How much is self-employment tax for 2026?
Self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of your net self-employment earnings, covering Social Security (12.4%) and Medicare (2.9%). The Social Security portion applies only to the first $184,500 of earnings for 2026. A 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies above $200,000 single / $250,000 married filing jointly. On $50,000 net SE income, you would owe approximately $7,065 in SE tax.
Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Calculate your Social Security and Medicare self-employment tax. Estimate how much SE tax you owe on your net self-employment income.
Self-Employment Income
Tax Year 2026 Published Parameters
How Self-Employment Tax Works
Self-employment tax is the Social Security and Medicare tax that self-employed people pay. It is equivalent to the combined employer and employee portions of FICA tax. The IRS requires you to pay both halves because you are both the employer and the employee.
Only 92.35% of your net self-employment income is subject to SE tax. This mirrors the fact that employees do not pay FICA on the employer's share. You then get to deduct 50% of the Schedule SE tax from your adjusted gross income (above-the-line deduction).
The Social Security tax applies only up to the wage base ($184,500 for 2026). If you also earn W-2 wages, those reduce the remaining wage base available for SE tax. Medicare tax has no wage base limit and applies to all SE income. The Additional Medicare Tax applies if your combined earned income exceeds the filing-status threshold.
The Additional Medicare Tax is not part of the self-employment tax computed on Schedule SE. It is figured on Form 8959 and is not halved into the above-the-line deduction, so this calculator shows it on its own line and excludes it from the deduction. If your net earnings after the 92.35% factor come to less than $400, Schedule SE stops there and no self-employment tax is due; this calculator applies that rule for the ordinary case, and does not model the church-employee income rules or the optional methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
How this calculator works
This calculator estimates federal self-employment (SE) tax for the current tax year. SE tax covers the Social Security and Medicare contributions that employees split with their employer; self-employed people pay both halves. The calculation starts with your net self-employment earnings (gross income minus business deductions). It multiplies that figure by 0.9235 to get the taxable base, applies the 12.4% Social Security rate up to the annual wage base, applies the 2.9% Medicare rate to the full base with no cap, and adds the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on earnings above the income threshold for your filing status.
SE tax = (Net SE earnings × 0.9235) × (12.4% up to wage base + 2.9% on full base) + 0.9% on amounts above filing-status thresholdAssumptions
- You report your business income on Schedule C or Schedule F.
- You have no church employee income (which has different rules).
- You are not a member of a recognized religious sect that has filed Form 4029.
- Your net SE earnings are at least $400, the IRS filing threshold.
Limitations
- This calculator does not handle income from S-corporation pass-through (which is not subject to SE tax on the distribution portion).
- It does not calculate state self-employment tax. Most states do not have one, but a few do.
- It does not estimate federal income tax. For total federal liability, use reviewed IRS worksheets, a reviewed federal income tax estimator when available, or consult a qualified tax professional.
- It assumes single self-employment activity. Multiple Schedule C businesses combine for SE tax purposes.
For our overall editorial process and how we maintain calculator accuracy across the site, see our full methodology page.
Sources used for this calculator
Each data point or rate below is taken from the source listed (official pages where available; editable assumptions are labeled) and was verified on the date shown.
| Data point or rate | Value used | Source | Last checked | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Social Security tax rate | 12.4% | IRS Self-Employment Tax (SE Tax) guidance | 2026-04-24 | - |
| 2026 Medicare tax rate | 2.9% | IRS Self-Employment Tax guidance | 2026-04-24 | - |
| 2026 Social Security wage base | $184,500 | SSA Cost-of-Living Adjustment | 2026-04-24 | Annual cap on earnings subject to Social Security tax |
| Net earnings adjustment factor | 92.35% | IRS Schedule SE instructions | 2026-04-24 | Reflects the deductible employer-equivalent portion |
| Additional Medicare Tax rate | 0.9% | IRS Topic No. 560 | 2026-04-24 | Applies above filing-status thresholds |
| Additional Medicare threshold (single) | $200,000 | IRS Topic No. 560 | 2026-04-24 | - |
| Additional Medicare threshold (MFJ) | $250,000 | IRS Topic No. 560 | 2026-04-24 | - |
| Filing threshold for SE tax | $400 net SE earnings | IRS Schedule SE instructions | 2026-04-24 | Below this you do not owe SE tax |
Compare scenarios
Change the net self-employment income to compare outcomes. Scenarios A and B use the same engine as the calculator above.
| Scenario | net self-employment income | self-employment tax |
|---|---|---|
| Current | -- | -- |
| Scenario A | -- | |
| Scenario B | -- |
Sensitivity to net self-employment income
How the self-employment tax moves as this one input changes, holding everything else fixed.
Social Security stops applying above the annual wage base; only the 2.9% Medicare portion continues.
Worked example
$50,000 net SE income × 92.35% = $46,175 taxable → 12.4% Social Security ($5,726) + 2.9% Medicare ($1,339) = $7,065. Half of that Schedule SE tax ($3,532) is deductible on your 1040; the Additional Medicare Tax, when it applies, is not.
Related reading
Self-Employment Tax Guide - How SE tax works, rates, and step-by-step calculation.
Self-Employment Tax Deduction - How to deduct half your SE tax above the line.
Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments - When to pay, how much, and safe harbor rules.
1099-K Threshold 2026 - New federal threshold for marketplace 1099-K reporting.