Self-employment tax calculator
Enter your net profit to see your self-employment tax for 2026, its Social Security and Medicare parts, and the half that you deduct. Add the wages from a job if you have one.
This answer is for the example values in the boxes above. Net profit $80,000. Change the boxes to see your own answer.
Half of the self-employment tax lowers your income for income tax. The tax itself is on top of your income tax, which this calculator does not work out.
How it works
The calculator follows Schedule SE. It multiplies your net profit by 92.35 percent to get your net earnings. The Social Security part is 12.4 percent of the net earnings, up to the limit for the year less the wages that already paid it. The Medicare part is 2.9 percent of all the net earnings. The two parts add up to the self-employment tax.
One half of the tax is a deduction from your income. If your net earnings are above the threshold for your filing status, the Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9 percent is added on the part above it. It is its own line on Form 8959 and not part of the Schedule SE total.
A worked example
A single filer with no wages has a net profit of $80,000. The net earnings are $73,880. The Social Security part is $9,161.12 and the Medicare part is $2,142.52, so the tax is $11,303.64. The deduction for half of it is $5,651.82.
Say the same filer also has $150,000 of wages from a job. Most of the Social Security limit is then used up. Only $34,500 of the net earnings still owes the 12.4 percent, so the Social Security part is $4,278.00 and the tax is $6,420.52.
What it leaves out
This is the self-employment tax and nothing more. Your income tax on the profit is separate, and so are the deduction for qualified business income and your state’s taxes. Enter a loss as 0.
Sources
- IRS Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax (the 2025 form), read on 2026-11-01.
- Instructions for Schedule SE (Form 1040) (2025), read on 2026-11-01.
- IRS, self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), read on 2026-11-01.
Questions
What is the self-employment tax rate?
It is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. It applies to 92.35% of your net profit, which Schedule SE calls your net earnings.
What is the Social Security limit for 2026?
For 2026 the first $184,500 of your combined wages, tips and net earnings is subject to the Social Security part. Above that only the 2.9% Medicare part is charged.
Do I owe self-employment tax on a small profit?
Not when your net earnings are under $400. Schedule SE says that if they are less than $400, you do not owe self-employment tax.
Can I deduct part of the self-employment tax?
Yes. You deduct one half of it from your income, on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. The calculator shows the amount. It lowers your income tax and not the self-employment tax.
What is the Additional Medicare Tax?
It is an extra 0.9% on self-employment income above $200,000, or $250,000 for a joint return and $125,000 for a married person filing separately. Wages lower the threshold. Form 8959 works it out.
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