1099 Tax Calculator
See exactly what you owe on your 1099 income — federal income tax, self-employment tax (the 15.3% one nobody warns you about), and state tax all at once. Plus your quarterly payment and take-home after tax.
Your numbers
All math runs in your browser. Nothing sent or saved.
Total received from clients before expenses.
Software, home office, mileage, contractors, training.
What you owe on your 1099 income
Total federal + SE + state, with quarterly + take-home breakdown.
25.2% of your gross 1099 income.
Gross net of expenses minus all federal/SE/state tax.
Move this % of every client payment to a separate savings account the day it lands.
Send this to the IRS on Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15 (2026 schedule).
Show the math
- Gross 1099 income
- $60,000
- − Business expenses
- −$3,000
- Net profit (Schedule C)
- $57,000
- × 92.35% (SE earnings)
- $52,640
- SE tax (15.3%)
- $8,054
- Federal income tax
- $4,224
- State tax (5%)
- $2,850
- Total tax
- $15,127.62
- ÷ 4 quarters
- $3,781.91
- Take-home
- $41,872.38
Single-filer math, 2026 IRS figures (SS wage base $182,400, std deduction $15,750, brackets per Rev. Proc. 2025-32). MFJ filers: this overestimates by ~5–15%.
Stop redoing this math every quarter
Ledgentry keeps your 1099 tax estimate updated in real time as your income lands — Plaid syncs your bank, AI categorizes expenses, and your Schedule C export is ready in January. $29/mo, 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
What this calculator includes
- Self-employment tax — 15.3% on 92.35% of your net earnings (12.4% Social Security up to $182,400 wage base for 2026 + 2.9% Medicare with no cap).
- Federal income tax — 2026 single-filer brackets per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, with the $15,750 standard deduction and the half-SE tax deduction applied.
- State income tax — flat blended rate based on your selection. Real state rules vary (some have brackets, some have local tax) so this is a workable estimate, not exact.
- Business expenses — deducted from gross 1099 income before tax. The bigger your tracked deductions, the lower your taxable net.
Things this calculator does NOT account for
- Married filing jointly — uses single-filer brackets, which overestimates joint filers by ~5–15%.
- QBI deduction — the 20% qualified business income deduction can knock 4–6% off your federal tax bill if you qualify. Not modeled.
- Retirement contributions — SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), and SIMPLE IRA contributions reduce taxable income substantially. Add them as "expenses" for a rough adjustment.
- Self-employed health insurance — premiums are deductible on Schedule 1, line 17. Add to expenses for approximation.
- Other W-2 income — a side paycheck or spouse's W-2 changes the bracket math.
The 25–30% set-aside rule
For most US 1099 contractors earning $30k–$150k of net profit, the total tax bill lands at 25–32% of gross. The simplest discipline is to move that percentage of every client payment into a separate savings account the day the deposit lands. Pay quarterlies out of that account on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Beats every spreadsheet and prevents the "I spent my tax money" surprise in April.
How to actually pay
- IRS Direct Pay — bank transfer, no account required, no fee. Pick "Estimated Tax" → "1040ES" → tax year. Save the confirmation.
- EFTPS — free, requires enrollment + mailed PIN. Worth setting up if you'll be paying for years.
- Credit/debit card via IRS-authorized processors — fast but adds 1.7–2% in fees.