Free tool
Self-employment tax calculator
The 15.3% bill, itemized.
Your result is an estimate based on the answers you enter. It is not filed or stored anywhere.
Method
How this calculator works
Self-employment tax applies the combined 15.3% Social Security and Medicare rate to 92.35% of your net self-employment earnings. The Social Security portion (12.4%) stops at the annual wage base — $184,500 for 2026 — while the Medicare portion (2.9%) has no cap, and an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% applies above $200,000 of income ($250,000 married filing jointly).
Half of the self-employment tax is deductible against your income tax — the calculator shows that figure because it matters for the rest of your return. No SE tax is owed if net earnings are under $400.
Estimates, not advice
Every figure this tool produces is a planning estimate built from the numbers you enter and simplified assumptions documented above. It is educational content, not individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. Rates, limits, and thresholds change — annual constants are reviewed each January, and you should confirm anything decision-critical against primary sources or a professional.
Questions
FAQ
Why 92.35% and not 100%?
It mirrors how employees are treated: the employer half of payroll tax isn't part of an employee's taxable wages, so the self-employed get an equivalent 7.65% reduction to the base before the rate applies.
Does the QBI deduction reduce this?
No. QBI reduces income tax only. Self-employment tax is computed on net earnings before any income-tax deductions.
I also have a W-2 job — does that change it?
Yes, for the Social Security portion: your W-2 wages use up the wage base first. If wages already exceed $184,500, your SE income owes only the Medicare portion.