# Self-employment tax calculator 2026

> Enter your net profit and see your 2026 self-employment tax: Social Security, Medicare, the deductible half and what to set aside each quarter.

Interactive calculator: https://www.nyrut.com/en/self-employment-tax-calculator

## How self-employment tax is calculated

Self-employment tax is the Social Security and Medicare tax for people who work for themselves: you pay both the employee and the employer share. It's 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) on 92.35% of your net profit from Schedule C.

The Social Security part stops at the wage base, which is $184,500 in 2026. Medicare has no cap, and above $200,000 ($250,000 if married filing jointly) an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies.

- **Net profit**: $60,000
- **× 92.35%**: $55,410
- **Social Security (12.4%)**: $6,870.84
- **Medicare (2.9%)**: $1,606.89
- **Self-employment tax**: $8,477.73

## The deductible half and quarterly payments

You can deduct half of your self-employment tax when working out your income tax (not your SE tax). And you don't pay it once a year: it goes into your quarterly estimated payments (Form 1040-ES), due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15.

## FAQ

**Who pays self-employment tax?**
Anyone with net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more in the year.

**Is self-employment tax the same as income tax?**
No. It's on top of federal and state income tax, which depend on your filing status and other income.

**What's the 2026 Social Security wage base?**
$184,500. Earnings above it aren't subject to the 12.4% Social Security part.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-15)

- [IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes)
- [SSA: contribution and benefit base](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html)

Nyrut tracks your profit as you invoice and estimates your self-employment tax for each 1040-ES period.