2026 SE tax, federal income tax with the QBI deduction, and your four quarterly payments
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Checked against sources on 5 Oct 2026.Self-employment tax for 2026 is 15.3% of 92.35% of net profit, with the 12.4% Social Security part stopping at $184,500. On $80,000 of profit that is $11,303.64; with federal income tax of $5,343.82 after the QBI deduction, a single filer should set aside about 20.8% and pay estimated tax quarterly.
$11,303.64
plus $5,343.82 federal income tax: $16,647.46 in allAn estimate from the Form 1040-ES (2026) worksheets, not tax advice. State income tax is extra.
| Payment | Due | Safe-harbour amount | To owe nothing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 15, 2026 | $3,000 | $4,161.87 |
| 2 | June 15, 2026 | $3,000 | $4,161.87 |
| 3 | September 15, 2026 | $3,000 | $4,161.87 |
| 4 | January 15, 2027 | $3,000 | $4,161.87 |
Form 1040-ES (2026). The January 15, 2027 payment can be skipped by filing the 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and paying the balance with it.
2026 · Rates and rules read from the sources listed on this page (the earliest on 5 Oct 2026); they may have changed since.
Enter your net profit for 2026: income less business expenses, as on Schedule C line 31.
Pick your filing status and add any W-2 wages from a job, which use up the Social Security base.
Read the self-employment tax: 15.3% of 92.35% of profit, with Social Security stopping at $184,500.
Read the federal income tax, after half the SE tax and the QBI deduction come off.
Read the share of profit to set aside and the four estimated payments.
Working for yourself means paying both halves of Social Security and Medicare and having no employer to withhold income tax. This calculator works out both taxes for 2026 and turns them into the four estimated payments the IRS expects, following the worksheets in Form 1040-ES (2026).
Self-employment tax. Net profit is multiplied by 92.35%. Social Security takes 12.4% of that, up to the 2026 base of $184,500 less any W-2 wages from a job; Medicare takes 2.9% of all of it. Below $400 of net earnings there is none. Half of the tax is deductible, which lowers your adjusted gross income but not the self-employment tax itself. Above $200,000 ($250,000 joint), the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax is added.
Income tax and the QBI deduction. Taxable income is AGI less the $16,100 standard deduction (single) and the qualified business income deduction under section 199A: 20% of business profit after the deductible half of SE tax, but no more than 20% of taxable income. Above $201,750 of taxable income ($403,500 joint) the deduction phases out over $75,000 ($150,000 joint) for a business with no employees or property, faster still for a specified service business such as consulting, law or health. From 2026 there is a $400 minimum with at least $1,000 of QBI.
Quarterly payments. To avoid an underpayment penalty, pay the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% if last year's AGI was over $150,000), less withholding, in four parts due April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. No payments are needed if you will owe under $1,000 after withholding.
What it does not do. It leaves out state tax, credits, capital gains, other income, itemized deductions, the self-employed health insurance deduction and retirement contributions, all of which change the result. Married filing jointly assumes the spouse has no income. It is a planning estimate, not a return.
Multiply net profit by 92.35%, then take 12.4% of that for Social Security, up to $184,500 less any W-2 wages, and 2.9% of all of it for Medicare. On $80,000 of profit the base is $73,880 and the tax is $11,303.64. Half of the tax is deducted from income before income tax is worked out.
Federal tax on 1099 profit for a single filer with no other income runs from about 17% at $30,000 to about 27% at $200,000 in 2026, covering self-employment tax and income tax. On $80,000 the figure is 20.8%. State income tax comes on top, so add your state's rate when you set money aside.
Form 1040-ES (2026) sets four due dates: April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027. The January payment can be skipped if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance with it. A payment postmarked by the due date counts as on time.
No underpayment penalty applies when withholding and estimated payments reach the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's tax. When last year's AGI was more than $150,000, the prior-year figure becomes 110%. Nobody needs to pay estimated tax who expects to owe less than $1,000 after withholding.
No. The qualified business income deduction lowers only income tax, because it comes off taxable income after AGI. Self-employment tax is charged on 92.35% of net profit whatever the QBI deduction is. On $80,000 of profit the deduction is $11,649.64, saving about $1,398 of income tax and nothing of the $11,303.64 SE tax.
State and local income tax, credits such as the child tax credit, capital gains, rental and other income, itemized deductions, the self-employed health insurance deduction and retirement contributions such as a SEP IRA or solo 401(k) are not included. The QBI part assumes no employees or business property, which only matters above $201,750 of taxable income.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
Still stuck? Ask about Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026 and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
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