Self-Employment Tax Calculator
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Left before income tax
Income tax is separate and comes on top of this. Use the 1099 or quarterly calculator to add it.
How the self-employment tax calculation works
Social Security and Medicare tax on self-employment profit, figured the way Schedule SE does, plus the half you deduct.
Start with net profit, not gross income
Use what's left after business expenses. Start from the $60,000 of profit on $80,000 invoiced.
Only 92.35% of profit is taxed
This mirrors the employer half of FICA that an employee never sees. $60,000 × 92.35% = $55,410.
Apply 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare
Together that's 15.3%. Social Security stops at the yearly wage base ($184,500 in 2026, $176,100 in 2025), and W-2 wages count toward that cap first. Medicare has no cap.
Deduct half of it
Schedule SE line 13 takes 50% of the SE tax, and it goes on Schedule 1 as an adjustment to income. It lowers income tax, not the SE tax itself.
Under $400 there is nothing to pay
If 92.35% of your profit is below $400, no self-employment tax is due for the year. That means about $434 of profit or more before any SE tax applies.
Worked example. Net profit of $60,000 gives $55,410 of taxable SE earnings. Social Security is $6,870.84 and Medicare is $1,606.89, so SE tax is $8,477.73, about 14.1% of profit. Half of it, $4,238.87, is deductible from income.
Self-Employment Tax FAQ
How do you calculate self-employment tax?
Multiply net profit by 92.35%, then apply 12.4% for Social Security (up to the wage base) and 2.9% for Medicare. On $60,000 of profit that is $55,410 × 15.3% = $8,477.73. These are the lines of Schedule SE, Part I.
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
15.3%: 12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare. The rate has not changed. Only the Social Security cap moves each year: $184,500 of combined wages and SE earnings for 2026, up from $176,100 for 2025.
How much is self-employment tax?
About 14.13% of net profit below the wage base, because only 92.35% of profit is taxed. $100,000 of profit gives $14,129.55. Above the cap the share falls: $250,000 of profit gives $29,573.38 for 2026, about 11.8%.
What is self-employment tax, and is it the same as income tax?
It is the Social Security and Medicare tax for people who work for themselves, the self-employed version of FICA. It is separate from income tax, so most self-employed people owe both.
Is self-employment tax deductible?
Half of it is. Schedule SE line 13 multiplies the tax by 50%, and that amount goes on Schedule 1 (Form 1040) line 15 as an adjustment to income. It lowers income tax only. On $8,477.73 of SE tax the deduction is $4,238.87.
Do I pay Social Security tax on all my income?
Only up to the yearly wage base, and W-2 wages count toward it first. Above it you still pay 2.9% Medicare. A separate 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to SE income over $200,000 (single or head of household), $250,000 (married filing jointly) or $125,000 (married filing separately), figured on Form 8959. This calculator does not add it.
Do I owe self-employment tax under $400?
No. If 92.35% of your net profit is under $400, Schedule SE line 4c says you don't owe it. That works out to about $434 of profit. Church employee income has its own $108.28 rule.
Is this result exact?
It's an estimate using the IRS method and isn't tax advice. Your Schedule SE can differ if you have church income, farm or nonfarm optional methods, or other special cases.
Sources: IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) · IRS: About Schedule SE (Form 1040) · IRS: Schedule SE (Form 1040) 2025, lines 4a to 13 · IRS: Instructions for Schedule SE (2025), $176,100 maximum and Additional Medicare Tax · IRS: Publication 15 (2026), $184,500 social security wage base