Free Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026: Social Security and Medicare
Calculate your 2026 self-employment tax from your net profit, including the 92.35% rule, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, W-2 wages from a job, the deductible half and the Additional Medicare Tax.
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When you work for yourself, nobody withholds Social Security and Medicare from your pay, so you pay both the employee and the employer share as self-employment tax. This free self-employment tax calculator works out your 2026 tax from your net profit, applies the $184,500 Social Security wage base, accounts for wages from a job and shows the half you can deduct.
Self-employment tax calculator 2026
Self-employment tax for 2026: 12.4% Social Security on 92.35% of net profit up to the $184,500 wage base and 2.9% Medicare on all of it. No self-employment tax is due if net earnings are under $400. Income tax comes on top; see the federal income tax calculator.
Key takeaways
- The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare, on 92.35% of your net profit.
- On a $60,000 profit, net earnings are $55,410 and the tax is $8,477.73, about 14.1% of profit. Half of it, about $4,239, is deductible.
- The 12.4% part stops at $184,500 of combined wages and self-employment earnings in 2026; Medicare has no cap.
- No self-employment tax is due if your net earnings are under $400.
How self-employment tax is calculated
- Net profit: your business income minus business expenses, from Schedule C.
- Net earnings: multiply by 92.35%. This mirrors the employer half of the tax that employees never see in their pay.
- Social Security: 12.4% of net earnings, up to $184,500 minus any W-2 wages already subject to Social Security.
- Medicare: 2.9% of all net earnings.
- Deduction: half of the total reduces your adjusted gross income on your Form 1040.
Self-employment tax = net profit × 92.35% × 15.3% (below the wage base)
Self-employment tax by profit, 2026
| Net profit | Net earnings | SE tax | Deductible half | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $9,235 | $1,413 | $706 | $353 |
| $25,000 | $23,088 | $3,532 | $1,766 | $883 |
| $40,000 | $36,940 | $5,652 | $2,826 | $1,413 |
| $60,000 | $55,410 | $8,478 | $4,239 | $2,119 |
| $80,000 | $73,880 | $11,304 | $5,652 | $2,826 |
| $100,000 | $92,350 | $14,130 | $7,065 | $3,532 |
| $150,000 | $138,525 | $21,194 | $10,597 | $5,299 |
| $200,000 | $184,700 | $28,234 | $14,117 | $7,059 |
| $250,000 | $230,875 | $29,573 | $14,787 | $7,393 |
Above the wage base only the 2.9% Medicare part continues, so the effective rate falls from about 14.1% to 11.8% at $250,000 of profit.
If you also have a W-2 job
Social Security wages from a job use up the wage base first. With $150,000 of W-2 wages and a $60,000 side business, only $34,500 of the $184,500 base is left, so the Social Security part is $4,278 instead of $6,871, and the total self-employment tax is $5,884.89. Enter your W-2 box 3 wages in the calculator to include this.
Additional Medicare Tax
An extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies to combined wages and self-employment income above $200,000 for single filers and heads of household, $250,000 for married couples filing jointly and $125,000 if married filing separately. Your wages reduce the threshold for your self-employment income. In the example above, the threshold left for self-employment income is $50,000, so $55,410 of net earnings bring $48.69 of Additional Medicare Tax, reported on Form 8959.
Paying self-employment tax
- It is calculated on Schedule SE and paid with your Form 1040, together with income tax.
- Because nothing is withheld, pay it through quarterly estimated taxes. The "per quarter" amount above covers only self-employment tax; add your income tax too.
- The income tax calculator combines both and also applies the 20% qualified business income deduction.
- Expenses lower the tax: every deductible business dollar reduces both self-employment and income tax. Our guide to self-employment tax covers the legal ways to pay less.
Frequently asked questions
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
15.3% of 92.35% of your net profit: 12.4% for Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base and 2.9% for Medicare with no cap.
How much self-employment tax do I pay on $50,000?
About $7,065: $50,000 × 92.35% = $46,175 of net earnings, times 15.3%. You can deduct half of it, about $3,532, from your income.
Do I pay self-employment tax if I also have a job?
Yes, on your self-employment profit. But if your W-2 wages already reach $184,500, you pay only the 2.9% Medicare part on your business income.
Is self-employment tax the same as income tax?
No. Self-employment tax pays for Social Security and Medicare. Income tax comes on top, based on your taxable income and tax bracket.
When do I not have to pay self-employment tax?
When your net earnings from self-employment are under $400 for the year. You may still need to file a return for other reasons.
