Schedule SE tax · 2026 example
$11,304
Updates immediately as you edit below.
Self-Employment Tax Calculator
2026 SE tax for the self-employed, by Schedule SE
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Filing status only changes the Additional Medicare Tax threshold. Self-employment tax itself is the same for every filing status.
Your 2026 self-employment tax
$11,304
Social Security 12.4%
$9,161
Medicare 2.9%
$2,143
Deductible half
$5,652
All $73,880 of your net earnings is under the $184,500 wage base, so the full 15.3% applies: 14.13% of your profit.
Net earnings (92.35%)
$73,880
What the 15.3% is charged on
Additional Medicare Tax
$0
0.9% over $200,000
Share of your profit
14.13%
SE tax divided by line 3
Your Schedule SE, line by line
Line numbers from the 2026 Schedule SE (Form 1040)
| Line | What it is | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Net profit plus partnership earnings | $80,000 |
| 4a | Line 3 times 92.35% (if more than zero) | $73,880 |
| 4c | Net earnings; under $400 you stop here | $73,880 |
| 6 | Net earnings subject to SE tax | $73,880 |
| 7 | Most earnings subject to Social Security tax in 2026 | $184,500 |
| 8d | Your Social Security wages and tips (W-2 boxes 3 and 7) | $0 |
| 9 | Line 7 minus line 8d, not below zero | $184,500 |
| 10 | Smaller of line 6 or line 9, times 12.4% | $9,161 |
| 11 | Line 6 times 2.9% | $2,143 |
| 12 | Self-employment tax: line 10 plus line 11 | $11,304 |
| 13 | Deduction for half of SE tax (Schedule 1, line 15) | $5,652 |
Lines 1b, 4b and 5 (Conservation Reserve Program payments, the optional methods and church employee income) are taken as zero. If both spouses have self-employment income, each files a separate Schedule SE.
Additional Medicare Tax (Form 8959)
Wages first, then self-employment income over what is left of the threshold
| Threshold for your filing status | $200,000 |
| Medicare wages | $0 |
| 0.9% on wages over the threshold | $0 |
| Threshold left for self-employment income | $200,000 |
| Self-employment income | $73,880 |
| 0.9% on self-employment income over it | $0 |
| Additional Medicare Tax | $0 |
An employer withholds the 0.9% on wages it pays you above $200,000, whatever your filing status; that withholding counts toward this amount. Nobody withholds it on self-employment income, so it goes in your estimated payments.
2026 estimated tax due dates
From Form 1040-ES (2026); the payments cover income tax as well
| Payment | Due | SE tax part |
|---|---|---|
| 1st payment | April 15, 2026 | $2,826 |
| 2nd payment | June 15, 2026 | $2,826 |
| 3rd payment | September 15, 2026 | $2,826 |
| 4th payment | January 15, 2027 | $2,826 |
The SE tax part is a quarter of line 12. Add your income tax and any Additional Medicare Tax to each payment. You can skip the January 15, 2027 payment if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance with it.
By the Coast FIRE Calculator editorial team · Methodology · Official sources: IRS Publication 15 (2026), employer tax rates and wage base; IRS Form 8959 instructions (2025), current final mechanics · Sources checked October 4, 2026 · Corrections: hello@coastfirecalculator.io
Self-employment tax rate for 2026
The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. It is charged on 92.35% of your net profit, so below the Social Security limit it takes 14.13% of the profit itself. The Social Security part stops once your wages and net earnings together reach $184,500 in 2026 ($176,100 in 2025); the Medicare part has no limit.
| 2026 rule | Rate or amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (old-age, survivors and disability insurance) | 12.4% | Net earnings up to $184,500, minus W-2 wages and tips that had Social Security tax |
| Medicare (hospital insurance) | 2.9% | All net earnings |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3% | The two parts together; at most $22,878 of Social Security tax |
| Net earnings | 92.35% | Of net profit from Schedule C, Schedule F and partnerships |
| Minimum | $400 | Of net earnings; below it, no self-employment tax |
| Deduction | 50% of the tax | Schedule 1, line 15; lowers income tax only |
| Additional Medicare Tax | 0.9% | Wages and self-employment income over $200,000 ($250,000 joint, $125,000 married filing separately); a separate tax |
Regular-method mechanics follow the current final Schedule SE instructions (2025), with the $184,500 wage base confirmed in IRS Publication 15 (2026). The 2026 Schedule SE source linked below remains a draft. Rules rechecked October 4, 2026. This calculator keeps cents until display; whole-dollar tax-form rounding can differ near the $400 threshold.
How the calculator follows Schedule SE
- Net profit. Schedule C line 31, Schedule F line 34 and your share of partnership earnings from Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) box 14, code A, added together (line 3). With more than one business, a loss in one reduces the profit of the others.
- 92.35%. The law lets you subtract half of the 15.3% rate, 7.65%, before the tax is worked out, so line 4a is 92.35% of a profit. A loss stays as it is.
- The $400 test. Under $400 of net earnings you owe no self-employment tax (line 4c). A profit of $433 gives $399.88; $434 gives $400.80 and the tax applies.
- Social Security part. 12.4% of your net earnings, but only up to $184,500 minus your W-2 Social Security wages and tips (lines 7 to 10).
- Medicare part. 2.9% of all your net earnings (line 11).
- Tax and deduction. The two parts add up to your self-employment tax (line 12, carried to Schedule 2 line 4). Half of it is your deduction (line 13, carried to Schedule 1 line 15).
| Net profit | Net earnings (92.35%) | Social Security | Medicare | SE tax | Share of profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $18,470 | $2,290 | $536 | $2,826 | 14.13% |
| $50,000 | $46,175 | $5,726 | $1,339 | $7,065 | 14.13% |
| $100,000 | $92,350 | $11,451 | $2,678 | $14,130 | 14.13% |
| $150,000 | $138,525 | $17,177 | $4,017 | $21,194 | 14.13% |
| $200,000 | $184,700 | $22,878 | $5,356 | $28,234 | 14.12% |
| $300,000 | $277,050 | $22,878 | $8,034 | $30,912 | 10.30% |
No W-2 wages, 2026 figures, worked out with the calculator's own functions. Above about $199,783 of profit ($184,500 divided by 92.35%) the Social Security part stays at $22,878 and only the 2.9% keeps growing, so the share of profit falls.
Self-employment tax when you also have a W-2 job
The $184,500 limit covers wages and self-employment earnings together. Wages and tips that had Social Security tax taken out (Form W-2 boxes 3 and 7) use it up first, and only what is left can be taxed at 12.4% (Schedule SE lines 8a to 10). If those wages are $184,500 or more, the Social Security part of your self-employment tax is zero. The 2.9% Medicare part applies to all your net earnings whatever your wages.
With $150,000 of wages and a $100,000 profit, $34,500 of the limit is left: $4,278 of Social Security tax plus $2,678 of Medicare tax, $6,956 in all. Each employer stops withholding Social Security tax at $184,500 of the wages it pays; the FICA tax calculator shows the withholding and any excess you can claim back.
| W-2 wages | Net profit | Limit left (line 9) | SE tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | $100,000 | $184,500 | $14,130 |
| $100,000 | $100,000 | $84,500 | $13,156 |
| $150,000 | $100,000 | $34,500 | $6,956 |
| $184,500 | $100,000 | $0 | $2,678 |
| $250,000 | $100,000 | $0 | $2,678 |
Additional Medicare Tax on self-employment income
A further 0.9% applies to self-employment income (Schedule SE line 6) above a threshold for your filing status. If you also have wages, the IRS taxes the wages over the threshold first, then lowers the threshold for self-employment income by your Medicare wages (not below zero). A self-employment loss is ignored. On a joint return both spouses' wages and self-employment income count. The thresholds are set in the law and are not adjusted for inflation.
It is figured on Form 8959, not Schedule SE, and it is not part of the deductible half. Employers withhold it only on wages they pay you above $200,000; nothing is withheld on self-employment income, so include it in your estimated payments.
| Filing status | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Married filing jointly (both spouses together) | $250,000 |
| Married filing separately | $125,000 |
| Single, head of household or qualifying surviving spouse | $200,000 |
| Form 8959 instructions | Filing status | Wages | SE income | IRS: taxed on | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1 (Ann) | Single | $0 | $130,000 | $0 | $0 ($0 tax) |
| Example 2 (Bob) | Single | $0 | $220,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 ($180 tax) |
| Example 3 (Carl) | Single | $130,000 | $145,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 ($675 tax) |
| Example 4 (Don) | Married filing separately | $200,000 | $150,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 ($2,025 tax) |
| Kathleen and Liam | Married filing jointly | $130,000 | $140,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 ($180 tax) |
The worked examples in the 2025 Instructions for Form 8959, run through this calculator. For Kathleen and Liam the IRS prints a tax of $180.00. The draft 2026 Form 8959 moves self-employment income to Part IV (lines 13 to 18); the arithmetic and the thresholds are unchanged.
The deduction for half of self-employment tax
You deduct half of your self-employment tax as an adjustment to income on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 15. On a $50,000 profit that is $3,532. The IRS calls it the employer-equivalent portion of the tax. It lowers your adjusted gross income and income tax, but not your net earnings or the self-employment tax itself. Employees cannot deduct the Social Security and Medicare tax taken from their pay.
The deduction also matters for retirement plans. For a SEP IRA or a solo 401(k), the IRS worksheet for the self-employed starts from your net profit and subtracts this deduction to get the net earnings your contribution is based on (Publication 560, Deduction Worksheet for Self-Employed, steps 1 to 3).
Paying self-employment tax during 2026
Self-employment tax is paid through estimated tax, together with income tax. Under the general rule in Form 1040-ES you must pay estimated tax for 2026 if you expect to owe at least $1,000 after withholding and refundable credits, and your withholding and credits will be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of the tax on your 2025 return. If your 2025 adjusted gross income was more than $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately for 2026), use 110% instead of 100%. If you also have a job, you can instead have more income tax withheld by giving your employer a new Form W-4.
| 2026 estimated tax | Due date |
|---|---|
| 1st payment | April 15, 2026 |
| 2nd payment | June 15, 2026 |
| 3rd payment | September 15, 2026 |
| 4th payment | January 15, 2027 |
From Form 1040-ES (2026), Payment schedule. You do not have to make the January 15, 2027 payment if you file your 2026 return by February 1, 2027 and pay the whole balance due with it. Farmers and fishers have their own rules in the same form.
Who pays self-employment tax, and on what
- Sole proprietors and independent contractors, members of a single-member LLC that is disregarded for tax, members of a qualified joint venture, and partners in a partnership (including members of a multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership).
- Partners report their net earnings from Schedule K-1 (Form 1065), box 14, code A. Limited partners count only guaranteed payments for services they actually performed for the partnership.
- If both spouses have self-employment income, each files a separate Schedule SE. On a joint return the Additional Medicare Tax threshold of $250,000 covers both of you.
- Age does not matter: the tax applies even if you already get Social Security or Medicare benefits.
- Wages you earn as an employee are not self-employment income; they owe the employee share of FICA instead. Also left out: fees as a notary public, real estate rents reported on Schedule E (unless you receive them in business as a real estate dealer), dividends and interest (unless you are a dealer in stocks or securities), and gains from selling capital assets.
What the calculator leaves out
- The optional methods in Part II of Schedule SE. In the 2026 draft, the nonfarm method needs net nonfarm profits under $8,186 and under 72.189% of gross nonfarm income, needs $400 of net earnings in 2 of the 3 prior years, can be used no more than five times, and reports at most $7,560 of net earnings; the farm method is open if gross farm income was no more than $11,340 or net farm profits were under $8,186.
- Church employee income (taxed from $108.28), ministers and members of religious orders, Conservation Reserve Program payments (line 1b), unreported tips (Form 4137) and uncollected tax on wages (Form 8919).
- Railroad retirement (tier 1) compensation, fiscal tax years and income covered by an international social security agreement.
- Income tax. The deduction is shown, but not the income tax it saves.
Sources
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), employer tax rates and wage base
- IRS Form 8959 instructions (2025), current final mechanics
- IRS Instructions for Schedule SE (2025), current final mechanics
- IRS Schedule SE (2026), draft
- IRS Form 1040-ES (2026), payment due dates
- IRS Topic 608, excess Social Security withholding