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1099 Tax Calculator — Self-Employment Tax Estimator
Estimate your self-employment tax, income tax, and quarterly payments as a 1099 contractor or freelancer. Free 1099 tax calculator with SECA, tax brackets, and take-home pay.
Enter the minimum numbers needed to get a result.
Updated live as you type.
Planning estimate only. It does not include taxes, overhead allocation, depreciation, discounts, or other business-specific adjustments.
1099 tax refers to the self-employment taxes (SECA) and income taxes owed by independent contractors who receive Form 1099-NEC instead of a W-2, including the 15.3% self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.
Formula and example
SE Taxable = Net Earnings × 92.35%; SE Tax = SE Taxable × 15.3%; Income Tax = Net Earnings × Rate%; Quarterly = Total Tax ÷ 4
For $80,000 in 1099 income with $10,000 in expenses and a 22% income tax rate: net earnings = $70,000, SE tax = ~$9,891, income tax = ~$15,400, total tax = ~$25,291 with quarterly payments of ~$6,323.
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Methodology & assumptions
Last updated: 2026-06-13Calculation method
Estimates total self-employment tax burden using: (1) SECA tax of 15.3% (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) applied to 92.35% of net earnings per IRS Schedule SE rules; (2) income tax estimate using your combined federal and state rate. Does not account for Social Security wage base cap, QBI deduction, retirement contributions, or other credits.
Data sources
Uses the numbers you enter and standard small-business finance formulas. Benchmark comparisons use HustleFin industry benchmark pages where available.
Limitations
This is an estimate, not tax advice. Does not include Social Security cap (~$176,100 (IRS 2025)), 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax above $200K/$250K, QBI deduction (20% of business income), self-employed health insurance deduction, or retirement plan contributions. Consult a CPA for exact calculations.
Input definitions
- 1099 income (annual): Total income from 1099 contracts before expenses.
- Business deductions: Deductible expenses: home office, equipment, travel, software, etc.
- Estimated income tax rate: Your marginal tax bracket rate for federal and state income tax combined.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a 1099 contractor set aside for taxes?+
A common rule of thumb is 25-30% of net income. This covers ~15.3% self-employment tax plus ~10-15% income tax depending on your bracket. High earners should set aside 30-35%.
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?+
The total SECA rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security (on first ~$176,100 of combined wages) and 2.9% for Medicare (unlimited). Only 92.35% of your net self-employment income is subject to this tax.
Do I need to make quarterly estimated tax payments?+
Yes. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes, the IRS requires quarterly estimated payments (April 15, June 15, September 15, January 15). Not paying quarterly can result in penalties.
What deductions can reduce my 1099 tax bill?+
Key deductions: home office, equipment, software subscriptions, health insurance premiums, retirement contributions (SEP IRA, Solo 401k), mileage, and 50% of self-employment tax itself. The QBI deduction can also reduce taxable income by up to 20%.
How is 1099 different from W-2?+
As a 1099 contractor, you pay both the employee AND employer portions of Social Security and Medicare tax (15.3% total vs the 7.65% you'd pay as a W-2 employee). However, you can deduct business expenses that employees cannot.
Related guides
Go deeper with in-depth guides on the concepts behind this calculator.
Next: What to do after this
Pick one next action. These are sequenced by the most common workflow after this calculation.
Home office, mileage, equipment, and more — find every write-off to reduce taxable income.
Get email reminders before each IRS quarterly estimated tax deadline.
Download a printable PDF summary of your estimated taxes for your records.
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