Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Enter your net self-employment profit to calculate Social Security and Medicare (SE tax) the way Schedule SE does: 92.35% of profit taxed at 15.3%, with Social Security capped at the wage base. You also get the deductible half, a quarterly estimate and the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax if it applies.
Schedule C (or K-1 / Schedule F) profit after business expenses.
Only affects the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax threshold.
Wages subject to Social Security use up part of the wage base.
2026: $184,500. 2025: $176,100. 2024: $168,600.
How to use the Self-Employment Tax Calculator
- Enter your net profit from self-employment (income minus business expenses).
- Choose your filing status for the Additional Medicare Tax threshold.
- Add any W-2 wages you earned this year from a job.
- Check the wage base for the tax year you are estimating.
- Read your SE tax, the deductible half and the quarterly estimate.
The self-employment tax formula
Self-employment (SE) tax is Social Security and Medicare for people who work for themselves. An employee and employer each pay 7.65%; when you are self-employed you pay both halves, 15.3%, but only on 92.35% of your profit (this mirrors the employer half being deductible for employers).
- Net earnings from self-employment = net profit × 92.35%. If this is under $400, no SE tax is due.
- Social Security = 12.4% of net earnings, up to the yearly wage base ($184,500 for 2026) minus any W-2 wages that already had Social Security withheld.
- Medicare = 2.9% of all net earnings, with no cap.
- SE tax = Social Security + Medicare. Half of it is deductible as an adjustment to income.
Example: $60,000 profit × 0.9235 = $55,410.00; × 15.3% = $8,477.73 in SE tax, of which $4,238.86 is deductible.
Above the wage base only the 2.9% Medicare part continues: with no W-2 wages, the 12.4% stops at a profit of about $199,783 for 2026. High earners also owe the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on earnings above $200,000 (single), $250,000 (married filing jointly) or $125,000 (married filing separately), reported on Form 8959.
SE tax at common profit levels (2026 wage base, no W-2 wages)
| Net profit | SE earnings (92.35%) | SE tax | Effective rate | Deductible half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $9,235 | $1,413 | 14.13% | $706 |
| $25,000 | $23,088 | $3,532 | 14.13% | $1,766 |
| $50,000 | $46,175 | $7,065 | 14.13% | $3,532 |
| $75,000 | $69,262 | $10,597 | 14.13% | $5,299 |
| $100,000 | $92,350 | $14,130 | 14.13% | $7,065 |
| $150,000 | $138,525 | $21,194 | 14.13% | $10,597 |
| $200,000 | $184,700 | $28,234 | 14.12% | $14,117 |
| $300,000 | $277,050 | $30,912 | 10.30% | $15,456 |
SE tax is in addition to regular income tax. Because there is no employer withholding, self-employed people usually pay both through quarterly estimated tax payments (Form 1040-ES).
Frequently asked questions
What is the self-employment tax rate?
15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. It is applied to 92.35% of your net self-employment profit, so the effective rate on profit is about 14.13% below the Social Security wage base.
Why is only 92.35% of my profit taxed?
An employer pays half of FICA and can deduct it. To treat self-employed people the same way, the IRS reduces net earnings by 7.65% (100% − 7.65% = 92.35%) before applying the 15.3% rate.
How much SE tax will I pay on $50,000?
$50,000 × 0.9235 = $46,175 of net earnings; × 15.3% = about $7,064.78 in self-employment tax. Half of that, about $3,532.39, is deductible from your income.
Is there a maximum on self-employment tax?
The 12.4% Social Security part stops at the yearly wage base ($184,500 for 2026). Medicare's 2.9% has no cap, and an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 married filing jointly).
I also have a W-2 job. Does that change anything?
Yes. Wages that had Social Security withheld count toward the same wage base, so only the remaining room is subject to the 12.4% part. Medicare still applies to all self-employment earnings.
Do I owe SE tax if I made very little?
If net earnings from self-employment (profit × 92.35%) are less than $400, you do not owe self-employment tax, although you may still need to file a return for income tax.
Is SE tax the same as income tax?
No. SE tax only covers Social Security and Medicare. You also owe regular federal (and possibly state) income tax on your profit, after deducting half of the SE tax.