Estimate your US self-employment tax for 2026. Uses the current Social Security wage base ($184,500) and Medicare rate. Enter your net self-employment earnings to see what you owe.
Self-employment tax funds Social Security and Medicare for people who work for themselves, replacing the payroll tax an employer would normally split with you. For 2026, the combined rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare.
How it's calculated: First, 92.35% of your net self-employment earnings is subject to SE tax (this accounts for the fact employees don't pay tax on the employer's matching share). The Social Security portion (12.4%) applies only up to the annual wage base — $184,500 for 2026. The Medicare portion (2.9%) applies to all self-employment earnings with no cap.
You can deduct half of your total SE tax as an adjustment to income on your federal tax return, which is already factored into standard tax software but shown here for reference.
Note: high earners may also owe an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on self-employment income above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly) — not included in this estimate.
15.3% total: 12.4% for Social Security (up to the $184,500 wage base) plus 2.9% for Medicare (no cap).
This adjustment accounts for the fact that employees' payroll tax is calculated on their full wage, while the employer pays a separate matching share. Self-employed people effectively pay both shares, so the 92.35% factor keeps the calculation roughly equivalent.
Yes — you can deduct half of your SE tax as an adjustment to income when calculating your federal income tax, even if you don't itemize.
No. Self-employment tax funds Social Security/Medicare and is separate from — and in addition to — federal (and possibly state) income tax on the same earnings.
$184,500 — earnings above this amount aren't subject to the 12.4% Social Security portion, though the 2.9% Medicare portion still applies with no cap.