,750$16,100+$350 (+2.2%)IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Standard deduction, married filing jointly$31,500$32,200+$700 (+2.2%)IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Top of the 12% bracket, single$48,475$50,400+$1,925 (+4.0%)IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32
Top of the 22% bracket, single$103,350$105,700+$2,350 (+2.3%)IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32

How this 1099 tax calculator works

Your 1099 income minus deductible business expenses is your net earnings. The IRS taxes 92.35% of that figure for self-employment tax: 12.4% Social Security up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, then 2.9% Medicare on every dollar with no cap. Net self-employment earnings above $200,000 single or $250,000 married filing jointly carry a further 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax under IRC 1401(b)(2), with no employer half. Half of the Social Security and regular Medicare tax is deductible against income tax, which the calculator applies before running your taxable income through the IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets.

What is simplified

The QBI deduction applies the IRC 199A(a)(2)(A) taxable-income cap: it is the lesser of 20% of qualified business income or 20% of taxable income computed before the QBI deduction, the same test IRS Form 8995 uses. It does not model the separate W-2 wage and unadjusted basis (UBIA) limit or the SSTB phase-out, which only reduce the deduction above the IRS income threshold. The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax is modeled, but because there is no W-2 wage field the estimate assumes self-employment is your only earned income; wages reduce the threshold and can raise that tax. State income tax and the S-corp election are not modeled. For ordinary income tax on wages, use the federal income tax calculator; for a W-2 paycheck, use the take-home pay calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tax year does this calculator use?+
It uses the 2026 tax year. The Social Security wage base of $184,500 comes from the SSA determination for 2026, and the income tax brackets and $16,100 single standard deduction come from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Both were last reviewed on 2026-09-14. The comparison table on this page shows the 2025 figures.
What changed from 2025 to 2026?+
The Social Security wage base rose from $176,100 to $184,500, so the 12.4% Social Security half of SE tax now applies to more of your net earnings. The standard deduction and every income tax bracket also moved up for inflation. The 15.3% combined SE tax rate and the 92.35% net-earnings factor are statutory and did not change.
What is self-employment tax (SE tax)?+
SE tax is the equivalent of FICA taxes for self-employed workers. It is 15.3% total: 12.4% Social Security (on the first $184,500 of net earnings in the 2026 tax year) plus 2.9% Medicare (on all earnings). W-2 employees only pay half (7.65%); their employer pays the other half. As a 1099 contractor, you pay both halves.
How is SE tax calculated?+
First, multiply your net earnings by 92.35% (this approximates the half-FICA that W-2 workers don't pay). Then apply 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare to that amount. The IRS gives you a deduction for half your SE tax against federal income tax.
Does this calculator include the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax?+
Yes. Net self-employment earnings, meaning 92.35% of your net profit, above your filing status threshold carry an extra 0.9% Medicare tax under IRC 1401(b)(2). The thresholds are $200,000 single, $250,000 married filing jointly, $125,000 married filing separately and $200,000 head of household. They are set in statute and are not indexed for inflation, so they are the same for 2026 as in prior years. Unlike the 2.9% Medicare component there is no employer half to match, so the rate is 0.9% flat on the excess rather than doubled. The extra tax is also left out of the deduction for half of self-employment tax: IRC 164(f) covers only the 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare components, so adding it there would understate your federal income tax. One limitation to know: this calculator has no W-2 wage field, so it assumes self-employment is your only earned income. If you also draw wages, the threshold is reduced by those wages before it is applied to your net self-employment earnings, so your actual Additional Medicare Tax can be higher than the figure shown here. That happens when your wages and your net self-employment earnings together clear the threshold, even if the self-employment side alone does not.
What is the QBI deduction?+
The Qualified Business Income deduction (Section 199A) lets self-employed workers deduct the lesser of 20% of qualified business income or 20% of taxable income computed before the QBI deduction (IRC 199A(a)(2)(A)). This calculator applies that taxable-income cap. It does not model the separate W-2 wage and unadjusted basis (UBIA) limits or the specified service trade or business (SSTB) phase-out, both of which only matter above the IRS income threshold.
How much should I set aside for quarterly estimated taxes?+
Rough rule: 25-30% of net earnings. The calculator above gives you a more precise quarterly amount based on your specific income and filing status. Pay by April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 to avoid underpayment penalties.
Are business deductions different from QBI?+
Yes. Business deductions (home office, mileage, equipment, software) reduce your gross income to get net earnings — BEFORE SE tax is calculated. QBI is a separate 20% deduction applied AFTER SE tax, against federal income tax only.

Related reading

Guides from the Calcora editorial team that pair with this calculator.

Disclaimer: 1099 tax situations can be complex — state income tax, multi-state work, S-corp election, retirement plan contributions, and partial-year status all affect actual liability. Consult a CPA for your specific situation.

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