Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026)
Work out 2026 Social Security and Medicare tax on your freelance or business profit, including the 92.35% rule, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, and the deductible half.
Estimated 2026 self-employment tax
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— of your net profit
What it pays for
SE tax is on top of regular income tax. Use the 1099 tax calculator for both together.
How we calculate
- Net earnings from self-employment = net profit × 92.35%. If that’s under $400, no SE tax is due.
- Social Security = 12.4% × the smaller of net earnings or ($184,500 − W-2 Social Security wages). $184,500 is the 2026 wage base.
- Medicare = 2.9% × all net earnings (no cap).
- Self-employment tax = Social Security + Medicare. You deduct half of it when figuring adjusted gross income.
- Additional Medicare tax (Form 8959, not part of SE tax) = 0.9% × net earnings above $200,000 ($250,000 joint, $125,000 separate), with the threshold reduced by W-2 Medicare wages.
Before you rely on this
Not tax, legal, or financial advice. This estimates Schedule SE for a typical sole proprietor or single-member LLC. It doesn’t cover church employee income, optional methods, farm income, partnerships with guaranteed payments, or S-corp wages. Confirm with the Schedule SE instructions or a qualified professional.
Official sources & tax year
Frequently asked questions
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare, applied to 92.35% of net profit. The Social Security part stops once your combined wages and net earnings reach $184,500 in 2026. An extra 0.9% Additional Medicare tax applies above $200,000 ($250,000 joint).
How is self-employment tax calculated?
Multiply net profit by 92.35%. Apply 12.4% to that amount up to the Social Security wage base (minus any W-2 wages) and 2.9% to all of it. On $75,000 of profit that’s about $10,597.
Is self-employment tax calculated on gross or net income?
On net profit (income minus business expenses), then multiplied by 92.35%. Tracking expenses lowers both income tax and SE tax.
Can I deduct self-employment tax?
Half of it. The deductible half reduces your adjusted gross income, which lowers income tax. It doesn’t reduce the SE tax itself.
Do I pay self-employment tax if I also have a W-2 job?
Yes, on your self-employment profit. But W-2 wages count toward the $184,500 Social Security wage base first, so if your salary is high you may owe only the 2.9% Medicare part on side income.