1099 Tax Calculator
Independent contractor, gig worker, or freelancer? See what you owe on your 1099-NEC and 1099-K income, self-employment tax, federal and state income tax, your QBI deduction, and your next quarterly payment. Instant, no sign-up.
Tell us about your year
Enter your self-employment income to see your estimated federal + state tax, self-employment tax, and quarterly payments, instantly.
What 1099 workers actually owe
A 1099 payment arrives with nothing taken out, no federal withholding, no Social Security, no Medicare. That’s yours to handle, which is why a surprise bill in April is so common. Your tax has three layers: self-employment tax (15.3% for Social Security and Medicare, since you cover both the employee and employer halves), federal income tax at your bracket, and state income tax if you have it. The good news for contractors: your business expenses, the QBI deduction, and half of your self-employment tax all lower the bill, this calculator counts them so the number is the real one, not the scary one.
Frequently asked
How much tax do I owe on 1099 income?
On 1099 income you owe self-employment tax (15.3% of net earnings for Social Security and Medicare) plus federal income tax at your bracket, plus state income tax if your state has one, reduced by the QBI deduction and your business write-offs. A rough rule of thumb is 25-30% of net profit set aside, but this calculator gives you the real number for your situation.
Do 1099 contractors pay more tax than W-2 employees?
On the payroll-tax side, yes, a W-2 employee splits the 15.3% Social Security and Medicare tax with their employer, while a 1099 contractor pays both halves as self-employment tax. But contractors can deduct business expenses a W-2 employee usually can't, plus the QBI deduction and half of the self-employment tax, which claws a lot of it back.
What's the difference between a 1099-NEC and a 1099-K?
A 1099-NEC reports non-employee compensation a client paid you directly. A 1099-K reports payments processed through a platform or card processor (Stripe, PayPal, Uber, Etsy, etc.). Both are self-employment income, enter your total across all of them and subtract your business expenses.
Do I need to pay quarterly taxes on 1099 income?
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more, the IRS generally wants quarterly estimated payments, nothing is withheld from a 1099 payment the way it is from a paycheck. This calculator shows your next quarterly amount and due date.