Estimated Tax Calculator

If you are self-employed, freelance, or get paid on a 1099, no employer is withholding taxes for you — so the IRS expects you to pay as you go in four quarterly installments. This estimated tax calculator figures both halves of the bill: self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) and federal income tax, using verified figures for tax year 2025 (the return you file in 2026).

Take a concrete example: a single freelancer with $80,000 of net self-employment income and no other income. SE tax applies to $80,000 × 0.9235 = $73,880: 12.4% Social Security ($9,161) + 2.9% Medicare ($2,143) = about $11,304. Half of that ($5,652) is deductible. Taxable income is $80,000 − $15,000 standard deduction − $5,652 = $59,348, which runs through the 2025 single brackets to roughly $7,971 of income tax. Total ≈ $19,274, or about $4,819 per quarter.

The formula

2025 federal income tax brackets (single)

The 2025 standard deduction is $15,000 for single and married filing separately, $30,000 for married filing jointly, and $22,500 for head of household. Choose your filing status in the calculator and the right brackets and deduction are applied automatically.

Self-employment tax explained

W-2 employees split Social Security and Medicare with their employer. Self-employed people pay both sides — a combined 15.3%: 12.4% Social Security on net earnings up to the $176,100 2025 wage base, and 2.9% Medicare with no cap (plus an extra 0.9% on earnings above $200,000 single / $250,000 joint). The upside: one-half of your SE tax is deductible when computing income tax, which this calculator does for you.

Staying penalty-free: the safe harbor

To avoid an underpayment penalty, pay at least 90% of your current-year tax or 100% of last year's tax (110% if your prior-year AGI was over $150,000), whichever is smaller. Spreading payments evenly across the four 2025 due dates — April 15, June 16, September 15, and January 15, 2026 — keeps you compliant even if your income climbs during the year.

How to use this calculator

You only need a few numbers to get a realistic quarterly estimate. Work through the fields in order:

1. Filing status: pick single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household. This sets the correct standard deduction and bracket thresholds.
2. Net self-employment income: enter your expected business profit for the year — revenue minus deductible business expenses — not your gross sales.
3. Other income & withholding: add any W-2 wages, interest, or dividends, plus any federal tax already withheld. Withholding is subtracted from your total so you are not double-paying.
4. Deduction: leave the standard deduction in place, or enter a custom amount if you itemize.

The result updates instantly. Read the total annual tax and the per-quarter payment, then use the four IRS due dates to schedule your payments through IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS.

Who needs to make estimated payments

Estimated taxes apply to income that isn't covered by employer withholding. You likely owe quarterly payments if you are:

• Self-employed or a sole proprietor reporting profit on Schedule C — the Self-Employment Tax Calculator isolates just the SE-tax portion if that is all you need.
• A freelancer, gig worker, or 1099 contractor (rideshare, delivery, consulting, design, trades).
• A landlord or investor with rental, interest, dividend, or capital-gains income.
• A partner or S-corp shareholder receiving pass-through income with no withholding.
• A W-2 employee with a large side income that pushes your expected balance due over $1,000.

If your only income is a W-2 job and your withholding covers the bill, you generally do not need to file 1040-ES — but a big bonus, stock sale, or second gig can change that.

A second worked example: side income with withholding

Imagine a single filer with a $50,000 W-2 job (already withholding $5,000 in federal tax) plus $20,000 of net freelance income. SE tax applies only to the freelance side: $20,000 × 0.9235 = $18,470, taxed at 15.3% for about $2,826. Half of that ($1,413) is deductible. Taxable income is $50,000 + $20,000 − $15,000 standard deduction − $1,413 ≈ $53,587, which produces roughly $6,703 of income tax through the 2025 single brackets. Total federal tax ≈ $9,529; after the $5,000 already withheld, the remaining $4,529 is spread across the quarters — about $1,132 each. This is why the calculator asks for both your other income and your withholding: they pull the quarterly number in opposite directions. To check the take-home pay on that W-2 side, run it through the Paycheck Calculator.

What changes your quarterly number the most

Adjust the inputs and you'll see a few factors dominate the result:

• Net income: the biggest driver — every extra dollar of profit is hit by both SE tax (15.3%) and income tax.
• Business deductions: legitimate expenses reduce net income, cutting both taxes at once, so tracking them carefully pays off.
• Filing status: a joint return roughly doubles the bracket widths and standard deduction, often lowering the rate on the same income.
• Withholding from a W-2 job: dollars already withheld come straight off the top of what you owe in quarters.
• The Social Security wage base: once net earnings clear $176,100 (2025), the 12.4% Social Security portion stops, so only the 2.9% Medicare rate continues above that.

Tips to lower the bill (legally)

• Track every deductible expense: home office, mileage, software, supplies, and health insurance premiums all reduce net self-employment income.
• Fund a retirement plan: a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k) can shelter a large share of self-employment income from income tax.
• Don't forget the ½ SE-tax deduction: it is automatic here, but make sure your own bookkeeping reflects it.
• Consider the QBI deduction: many pass-through businesses qualify for a 20% qualified business income deduction (not modeled in this estimate) — confirm eligibility with a tax pro.
• Pay quarterly, not all at once: setting money aside each quarter (a common rule of thumb is 25–30% of net income) avoids a year-end cash crunch and the penalty.

Key terms explained

• Net earnings from self-employment: business profit (Schedule C) after expenses; multiplied by 0.9235 to set the SE-tax base.
• SE tax: the self-employed version of FICA — 12.4% Social Security (capped) + 2.9% Medicare (uncapped), reported on Schedule SE.
• 1040-ES: the IRS form and worksheet used to figure and submit quarterly estimated payments.
• Safe harbor: a payment threshold (90% current-year / 100% or 110% prior-year) that shields you from the underpayment penalty.
• Additional Medicare tax: an extra 0.9% on earnings above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
• Annualized income installment method: a Form 2210 option that lets uneven earners match payments to when income was actually received.

Limitations and assumptions

This tool is a planning estimate, not a filed return. Keep these in mind:

• It covers federal tax only — no state or local income tax, which most states also collect quarterly.
• It does not apply tax credits (Child Tax Credit, EITC, education credits) that could lower what you owe.
• It does not model the QBI deduction or the annualized income method for lumpy earnings.
• It uses verified 2025 figures; brackets, the standard deduction, and the wage base change each year.
• Your actual liability depends on your full return — treat the per-quarter figure as a target, then reconcile at tax time.

The four payment periods and their due dates

The "quarters" the IRS uses are not even three-month blocks — they are uneven payment periods, each with its own deadline. For tax year 2025 the schedule is:

• Q1 (Jan 1 – Mar 31): due April 15, 2025.
• Q2 (Apr 1 – May 31): due June 16, 2025 (the 15th falls on a Sunday, so it shifts to the next business day).
• Q3 (Jun 1 – Aug 31): due September 15, 2025.
• Q4 (Sep 1 – Dec 31): due January 15, 2026.

If you file your return and pay the full balance by January 31, 2026, you can skip the final January 15 installment. Whenever a due date lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, it moves to the next business day — so the exact calendar date can shift slightly from year to year.

How it compares to related calculators

This page answers "how much do I send the IRS each quarter?" If your question is different, a sister tool fits better:

• To see your full-year federal bill from all sources, use the Income Tax Calculator.
• To check W-2 take-home pay after withholding, use the Paycheck Calculator.
• To find the marginal bracket your next dollar falls into, use the Tax Bracket Calculator.
• To see the average rate you actually pay, use the Effective Tax Rate Calculator.
• To estimate a possible refund or balance due, use the Tax Refund Calculator, or isolate the SE-tax piece with the Self-Employment Tax Calculator.