USA: Paycheck & taxes
Self-Employment Tax Calculator
If you work for yourself, you pay both the employee and employer share of Social Security and Medicare. This calculator works out self-employment tax on your net profit, including the 2026 Social Security wage base and the extra Medicare tax for high earners, and shows the half you can deduct.
How to use the Self-Employment Tax Calculator
- Enter your net profit (income minus business expenses).
- Enter any W-2 wages you also earned this year.
- Choose your filing status.
- See your SE tax and quarterly amount.
Formula
Example
With $60,000 net profit: $60,000 × 0.9235 = $55,410; × 15.3% = about $8,478 in SE tax, of which about $4,239 is deductible.
Lower your self-employment tax
- Track every business expense - mileage, software, home office, equipment
- Contribute to a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) (reduces income tax)
- Consider an S corporation once profit is high enough to pay yourself a salary
Also owe income tax
SE tax is separate from income tax. To plan both, use the quarterly estimated tax calculator.
Related free tools
Frequently asked questions
Who has to pay SE tax?
Anyone with $400 or more of net self-employment earnings in a year.
Why 92.35%?
It mirrors the employer half of FICA that a regular employee would not be taxed on.
Is SE tax deductible?
Half of it is deducted from your income when calculating income tax.
Do W-2 wages change it?
Yes. Wages count toward the Social Security wage base first, so very high earners may pay less of the 12.4% part.
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