Quarterly Tax Calculator · 2026
How much of this should you not spend?
Every invoice arrives with a piece already owed. This works out your real set-aside percentage — self-employment tax, federal, and state — and what to send each quarter.
Free · No signup · Nothing leaves your browser · Every number explained below
Where the money goes
Most of a freelancer’s tax bill isn’t income tax — it’s the self-employment tax an employer used to split with you.
Your tax bill, itemized
by type of tax
Worth knowing
Is your rate high enough to absorb this?
The rate calculator starts from your take-home goal and works backwards — taxes included.
How this works
Four steps, no black box. The numbers below are your numbers and update as you change the inputs.
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Step 1
Self-employment tax first
Self-employment tax runs on 92.35% of your — profit: 12.4% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base, then 2.9% Medicare with no cap. That’s — — both halves of the tax an employer used to pay half of.
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Step 2
Subtract what isn’t taxable
Half your SE tax (—), the standard deduction (—), and the QBI deduction (—) leave — taxable.
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Step 3
Run it through the brackets
Progressive federal brackets give — (your top bracket is —), plus — state at your blended rate.
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Step 4
Divide across four dates
— total, less — already withheld, split four ways: — per quarter — or — of every payment as it lands.
Assumptions worth knowing: this uses 2026 federal figures, the standard deduction (not itemized), and a single blended state rate — real state rules, credits, dependents, and the QBI phase-out for service businesses can all move the number. It also assumes even income across the year; if yours is lumpy, the annualized-income method may lower an early payment. A planning tool — not tax advice.
Questions freelancers actually ask
What percentage should I set aside for taxes as a freelancer?
The common rule of thumb is 25–30% of profit, or 35–40% if you earn a lot or live in a high-tax state. But a rule of thumb ignores your deductions, filing status, and any W-2 withholding in the household — which is why this page computes your actual percentage instead. Set aside that share of every payment as it lands, not at year end.
When are quarterly estimated taxes due?
For 2026 income the federal deadlines are April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. Note the periods are uneven — Q2 covers only two months — so equal payments are the normal approach unless your income is lumpy. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday it shifts to the next business day.
Do I have to pay quarterly taxes?
Generally yes, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more after withholding and credits. You can skip estimated payments if withholding from a job — yours or a spouse’s — already covers the bill, since withholding counts as paid evenly through the year no matter when it happened.
What is the safe harbor rule?
Pay at least 90% of this year’s tax, or 100% of the tax on last year’s return — 110% if last year’s AGI was over $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately) — in four timely instalments, and the IRS won’t charge an underpayment penalty even if you end up owing more. Note the 110% test keys off last year’s income, not this year’s, so a year when your income falls can still owe the higher figure. The prior-year route is the safer one when income is growing, because last year’s number is already known.
How is self-employment tax calculated?
It’s 15.3% — 12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare — applied to 92.35% of your net profit. The Social Security portion stops at the annual wage base; Medicare has no cap and adds 0.9% above higher income thresholds. Half of it is deductible against your income tax, which this calculator applies for you.
What is the QBI deduction and do I qualify?
The qualified business income deduction lets many self-employed people deduct up to 20% of business profit before income tax. Most freelancers under the taxable-income threshold qualify in full; above it, limits and service-business phase-outs apply. It’s on by default here because it meaningfully lowers the real set-aside — switch it off if you’re unsure.
What happens if I skip a quarterly payment?
You’re charged an underpayment penalty, which works like interest on the amount you were short, accruing from that quarter’s due date until you pay. It isn’t catastrophic for one missed quarter, but it compounds — and catching up in April doesn’t undo it. If you fall behind, paying as soon as you can limits the damage.
More money tools
Same approach — real numbers, shown working, nothing gated.