Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026
Calculate taxes for freelancers, contractors, and business owners across all 50 states
Additional Deductions
SEP-IRA: up to 25% of net SE income (max $72,000 for 2026, IRS)
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Fill in your self-employment income and expenses, then click Calculate to see your full tax breakdown.
A New York Freelancer Pays Four Separate Taxes
Self-employment income is taxed four times, by four different authorities, and none of the four is withheld for you. The calculator above models all of them with the 2026 federal and New York schedules. The table below shows the rate behind each line and the official source, so you can check any number against the authority that publishes it.
| Layer | 2026 rate or threshold | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employment tax | 15.3% of net earnings — 12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare. The Social Security part stops once combined wages and net earnings reach $184,500; an extra 0.9% Medicare applies above $200,000 single / $250,000 joint. | IRS self-employment tax and Topic no. 751; SSA contribution and benefit base |
| Federal income tax | 10%–37% marginal, after the $16,100 single / $32,200 joint standard deduction | IRS 2026 inflation adjustments |
| New York State income tax | 3.9%–11.7% across nine bands, after the NY standard deduction of $8,000 single / $16,050 joint | NY tax rates and tables and Form IT-201-I |
| City layer — NYC, Yonkers, MCTMT | NYC resident tax 3.078%–3.876% of city taxable income; Yonkers surcharge 16.75% of the state tax; MCTMT on net earnings in the commuter district above $150,000 | NY NYC, Yonkers and MCTMT and MCTMT for the self-employed |
Why the 15.3% is not the whole story
You can deduct the employer-equivalent portion of self-employment tax when figuring federal adjusted gross income. The deduction does not shrink the SE tax itself, but because New York starts from federal AGI it reduces the federal income tax and the New York bill at the same time — which is why the combined effective rate on freelance income lands below the sum of the headline rates. The IRS requires Schedule SE once net earnings from self-employment reach $400.
The MCTMT threshold rose to $150,000 of net earnings for 2026 (from $50,000 in 2025 and earlier) and is computed separately for each zone, even on a joint return — so a two-earner household can have one spouse above the threshold and the other below it.
Quarterly estimated payments, and how to stay out of the penalty
New York expects estimated payments when nothing is withheld — self-employment income is the first example the Department lists. You can skip them if you expect to owe less than $300 of New York State, $300 of New York City and $300 of Yonkers tax after withholding and credits, or if withholding covers at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% when prior-year NY adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000). The federal rule is similar: pay enough to owe less than $1,000 at filing, or cover 90% of this year's tax / 100% of last year's. Payments are due four times a year — the quarterly deadlines guide and the tax calendar tool carry both the federal and New York dates.
Deductions that actually move the number
- Solo 401(k) or SEP-IRA. The 2026 employee elective deferral limit is $24,500, with an extra $8,000 from age 50 and a total annual addition cap of $72,000 per plan. Contributions reduce federal and New York taxable income — see maximizing 401(k) deductions.
- Self-employed health insurance. Premiums you pay for your own coverage are deductible for income tax purposes.
- Ordinary and necessary business costs. Software, home-office space, mileage and professional fees all reduce net profit before the 15.3% applies — the deductions guide works through which ones a New York freelancer can actually claim.
- Retirement and HSA contributions made before the deadline, which cut the current-year bill rather than next year's.
If you also hold a W-2 job, run the salary through the paycheck calculator first — the withholding there changes what the freelance side has to cover. State residency questions are covered in the state tax pages and in self-employment and NY taxes.
Sources: IRS Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), Topic no. 751 and Estimated taxes; NY State Department of Taxation and Finance who must make estimated tax payments, New York City, Yonkers and MCTMT and tax rates and tables; SSA contribution and benefit base.