Freelance Finance Hub
US · Tax Year 2026
1040-ES · Safe harbor · Verified

Quarterly Tax Calculator 2026

What to send with each 1040-ES as a freelancer or 1099 contractor — federal and state, using the safe harbor rules or the annualized method.

Your profit after business expenses — Schedule C, line 31. An estimate is fine; this is a planning tool.
Only states whose rates are verified appear here. Others are added as their revenue departments publish them.
From last year's return, line 24. Enter it to use the safe harbor — the safest way to avoid a penalty.

Your result

Tax year 2026
Self-employment tax (SECA) $0 15.3% on 92.35% of profit, plus 0.9% additional Medicare above the threshold. Full breakdown →
Federal income tax $0 Progressive 2026 brackets on profit less the deductible half of SECA and the standard deduction.
State income tax $0 No state selected — federal only.
Total tax for the year $0
Quarterly payment (annual ÷ 4) $0
Safe harbor (prior-year method) — Enter last year's tax to calculate the safe harbor amount.
Effective rate on profit 0%

Where these figures come from

Federal brackets
Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · IRS, 9 Oct 2025
Standard deduction
$16,100 single · $32,200 joint
SECA
15.3% · IRC §1401
Safe harbor
90% current / 100% prior year · IRC §6654(d)
Verified
2 October 2026
Enter your expected profit and press Calculate to see the breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

When are quarterly estimated taxes due in 2026?

April 15, June 15, September 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027. If a date falls on a weekend or a holiday, it moves to the next business day. The IRS refers to them as four payment periods, not four calendar quarters — so the June payment covers only two months of income.

What is the safe harbor rule?

You avoid the underpayment penalty if you pay at least 90% of this year's tax, or 100% of last year's tax — whichever is smaller. If your prior-year AGI was over $150,000, that second figure becomes 110%. This is why entering last year's tax is the most useful thing you can put in this calculator.

Do I owe state estimated taxes as well?

Only if your state levies an income tax. Nine states do not: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Texas and Florida both ban it in their constitutions. If your state does tax income, it usually wants estimates on the same four dates.

How much should a 1099 worker set aside for taxes?

Most self-employed workers set aside 25% to 30% of net profit. The exact figure depends on your bracket, your state, and whether you claim retirement or health-insurance deductions. Use the calculator rather than a rule of thumb — the difference at $150,000 is thousands of dollars.

What happens if I underpay?

The IRS charges an underpayment penalty under IRC §6654, calculated on Form 2210 from the shortfall and how late it was. The rate is set quarterly and changes, so we do not publish a fixed percentage here — check the current rate on irs.gov before estimating a penalty.

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