Estimated Quarterly Tax Estimator
A simplified, educational estimate of what a quarterly self-employment tax payment might look like, using the same public self-employment tax rate and federal bracket structure the IRS publishes.
Important — Please Read Before Using This Tool
This is a simplified educational tool, not tax advice. It uses general public formulas and rounded 2025 figures to illustrate how quarterly estimated taxes are typically calculated — it is not a substitute for IRS Form 1040-ES, a CPA, or a licensed tax professional. It does not know your complete financial or tax situation and cannot guarantee accuracy for your individual case. Never make a tax payment based solely on this number.
How to use this tool
- Choose your filing status.
- Enter your estimated annual self-employment profit (income minus ordinary business expenses).
- Optionally add other taxable income and any additional deductions you expect to claim.
- Click Estimate My Payment to see a rough quarterly figure and a full breakdown of how it was calculated.
Your numbers
Your net profit — income minus ordinary business expenses, as on Schedule C.
E.g. a spouse's W-2 wages, interest, or other income.
Amounts beyond your standard deduction that you expect to claim — e.g. SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) contributions, self-employed health insurance premiums, or other above-the-line deductions. Leave at $0 if unsure.
Remember: this is an illustrative, rounded estimate based only on what you typed in — it is not a bill and not a guarantee of what you'll actually owe. Treat it as a starting point for setting money aside, not a number to file or pay from directly.
Breakdown of this estimate
Quarterly due dates typically fall in mid-April, mid-June, mid-September, and mid-January of the following year — confirm exact current-year dates at irs.gov, since they shift around weekends and holidays.
⚠ Educational estimate only — not personalized tax advice. See our full disclaimer.
What This Number Means
The quarterly figure above is a directional planning number, not a bill. It's meant to answer one narrow question: "roughly how much should I be setting aside from what I've earned so far, so a tax payment doesn't catch me off guard?"
It is not: an official IRS calculation, a number you should copy onto Form 1040-ES without review, a guarantee that you won't owe a penalty, or a substitute for reviewing your actual year-to-date numbers with a tax professional as the year progresses.
Two people with identical profit can owe very different real amounts depending on factors this tool doesn't see — state taxes, tax credits, the Qualified Business Income deduction, other income sources, filing details, and more. Use this number as a rough guide for building a savings habit, then confirm the real figure closer to each due date.
How this is calculated
1. Self-employment tax
92.35% of your net SE profit is treated as subject to a combined 15.3% rate (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare). The 12.4% Social Security portion only applies up to the annual wage base ($176,100 for 2025); the 2.9% Medicare portion applies to all of it.
2. Adjustments & deductions
Half of your SE tax is deducted from income (a standard adjustment built into the tax code), then the 2025 standard deduction is subtracted ($15,000 single / $30,000 married filing jointly), along with any additional deductions you entered above.
3. Federal income tax
What's left after those adjustments is your estimated taxable income, which is run through the 2025 progressive federal tax brackets for your filing status — each slice of income is taxed at its own bracket rate, not your whole income at one flat rate.
4. Total & quarterly split
Self-employment tax plus federal income tax gives a rough annual total, which is divided evenly by four to illustrate what one quarterly installment might look like.
This estimate leaves out state income tax, the additional 0.9% Medicare surtax (which applies above $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ), tax credits, and the Qualified Business Income deduction — any of which could change a real number. For an actual figure, use IRS Form 1040-ES or work with a licensed tax professional.
Important Disclaimer
This tool provides a general educational estimate using public IRS formulas and rounded 2025 figures. It is not tax advice, is not personalized to your situation, and does not guarantee accuracy for any individual's actual liability. It does not replace IRS Form 1040-ES, a CPA, or a licensed tax professional. Figures are calculated in your browser only; nothing you enter is saved, stored, or sent anywhere. Read our full disclaimer.