Quarterly tax calculator
Find out how much to pay the IRS each quarter in 2026. You generally have to make quarterly payments if you'll owe $1,000 or more.1 The quarterly tax calculator uses your income and filing status with the 2026 tax brackets so you get your own, exact number instead of a rough percentage.
Reduces how much SE income is still subject to Social Security
Net profit: gross 1099 income minus business expenses. A net loss is fine. Enter it as a negative number.
Credited toward your target before splitting the remainder into quarters
Enables the safe-harbor method alongside the current-year estimate
Method 2: Current-year estimate (smaller amount)
$3,745.68
| Self-employment tax | $11,303.64 |
| Income tax | $5,343.83 |
| Total estimated tax | $16,647.47 |
| Quarterly payment (90% target ÷ 4) | $3,745.68 |
Paying this amount covers the IRS's 90% current-year minimum, which avoids the underpayment penalty. The remaining ~10% is a normal balance due when you file, not a penalty.
Method comparison: Pay the smaller
Enter your prior-year tax liability above to compare against the safe-harbor method.
Payment schedule
How this is calculated
Method 1, safe harbor: 100% of your prior year's total tax liability (110% if your prior-year AGI exceeded $150,000, or $75,000 if married filing separately), divided by four. This method fully protects you from an underpayment penalty no matter how your current year turns out.
Method 2, current-year estimate: net self-employment income × 92.35% for net earnings, then 12.4% Social Security (capped at the wage base, net of any W-2 wages) plus 2.9% Medicare (uncapped) plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax above your filing-status threshold. Income tax applies the current year's brackets to (net income − half of SE tax − standard deduction − QBI deduction). The target is 90% of that combined total, with any W-2 withholding credited, and the remainder is divided by four.
The income tax figure above, with your current numbers substituted in:
- $80,000 net SE income = $80,000 gross income
- $80,000 − $5,651.82 SE tax deduction − $16,100 standard deduction − $11,649.64 QBI deduction = $46,598.54 taxable income
- $46,598.54 taxable income run through the 2026 brackets = $5,343.83 income tax
The QBI deduction here is 20% of qualified business income (net income minus half of SE tax), limited to 20% of taxable income before the deduction. For 2026 it also applies the minimum deduction for active businesses. It doesn't model the §199A phase-out or specified-service-trade limits at higher incomes.
A net loss (net self-employment income entered as a negative number), $0 net income, and net earnings under the $400 Schedule SE filing threshold all correctly zero out self-employment tax. None of these reduce the income tax owed on any W-2 or other income the way a real return would, so Method 2 above shows nothing to estimate in those cases rather than modeling that offset. Method 1 (safe harbor) is unaffected, since it's based on your prior year, not this one.
Your numbers never leave your browser.
This is an estimate, not tax advice. Consult a professional about your specific situation.
Your numbers never leave your browser.
Figures from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and the SSA wage base.
In this article
- How to use the quarterly tax calculator
- How to calculate your quarterly estimated taxes
- 2026 quarterly due dates
- How much should I set aside for quarterly taxes?
- Worked example: Quarterly taxes on $30,000 self-employed income
- Quarterly payments by income level
- How to pay your quarterly taxes
- What happens if you miss a payment?
- State quarterly taxes
- Common quarterly tax mistakes to avoid
- How the estimate is calculated
- Related calculators
- Frequently asked questions about estimating quarterly taxes
How to use the quarterly tax calculator
Running the numbers by hand means separate calculations for income tax, self-employment tax, and your deductions. The quarterly tax calculator does all three in your browser, with no account needed. Enter your numbers to see your quarterly payments.
Step 1: Enter your income
Start by projecting your net self-employment earnings for the full year: gross revenue minus the business expenses you expect to claim. If you also have W-2 wages or other taxable income, add those too. Those wages matter for two reasons: they change which bracket your self-employment income falls into, and they use up part of the Social Security wage base before your 1099 income touches it.
Step 2: Compare the two methods
Enter last year's total tax, and the estimator shows the prior-year safe harbor next to the current-year estimate and marks the smaller of the two. If your income is likely to jump partway through the year, the safe harbor amount is what protects you from a penalty on the difference.
Step 3: Get your four payment amounts
The tool divides your total estimated liability into four equal installments and shows the exact amount due for each 2026 deadline. Use those figures to fund a separate savings account, or pay directly through IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS.
How to calculate your quarterly estimated taxes
Running the numbers by hand once helps you spot mistakes and see what you're paying for. The IRS recognizes a few approved methods, and which one fits depends on how predictable your income is.
Method 1: The prior-year safe harbor
The prior-year safe harbor is the simplest way to avoid a penalty entirely: pay 100% of last year's total tax liability, or 110% if your prior-year adjusted gross income was over $150,000, and the IRS can't penalize you no matter how much your income grows this year.6 Divide that number by four for your quarterly payment. For edge cases, such as a year where your income drops, see the full safe harbor rule guide.
Method 2: The current-year estimate
If your income is falling, or you'd rather pay based on what you're earning, calculate this year's expected liability directly. Multiply your net business profit by 92.35% to get your self-employment tax base.2 Social Security claims 12.4% of it up to the $184,500 wage base, and Medicare claims 2.9% of the whole thing with no ceiling.3
Then come the subtractions: half your self-employment tax, your standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly), and the 20% qualified business income deduction. Whatever survives all that is what the federal brackets apply to.45 The self-employment tax guide walks through the mechanics, and the Solvent self-employment tax calculator will check your figures against it.
Method 3: Annualized income installment method
If your income is seasonal, such as landscaping work concentrated in summer, four equal installments can strain your slow months. The annualized income installment method calculates each payment from what you earned in that period, and it requires filing Form 2210 with your return to document the uneven payments. Clean expense records, including your Schedule C deductions, make it far less painful at filing time.
Prior-year safe harbor
- Best for
- Stable or growing income
Protects you from the penalty even if this year's income jumps.
Current-year estimate
- Best for
- Falling income
Pays on what you expect to earn this year, which costs less when income drops.
Annualized income installment
- Best for
- Seasonal income
Matches each payment to what you earned in that period, at the cost of filing Form 2210.
2026 quarterly due dates
The IRS calendar doesn't follow standard three-month quarters. Here's the official schedule for tax year 2026 payments.
| Quarter | Covers | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | January 1 to March 31 | April 15, 2026 |
| Q2 | April 1 to May 31 | June 15, 2026 |
| Q3 | June 1 to August 31 | September 15, 2026 |
| Q4 | September 1 to December 31 | January 15, 2027 |
Notice that Q2 covers only two months while Q4 spans four. Put them in your calendar yourself. The IRS doesn't send a reminder.
How much should I set aside for quarterly taxes?
Set aside 25% to 30% of every client payment, moved into a separate account the moment it lands. That's the working rule for most moderate-income freelancers, and the separate account is the part people skip.
Your real number depends on filing status, your state's rate, and how much you bring in over the year. Federal tax alone often runs below 25% at lower incomes, and Solvent's guide to how much to set aside for taxes works out the federal share at six income levels. Once you've run your own figures through the calculator, use that number instead.
Worked example: Quarterly taxes on $30,000 self-employed income
Say you're a single filer expecting $30,000 in net self-employment profit for 2026, with no W-2 job on the side.
Multiply $30,000 by 92.35% and your self-employment tax base is $27,705. Run that through the combined 15.3% rate and you owe $4,239 in self-employment tax. Half of it, $2,119, comes back off your income on the way to adjusted gross income.
From there, subtract the $16,100 standard deduction and the qualified business income deduction, which is capped at 20% of taxable income. What's left is your taxable income, and the federal brackets take $942 of it. Add that to the self-employment tax and your total for the year is roughly $5,181.
The calculator aims at 90% of that, which is the current-year safe harbor threshold,6 then splits it four ways: about $1,166 a quarter on Form 1040-ES.
Quarterly payments by income level
Rough quarterly payment estimates across different net income levels, for single filers taking the standard deduction.
| Net self-employed income | Estimated quarterly payment |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $923 |
| $50,000 | $2,190 |
| $75,000 | $3,486 |
| $100,000 | $5,032 |
| $150,000 | $8,462 |
Actual obligations vary based on state taxes, local levies, other household income, and your specific business deductions. Run your own figures through the calculator above for your quarterly number.
How to pay your quarterly taxes
A correct payment sent the wrong way can still post late.
IRS Direct Pay and EFTPS
IRS Direct Pay sends an estimated payment straight from your bank account for free, with no account to set up. Choose Estimated Tax as the reason for payment and authorize the transfer. The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System is the other standard option. EFTPS requires you to enroll in advance.
Mailing Form 1040-ES
Mailing a check works too, as long as you attach the voucher from Form 1040-ES. Make it payable to the United States Treasury, and put your Social Security number and "2026 Form 1040-ES" on the memo line. One thing people get wrong: the address is state-specific and listed in the form instructions, so don't send it to whatever IRS address you find first.
State payment portals
Federal payments don't cover your state obligations. Check your state Department of Revenue's website to set up quarterly state payments; most states run an online portal similar to IRS Direct Pay.
What happens if you miss a payment?
Missing a payment, or paying less than you owe, triggers an underpayment penalty. The IRS calculates it at the federal short-term interest rate plus three percentage points, applied to the unpaid amount for each day it stays unpaid.7 Paying under the safe harbor rule avoids the penalty. If you've already missed a payment, send the money now, because the penalty keeps accruing until you do.
State quarterly taxes
Most states with an income tax require their own quarterly estimated payments from independent contractors. Thresholds and due dates often mirror the federal rules, but not always, and Solvent has full guides to California estimated tax payments and New York estimated tax payments. Check your state tax agency's rules directly. Your state may not follow the federal pattern.
Common quarterly tax mistakes to avoid
A few quarterly tax mistakes come up again and again. Waiting until April to pay the whole year's bill invites a penalty, using gross revenue instead of net profit as your base overstates what you owe, and forgetting state estimated tax creates a second surprise at filing time. Each one is avoidable if you run the numbers every quarter instead of once a year.
How the estimate is calculated
This calculator is built directly from IRS guidance: Publication 505 for the general estimated tax rules, the Schedule SE instructions for the self-employment tax calculation, and the Form 2210 instructions for the safe harbor and penalty mechanics.1The rates, brackets, and thresholds are updated every year to match the IRS's current figures.
Solvent self-employment tax calculator
Break down your self-employment tax
About the author
Nicolas Straut
Personal and business finance writer, former Forbes contributor
Nicolas Straut writes about self-employment and quarterly tax, LLC formation and costs, and tax software for Solvent. He has written about money for about ten years, including for the fintech companies NorthOne and Fundera. He files his own taxes as a freelancer. He isn't a CPA or an enrolled agent (EA).
More articles by Nicolas Straut →Frequently asked questions about estimating quarterly taxes
Is it worth paying quarterly taxes?
Paying quarterly taxes is worth it, and the IRS generally requires it once you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year. Quarterly payments spread the bill across the year instead of leaving it all for April, and they keep you clear of the underpayment penalty the IRS charges on late or short payments.
How much tax will I pay on $30,000 a year self-employed?
A single filer with $30,000 in net profit, no W-2 income, and the standard deduction owes roughly $5,181 in federal tax for the year. That's self-employment tax and income tax combined. Run your own numbers through the calculator above for your quarterly split.
How do I pay quarterly taxes if I'm self-employed?
You can pay quarterly taxes three ways if you're self-employed: IRS Direct Pay straight from your bank account, a scheduled transfer through EFTPS, or a check mailed with a Form 1040-ES voucher.
Do I have to pay quarterly taxes if I also have a W-2 job?
You may not have to pay quarterly taxes if you also have a W-2 job and raise your withholding enough to cover the tax on your 1099 income, because the IRS treats withholding as paid evenly through the year. Enter your W-2 wages and withholding in the estimator to see what's left.
How to calculate quarterly income tax?
To calculate quarterly income tax, estimate your annual net profit, then work out self-employment tax and income tax on it separately, after subtracting half the self-employment tax, the standard deduction, and the QBI deduction. Add the two taxes together and divide by four.
Sources
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes
- https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040sse
- https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2026.html
- https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill
- https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/qualified-business-income-deduction
- https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2210
- https://www.irs.gov/payments/underpayment-of-estimated-tax-by-individuals-penalty