Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2025)

If you earn 1099 income — rideshare, delivery, freelancing, content creation — you owe both halves of Social Security and Medicare plus income tax. Enter your numbers for a full estimate.

Your 1099 income minus business expenses (Schedule C net profit).

Estimate only — not tax advice. This calculator uses 2025 federal brackets and standard deductions and simplifies several rules (for example, it doesn't apply the Social Security wage-base cap or additional Medicare tax). For decisions involving real money, consult a qualified tax professional or CPA.

How it works

When you're self-employed, there's no employer withholding Social Security and Medicare taxes for you — so you pay both the employee and employer halves yourself. That's the 15.3% self-employment tax: 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare, applied to 92.35% of your net earnings (the 7.65% haircut is Congress's rough stand-in for the employer half you'd never see as a W-2 worker).

On top of that, you owe regular federal income tax on your profit. The good news: you get to deduct half of your self-employment tax from your income first, then subtract the standard deduction ($15,000 single / $30,000 married filing jointly for 2025), and the remainder is taxed at the graduated 2025 brackets from 10% to 37%.

One more thing first-time freelancers miss: the IRS generally wants this money in quarterly installments during the year, not one lump sum in April. Check the quarterly estimated tax calculator to see your payment schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the SE tax base only 92.35% of my earnings?

It's the tax code's way of approximating the employer-paid half. As a W-2 employee you'd only pay tax on wages after your employer paid their 7.65% share; the 92.35% factor (100% − 7.65%) puts self-employed workers on roughly equal footing.

Do I owe SE tax if I only earned a little?

You generally owe self-employment tax once your net earnings reach $400 for the year. Below that, no SE tax — though income tax rules still apply.

What's the difference between SE tax and income tax?

SE tax (15.3%) funds Social Security and Medicare and applies to your net self-employment earnings. Income tax is the graduated federal tax (10%–37% brackets) that applies to your taxable income after deductions. You owe both.

Can I deduct business expenses first?

Yes — and you should. Enter your net earnings (income minus deductible business expenses like mileage, phone, supplies). Every legitimate expense lowers both your SE tax and your income tax.

Does this include state taxes?

No. This calculator covers federal taxes only. Most states have their own income tax with different rates and rules — check your state's revenue department.

Why is my effective rate lower than 15.3% + my bracket?

Because of the three big reducers: the 92.35% SE base, the deduction for half of SE tax, and the standard deduction. They shrink the income that's actually taxed, so your all-in effective rate lands well below the sum of the headline rates.