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Finance Calc Kit
Tax

1099 Tax Calculator

Calculate your total estimated taxes as an independent contractor or freelancer. See self-employment tax, federal income tax, state tax, and quarterly payments.

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How the 1099 tax calculator works

Independent contractors and freelancers who receive Form 1099 income must pay both self-employment tax and federal income tax. This tool estimates your total tax bill, quarterly payments, and monthly take-home after taxes. All math runs in your browser.

Enter your 1099 income, business expenses, other income, retirement contributions, filing status, and optional state. To see net business income before tax layers, the accounting profit calculator subtracts operating expenses, interest, depreciation, and taxes from revenue. If you also have an employer plan, the 401k calculator can project how salary deferrals and employer match grow over time. For freelancers invoicing foreign clients subject to value-added sales taxes, estimate your invoice tax with our GST calculator. Business driving costs can be estimated with the mileage reimbursement calculator. Results update as you type, including self-employment tax, federal income tax, state tax, and estimated quarterly payments. Brackets, standard deductions, and the Social Security wage base match the 2025 tax year. When the IRS publishes new limits, this calculator must be updated or results will drift from current law.

Self-employment tax

The IRS uses Schedule SE to calculate self-employment tax on net profit from self-employment. Only 92.35% of net earnings are subject to the tax, which reflects the employer-equivalent share of Social Security and Medicare.

SE tax base=Net SE income×0.9235\text{SE tax base} = \text{Net SE income} \times 0.9235

The combined self-employment tax rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base) and 2.9% for Medicare on all SE base income. You can deduct half of your self-employment tax when calculating adjusted gross income. To evaluate how your net income translates into retirement contribution phaseout thresholds after statutory add-backs, consult our MAGI calculator.

Federal income tax

After subtracting the deductible half of self-employment tax, retirement contributions, and the standard deduction, the remaining amount is taxable income. Federal tax applies the 2025 marginal brackets for your filing status. To compare your self-employment tax obligations against standard W-2 employee withholding, consult our income tax calculator. If you claim dependent children, use the child tax credit calculator to determine credits and refundable ACTC payouts that offset your liability.

Taxable income=AGI−Standard deduction\text{Taxable income} = \text{AGI} - \text{Standard deduction}

Frequently asked questions

What is 1099 income?
1099 income is payment reported on Form 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC for work done as an independent contractor, freelancer, or sole proprietor. Unlike W-2 wages, taxes are not withheld by the payer.
What is self-employment tax?
Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare for self-employed workers. The combined rate is 15.3% on 92.35% of net self-employment earnings, calculated on Schedule SE.
When are quarterly estimated payments due?
Estimated tax payments for self-employed workers are typically due April 15, June 16, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.
Does this include state tax?
State tax is optional. When you select a state, this tool applies a simplified effective rate to taxable income. Actual state taxes vary by deductions, credits, and local rules.
Are the results stored?
No. Changing the fields only updates the page URL so you can copy and share your inputs.
Which tax year does this calculator use?
Federal brackets, standard deductions, and the Social Security wage base are set for the 2025 tax year. Tax limits change annually, so estimates for other years may differ until the tool is updated.
Which currency is used?
Amounts are formatted in US dollars (USD) using 2025 federal tax brackets and the Social Security wage base.

Resources and references

The formulas and methods in this calculator were checked against these independent sources.