Calculate your 2026 self-employment tax (15.3%) plus federal income tax. Free SE tax calculator for all 50 states. No signup required.
Self-employment tax is 15.3% — 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare — paid by anyone with $400+ in net self-employment income. Unlike W-2 employees who split this with their employer, self-employed individuals pay the full 15.3% themselves. This calculator shows your exact SE tax plus federal and state income tax for 2026.
SE tax applies to 92.35% of net self-employment income. This 7.65% reduction mimics the employer half deduction W-2 employees receive. Formula: Net income × 92.35% × 15.3% = SE tax. On $80,000 net: $80,000 × 0.9235 × 0.153 = $11,305 in SE tax.
The IRS allows you to deduct 50% of SE tax from your gross income when calculating income tax. On $80,000 income with $11,305 SE tax: deduct $5,652 from income, so income tax is calculated on $74,348 instead of $80,000 — saving $700-$1,200 in federal income tax.
The SE tax rate for 2026 is 15.3% — 12.4% Social Security tax on the first $176,100 of net earnings and 2.9% Medicare tax on all net earnings. Earners above $200,000 (single) also pay an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax.
SE tax applies to any net self-employment income of $400 or more per year. Even a small side hustle earning $500 triggers the requirement to file Schedule SE and pay 15.3% SE tax on that amount.
SE tax itself cannot be reduced by business deductions — it applies to net profit. However, legitimate business expenses reduce net profit, which reduces the SE tax base. A $5,000 business expense saves $765 in SE tax (15.3% × $5,000).
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The Self Employment Tax Calculator 2026 — Calculate Your Exact SE Tax uses the same formulas, rates, and reference data that financial planners, professionals, and government sources publish. Results are estimates intended for planning and education — for situations involving large sums or legal consequences, confirm with a qualified professional before acting.
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