Self-Employment Tax Calculator — SECA, SS & Medicare Breakdown (2026)
Calculate your self-employment (SECA) tax with a full Social Security and Medicare breakdown. Enter your 1099 net profit and optional W-2 wages to see the SS wage base remaining, Medicare portion, deductible half, and estimated QBI deduction savings.
Self-Employment Tax
Results update instantly as you type
Enter Values
Estimated QBI Deduction Savings (income tax)
$4,400.00
Total Combined Income (1099 + W-2)
$100,000.00
Embed Code
Copy and paste this HTML snippet into any web page to embed this calculator directly.
<iframe src="http://127.0.0.1:54963/embed/finance/self-employment-tax-calculator?ref=embed" title="Self-Employment Tax Calculator — SECA, SS & Medicare Breakdown (2026)" width="100%" style="max-width:600px; border:none; height:500px;" loading="lazy"></iframe>
Direct Link
Share this link to let others open the calculator in their browser.
Your Self-Employment Tax
$14,129.55
Effective rate: 14.13% of net profit
SS vs. Medicare Split
Tax Breakdown
12.4% rate · Capped at $176,100 wage base (2026)
2.9% rate · No wage base cap
Deductible Half
$7,064.78
Above-the-line deduction on Form 1040
QBI Savings (Est.)
$4,400.00
20% QBI × 22% assumed marginal rate
How It's Calculated
SE Earnings = Net Profit × 92.35%
Social Security = min(SE Earnings, Remaining Wage Base) × 12.4%
Medicare = SE Earnings × 2.9%
Total SECA Tax = SS Portion + Medicare Portion
The Formula
Self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of your net self-employment income. The 15.3% breaks into 12.4% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base of $176,100 in 2026) and 2.9% for Medicare (no cap). You can deduct half of your SE tax as an above-the-line adjustment on Form 1040. The QBI deduction (Section 199A) allows eligible self-employed individuals to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income from income tax.
Variable Definitions
SE Earnings Multiplier
Only 92.35% of your net profit is subject to SE tax. This accounts for the deductibility of the employer-half of SE tax.
Social Security & Medicare Rates
SE tax has two parts: 12.4% for Social Security (capped at $176,100 for 2026) and 2.9% for Medicare (no cap). Together they form the 15.3% total SECA rate. An additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies above $200K/$250K.
Qualified Business Income Deduction
Section 199A allows a deduction of up to 20% of qualified business income. This reduces income tax but not SE tax.
How to Use This Calculator
- 1
Enter your net profit from Schedule C and optionally any W-2 wages.
- 2
Toggle the QBI deduction on/off to see estimated income tax savings.
- 3
Review the breakdown: total SECA tax, SS/Medicare portions, deductible half, and QBI savings.
Common Applications
- Calculate the self-employment tax owed on your freelance or small business net profit including both the employee and employer portions of FICA.
- Estimate the tax savings from the qualified business income deduction and the deductible half of self-employment tax.
- Plan estimated quarterly tax payments by understanding your total SE tax liability alongside your income tax obligation.
Self-employed individuals pay the full 15.3% SECA tax (both employee and employer shares of FICA), but can deduct half as an above-the-line adjustment
Understanding the Concept
Self-employment tax is the self-employed person's equivalent of FICA (Social Security + Medicare). While employees split FICA 50/50 with their employer (each pays 7.65%), the self-employed pay both halves (15.3%). However, you can deduct the employer-half as an above-the-line adjustment on Form 1040, effectively reducing income tax but not the SE tax itself. The 92.35% multiplier accounts for this deduction. For 2026, the Social Security wage base is $176,100 — any SE earnings above this are only subject to the 2.9% Medicare portion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
Related Guides
Related Calculators
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Self-Employment Tax Calculator — SECA, SS & Medicare Breakdown (2026).
Write a Review