USA: Paycheck & taxes
Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
Freelancers and business owners pay tax during the year in four estimated payments. Enter your expected profit and other income to estimate how much to send the IRS each quarter, including self-employment tax, federal income tax with the QBI deduction, and state tax. Add last year's tax to use the safe-harbor rule.
How to use the Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
- Enter your expected self-employment profit for the year.
- Add other income, filing status and your state rate.
- Enter tax already withheld (for example from a W-2 job).
- Optionally enter last year's total tax for the safe harbor.
Formula
Example
A single freelancer expecting $70,000 profit in a no-tax state owes roughly $14,300 for the year (including about $9,900 of self-employment tax), or about $3,600 per quarter.
2026-27 due dates
- Q1: April 15, 2026
- Q2: June 15, 2026
- Q3: September 15, 2026
- Q4: January 15, 2027
Avoid the penalty
You generally avoid the underpayment penalty if you pay at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% for higher incomes), spread evenly through the year.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I pay?
Online through IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS, or with Form 1040-ES vouchers.
What if my income is uneven?
You can use the annualized income method (Form 2210) so payments follow your income.
Do I also pay state estimated tax?
Most states with an income tax have their own quarterly payments.
What is the QBI deduction?
Many sole proprietors can deduct up to 20% of qualified business income, which lowers income tax (not SE tax).
Tax figures are for the 2026 tax year and are estimates for planning only. For filing decisions, confirm with a qualified tax professional or the IRS. Your inputs stay in your browser and are not sent to Soft2Cloud.
Last updated: November 2026