Free Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026) | CalcVise
15.3%
SE tax baseline
100%
formula visibility
0
data stored
Self-employment tax breakdown
This module calculates the total statutory tax liability for independent contractors and business owners based on their Schedule C profit.
Inputs: Net business earnings, concurrent W-2 wages (to properly offset the $176,100 Social Security wage base cap), and IRS filing status.
Outputs: Computes the combined SECA tax by breaking down the 12.4% Social Security tax, the 2.9% Medicare tax, and any applicable 0.9% Additional Medicare surtax based on the selected filing status threshold. It also generates actionable figures for quarterly estimated payments (1040-ES) and the standard 50% AGI deduction.
Minimum billable rate formula
This module reverse-engineers the minimum hourly rate required to hit specific personal income targets while covering business operations.
Inputs: Target pre-tax personal income, annual business overhead, desired profit margin buffer, planned time off (PTO weeks), and billable utilization percentage.
Outputs: Determines the recommended minimum hourly rate, total gross revenue required, and exact net billable hours per year. It calculates how much overhead is allocated per billable hour and scales the final pricing into an 8-hour day rate and a 40-hour monthly retainer.
Small business payroll burden
This module calculates the true financial overhead of hiring W-2 employees and directly compares it against 1099 contractor costs.
Inputs: Base salary per employee, total headcount, State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) rate, monthly benefits, and an equivalent 1099 contractor hourly rate.
Outputs: Reveals the total employer outlay by adding the 7.65% FICA match, FUTA/SUTA unemployment taxes, and benefits to the base salary. It provides the effective payroll burden as a percentage and a multiplier (e.g., 1.25x), finishing with a direct cost variance analysis showing whether an in-house employee or a contractor is cheaper based on a 2,000-hour working year.
Tax bracket benchmarks and reference data
12.4%
Social Security cap rate
2.9%
Standard Medicare rate
0.9%
Additional Medicare threshold