Self-employment tax estimator
Rough self-employment tax on net earnings.
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How it's calculated
An employee and employer each pay 7.65% toward Social Security and Medicare; when you work for yourself you pay both halves, 15.3%. It is charged on 92.35% of net profit, not all of it, which stands in for the employer half that an employee never sees as income. Half of the tax then comes off your income before income tax is worked out. The tool follows Schedule SE; it does not cap the Social Security part at the wage base or add the 0.9% Medicare surtax on high incomes.
Is self-employment tax on top of income tax?
Yes. It replaces the Social Security and Medicare tax that comes out of an employee's paycheck; federal and state income tax are charged separately on the same profit, less half of this tax. Together they are why self-employed people set aside 25–35% of profit.
Why is it 92.35% of my profit?
An employer's half of payroll tax is not part of an employee's wages, so the IRS lets you exclude the equivalent, 7.65%, before applying the 15.3%. 100% minus 7.65% is 92.35%.
Does the tax stop at some income?
The 12.4% Social Security part stops at the annual wage base ($184,500 in 2026), counting any W-2 wages first; the 2.9% Medicare part has no cap, and an extra 0.9% applies above $200,000 for single filers. This tool uses the full 15.3% on everything, so it overstates the tax for profit above the wage base.
Results are estimates for informational purposes only and are not financial, medical or legal advice.