RefundPlot 2026 constants · status-tracked

Self-Employment Tax Calculator

Your inputs2026 ready
Business profit after expenses, before SE tax.
Self-employment tax
$14,129.55
effective 14.1% of net earnings
Show the math, step by step
Net self-employment earnings$100,000.00
× 92.35% (the employer-equivalent base)$92,350.00
SE tax at 15.3%$14,129.55
Half of SE tax (deductible above the line)−$7,064.78
Effective rate on net earnings14.1%

Self-employment tax replaces the FICA your employer would have paid. Pair this with the estimated tax calculator to set quarterly payments.

Constants used on this page — verification status
  • SE tax 15.3% × 92.35% base + 半额扣除回减（$100k→$14,130） — IRC §1401 + Schedule SE; corroborated across competitors IRS-sourced

We flag every constant whose primary-source verification is still pending and update within 48 hours of each IRS annual release. See our methodology.

This is an estimate for planning only — not tax advice. Tax law changes and individual circumstances vary; consult a qualified professional for decisions.

Freelancers, gig workers, and side hustlers pay an extra tax that W-2 employees never see: self-employment tax, which replaces the employer half of FICA and lands on top of your regular income tax. This calculator computes it from your net self-employment income with the two adjustments that trip people up — the 92.35% base and the above-the-line half-deduction — then shows how it feeds your overall bill. Free, no signup, full formula visible, snapshot-replayable, and honest about the wage-base edge cases that simpler tools quietly get wrong.

Net self-employment income. Your business income minus deductible business expenses — the same number you would report on Schedule C. Not revenue: profit.

Filing status. Needed for context in the combined view and any credits; the SE tax itself is status-independent.

W-2 wages, if any. If you also hold a job, Social Security's annual wage base applies across combined earnings. The calculator uses this to apply the wage-base cap correctly instead of charging 12.4% on everything — an honest edge case many simple tools get wrong. (Community reports describe the cap landing near $160k in recent years; the exact figure changes annually and is stamped pending verification in the constant module.)

Tax year. 2023–2026. Rates are stable; the wage base moves yearly.

  1. SE base = net self-employment income × 92.35% — the adjustment exists because employees don't pay FICA on the employer share.
  2. SE tax = base × 15.3%, split into Social Security 12.4% (subject to the annual wage base, coordinated with any W-2 wages) and Medicare 2.9%.
  3. Verified anchor: $100,000 of net self-employment income → $100,000 × 92.35% × 15.3% = $14,130 of SE tax.
  4. Half of the SE tax is deductible above the line — the calculator subtracts it before estimating your income tax, mirroring Form 1040.
  5. The combined view stacks federal income tax (bracket math on income after the half-deduction) plus SE tax, so you see the true total, not a partial one.
  • SE tax rate: 15.3% (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare); base factor 92.35%; half-deduction rule.
  • Social Security wage base: annual, applies across employers and self-employment combined — exact 2026 figure pending IRS first-hand verification.
  • Sources: IRS Schedule SE instructions; Publication 505.

Self-employment tax is the single most-underestimated line for new freelancers — it exists on top of income tax and is invisible in paycheck withholding until quarterly payments come due. Pair this with the estimated tax calculator to convert the annual figure into four payments that keep you penalty-safe.

This calculator produces an estimate for planning purposes. It is not tax advice, and it is not a substitute for filing an accurate return.

Frequently asked

**Why 92.35%? What happened to the other 7.65%?**

That's the employer-equivalent share. W-2 workers only pay FICA on wages, and the "7.65% employer half" isn't part of their taxable wages — so self-employed people get the same exclusion via the 92.35% base before the 15.3% rate applies.

Is self-employment tax on top of income tax? Yes. SE tax replaces FICA; income tax is computed separately (after the half-deduction). A profitable freelancer owes both, which is exactly why the combined view matters.

I have a W-2 job and a side gig — do I pay 12.4% twice? Social Security stops at the annual wage base across combined wages and SE income. If your W-2 wages already hit the cap, the calculator applies the cap instead of double-charging; Medicare 2.9% has no cap.

How do I actually pay it? Through quarterly estimated payments — the estimated tax calculator turns this annual number into a four-payment schedule with safe-harbor amounts.