Freelance Money Tools
Taxes

How much tax you'll owe on 1099 income — before the bill arrives.

Enter what clients paid you on 1099-NEC forms and what you spent to earn it. You get self-employment tax, federal income tax, and a quarterly set-aside number. Add W-2 wages if you had a job too.

2026 IRS numbers
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Tax and payroll data last updated: July 2026. Sources & methodology

Your numbers

$

Box 1 on your 1099-NEC, or total client payments before expenses.

$

Software, mileage, home office, insurance — ordinary business costs.

$

If you also had a paycheck this year — raises your income tax, not SE tax.

Most sole props under the income cap qualify — leave on unless you know you don't.

Estimated 2026 tax on 1099 income
$12,959

About $3,240 per quarter if you pay evenly.

Net 1099 income
$64,000
Self-employment tax (15.3%)
$9,043
Estimated federal income tax
$3,916
Quarterly payment
$3,240
20%effective tax rate
  • Self-employment tax14%
  • Federal income tax6%
  • Take-home80%

Planning estimate for a single filer on the standard deduction. Skips state tax, credits, and W-2 withholding already taken from paychecks. Not a substitute for filing or a CPA.

How this is calculated

1099 income is net earnings from self-employment. The IRS taxes 92.35% of your net profit at 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare — both halves, because there is no employer on a 1099-NEC. Social Security stops at $184,500 in 2026; Medicare continues, with an extra 0.9% above $200,000.

Federal income tax uses your combined income: optional W-2 wages plus 1099 net profit, minus half the SE tax, the $16,100 standard deduction, and the 20% QBI deduction when you qualify. We run real 2026 brackets — not a flat-percent guess. State tax is separate.

Formula
1099 net × 92.35% × 15.3% = SE tax; then federal tax on combined income

Related calculators

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Self-employment tax calculator

SE tax + federal income tax on 1099 income.

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Quarterly tax estimator

Split your annual bill across four IRS due dates.

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Side income tax calculator

Extra tax when you have a W-2 job plus freelance or 1099 side income.

Common questions

Not exactly. Self-employment tax is the 15.3% Social Security and Medicare piece on net 1099 earnings. Your full 1099 tax bill also includes federal income tax on that income (and W-2 wages if you have them). This calculator shows both parts.
1099-NEC for nonemployee compensation — what most freelancers and contractors receive. Other 1099 types (interest, dividends, rent) follow different rules and are not modeled here.
SE tax still applies only to your 1099 net profit. W-2 wages push you into higher income-tax brackets and can reduce or eliminate the QBI deduction at higher incomes, but they do not add another SE tax bill.
Use the quarterly number here as a starting point, divided by how many payments you expect this quarter. Many freelancers set aside 25–30% of every 1099 deposit into a separate account — add state tax if your state has income tax.
No — it is a planning estimate. A good CPA finds S-corp savings, retirement structures, and credits this will not. Use it to avoid April surprises, not to file.