Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Calculate the 15.3% self-employment tax on your freelance income — plus the half that's deductible. Built on 2026 IRS figures (SS wage base $182,400).
Your numbers
Just two inputs. Math runs entirely in your browser.
Total invoiced to clients before expenses.
Software, home office, mileage, contractors — anything Schedule C deductible.
Your self-employment tax
The freelancer version of FICA — Social Security + Medicare.
14.1% of your net profit.
Goes on Schedule 1, line 15. Reduces your federal income tax — not your SE tax itself. Tax software handles this automatically; if you file by hand, don't skip it.
Show the math
- Net profit (gross − expenses)
- $75,000
- × 92.35% (SE earnings adjustment)
- $69,263
- Social Security 12.4% (capped at $182,400)
- $8,589
- Medicare 2.9% (no cap)
- $2,009
- Total SE tax
- $10,597.16
- Half deduction (Schedule 1, line 15)
- −$5,298.58
Based on 2026 IRS figures. SS wage base is $182,400.
Want this updated automatically as you invoice?
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What is self-employment tax?
Self-employment (SE) tax is the freelancer version of FICA — the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from every W-2 paycheck. On a W-2 job, you pay 7.65% and your employer pays the other 7.65%. As a freelancer, you're both — so you owe the full 15.3%.
- 12.4% Social Security on the first $182,400 of SE earnings (2026 wage base). Income above that escapes this portion.
- 2.9% Medicare on all SE earnings, no cap.
- +0.9% Additional Medicare kicks in if AGI exceeds $200k (single) / $250k (MFJ). Not modeled here.
The math runs on 92.35% of your net earnings (the "SE earnings adjustment"), not 100%. This 7.65% haircut keeps the math fair across W-2 and SE — employees only pay FICA on the wage portion, not the employer's contribution.
The half-deduction (don't miss it)
You can deduct half of your SE tax as an above-the-line deduction on Schedule 1, line 15. This reduces your federal income tax (not your SE tax itself). For a $11,000 SE tax bill, you knock $5,500 off your AGI — saving roughly $1,200 in income tax at the 22% bracket. Every Schedule C filer is entitled to this.
Who has to pay SE tax?
Anyone with $400 or more in net earnings from self-employment in a tax year. That's the threshold. Above $400, you owe SE tax. Below, you don't.
This catches:
- Sole proprietors filing Schedule C
- Single-member LLC owners (treated as sole props by default)
- Partners in a partnership
- Gig workers (Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Etsy sellers, etc.)
- Anyone with side-hustle income >$400/yr