1099 Tax Calculator
Estimate your federal taxes, self-employment tax, and take-home income as a 1099 worker.
1099 tax estimate
Estimated taxes
Tax estimates are based on the selected tax year.
$0
total estimated tax
Where the tax goes
- Federal income tax $0 0%
- Self-employment tax $0 0%
- State income tax $0 0%
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross business income | $0 |
| Business deductions | $0 |
| Net business profit | $0 |
| Other taxable income | $0 |
| Deduction for half of self-employment tax | $0 |
| Standard deduction | $0 |
| Taxable income | $0 |
| Self-employment tax | $0 |
| Federal income tax | $0 |
| State income tax | $0 |
| Total estimated tax | $0 |
| Already paid | $0 |
| Still due | $0 |
| Estimated take-home | $0 |
- Net earnings for SE tax$0
- Marginal rate0%
- Adjusted gross income$0
- Tax year—
Quarterly estimated tax
1099 workers generally do not have an employer withholding federal income tax and self-employment tax from their payments, so estimated tax payments may be required.
Estimated annual tax $0 Estimated quarterly payment $0
Whether you need to pay, and how much, depends on your full year. The IRS explains the rules and the due dates in Estimated taxes and in Form 1040-ES.
Show the math
What this estimate leaves out
Tax returns carry things this estimator does not model. If any of these apply to you, your real bill will differ:
This calculator provides an estimate for educational purposes and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Your actual tax liability may differ based on your complete tax situation.
How we calculate
In plain terms, and in the order the IRS does it.
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We start with your 1099 income
Everything you were paid for self-employed work, before expenses and before any platform or processor took its cut.
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We subtract eligible business expenses
Business expenses, the home office deduction and anything else deductible come off first. What is left is your net business profit — the figure both taxes are built on.
gross business income − deductible expenses = net business profit
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We estimate self-employment tax
Only 92.35% of net profit counts as net earnings from self-employment. Social security takes 12.4% of that, but stops at the year's wage base; Medicare takes 2.9% with no ceiling. Under $400 of net earnings, none of it applies.
net profit × 92.35% × (12.4% up to the wage base + 2.9% on all of it)
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We estimate federal income tax for the year you picked
Half of the self-employment tax comes off your income first. Then the standard deduction for your filing status, and what remains runs through that year's brackets, a slice at a time — not one flat rate.
(net profit + other income − half of SE tax − standard deduction) through the year's brackets
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We estimate state tax where we can do it honestly
For states with no tax on earned income the answer is $0 and we say so. For every other state we tell you it is not supported rather than print a number we cannot stand behind.
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We subtract the estimated taxes from your income
What is left is the take-home figure. Anything you have already paid comes off the balance still due, and the quarterly figure is a quarter of that balance.
Tax estimates are based on the selected tax year.
1099 tax questions, answered
How much tax do you pay on 1099 income?
There is no single percentage. A 1099 worker pays self-employment tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit — about 14.1% of profit — plus federal income tax at their own marginal rate, which depends on filing status, total income and the year's brackets. Expenses reduce both. On $75,000 of income with $10,000 of expenses, a single filer's combined federal estimate lands near 22% of profit; the calculator above works out your own figure.
What is self-employment tax, and why is it on top of income tax?
It is social security and Medicare. An employee pays half through payroll and their employer pays the other half; someone self-employed pays both halves, which is why the rate looks high at 15.3%. It is a separate tax from income tax and it applies even when the standard deduction wipes out the income tax.
Do 1099 workers have to pay quarterly taxes?
Not everyone. Nobody is withholding tax from a 1099 payment, so the IRS expects the tax to arrive during the year rather than all at once — but whether you need to send quarterly payments depends on how much you will owe, what has already been withheld elsewhere and what you paid last year. The IRS sets out the tests and the due dates in Estimated taxes.
What can I deduct as a 1099 worker?
Costs that are ordinary and necessary for your line of work: supplies, software, equipment, advertising, professional fees, business insurance, business mileage, and the part of your phone and internet you use for work. A home office counts when the space is used regularly and only for business. Deductions cut self-employment tax as well as income tax, which is what makes tracking them worth the effort.
How much should I set aside for taxes?
A common rule of thumb is 25–30% of net profit, and for many single filers without other income that lands close. It is only a starting point: a higher-earning household, a state income tax or a spouse's income can push the real figure well above it. Run your own numbers above, then set aside the quarterly figure it gives you.
How accurate is this estimate?
The federal arithmetic follows the published IRS method for the tax year you pick, and the figures behind it are taken from the IRS revenue procedure for that year. It is still an estimate: it does not model the qualified business income deduction, tax credits, retirement contributions, or state income tax outside the states that levy none. Treat it as a planning figure, not a filing figure.