What your side income adds to your federal tax, and what to pay next. Free, no signup.
When you work for yourself, you pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare: the share an employee pays and the share an employer would match. The calculator follows Schedule SE for the self-employment tax, then the Form 1040 steps for income tax.
| SE Income Level | Social Security | Medicare | Total SE Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to SS wage base ($184,500) | 12.4% | 2.9% | 15.3% |
| Above $184,500 | 0% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Above $200K (single) / $250K (MFJ) | 0% | 3.8% (2.9% + 0.9% surtax) | 3.8% |
Guides for specific apps and jobs, each with its own deduction tips, FAQ and a copy of the calculator.
Five gig tax myths checked against IRS rules: the $600 rule, "my platform handles it," "I can deduct anything," no 1099 and low income. A worked example shows a $41,000 driver owing about $5,752.
If you filed Form 4868, your 2025 return is due October 15. What waiting costs in penalties and interest (about $381 on a $5,800 balance versus about $672 one day late), two situations that stall people, and an 11-day plan.
A 1099-K reports gross payments, not profit. The current $20,000 and 200-transaction threshold, six mistakes that inflate or understate income, and how a $23,650 form reconciles to a $9,267 Schedule C profit.
Your provider sets the paperwork, but the funds you pick drive the balance. How a 1% expense ratio costs a $100,000 balance about $109,765 over 25 years next to a 0.03% index fund, brokerage window versus restricted menu, and a checklist for building a low-cost lineup the same week.
You do not have to earn money at home to claim a home office. Why a driver who does his paperwork at a spare-room desk qualifies while a virtual assistant at the dining table does not, the gross-income cap that catches small side businesses and how a $600 office turns 4,800 commuting miles into $3,568 of deductible driving.
Picking Roth or traditional on the setup screen can swing five figures over a decade. Why a traditional deferral at $96,000 of profit saves 14.1 cents on the dollar instead of the 22 the bracket implies, where the same $18,000 lands after 25 years, the 14.1% break-even rate that decides it, and why the 2026 Roth catch-up rule does not apply to sole proprietors.
From the same publisher as this site: a web app for logging mileage, time and expenses, sending invoices and exporting your year in Schedule C line order. The free tier covers mileage, expenses and invoices, with 10 time entries a month. Pro is $6 a month or $48 a year and adds unlimited time tracking, receipt scanning, the Schedule C year-end bundle and a quarterly tax estimator.
This calculator provides an estimate of your self-employment tax based on the information you provide. Tax laws and rates may change. This tool does not account for all possible deductions, credits, alternative minimum tax, state taxes, or individual circumstances. For accurate tax advice tailored to your specific situation, please consult with a qualified tax professional.
For more information about self-employment taxes, please refer to the IRS Self-Employed Tax Center and IRS Publication 334 (Tax Guide for Small Business).