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Self-Employment Tax Calculator

Calculate your Social Security and Medicare tax as a self-employed worker.

Details

Business income minus business expenses, before self-employment tax.

Enter your numbers and select Calculate to see results.

About This Calculator

Self-employed workers pay both the employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare tax — a combined 15.3% self-employment tax — since there's no employer to split it with. This calculator computes your self-employment tax based on net self-employment earnings, and shows the deductible half you can claim on your income tax return.

How This Is Calculated

SE Tax = (Net Profit × 92.35%) × 15.3%, with the 12.4% Social Security portion capped at the wage base

$60,000 in net profit produces about $55,410 in SE net earnings, for roughly $8,477 in total self-employment tax.

Assumptions

  • Uses the 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500 for the 12.4% Social Security portion.
  • Medicare portion (2.9%) applies with no income cap; the Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) may apply separately above $200,000/$250,000 income and is not included here.
  • This is separate from federal income tax on the same profit — self-employment tax and income tax are calculated independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional employees split FICA tax with their employer — each pays 7.65%. Self-employed workers are considered both the employee and the employer, so they owe the full 15.3% (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) themselves.

Last updated January 15, 2026. Results are estimates for informational purposes only — read our disclaimer.