Estimate your federal, state, and self-employment tax in 30 seconds. Built for freelancers, contractors, and gig workers in 2025-2026.
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If you earn money outside a W-2 paycheck — freelance, contractor, gig, or self-employed business owner — the IRS expects you to pay tax on that income four times a year, not once at filing.
The fastest way is the IRS Direct Pay portal at irs.gov/payments. No fee for bank transfers. You can also use IRS2Go (mobile), EFTPS, debit/credit card (small fees), or mail Form 1040-ES with a check.
Estimate your annual net self-employment income, calculate federal income tax + 15.3% SE tax + state tax, then divide by 4. The IRS expects each payment by April 15, June 16, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.
15.3% on 92.35% of your net SE earnings — 12.4% Social Security up to $176,100 and 2.9% Medicare on all SE income. Half of SE tax is deductible from gross income.
Q1 — April 15, 2026. Q2 — June 16, 2026 (15th is a Sunday). Q3 — September 15, 2026. Q4 — January 15, 2027.
The IRS charges an underpayment penalty (around 8% annualized in 2026). You can avoid it if you'll owe less than $1,000 at filing, or if you've already paid 100% of last year's tax (110% if your AGI was over $150,000).
Use the IRS Direct Pay site (irs.gov/payments) — bank transfer, no fee. Alternatives: IRS2Go, EFTPS, debit/credit card (with fees), or mail Form 1040-ES with a check.
Yes — most states with income tax also expect quarterly payments. Due dates are usually the same as federal. Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, Alaska, and New Hampshire don't tax wage/SE income.
State-specific tax rules and quarterly payment instructions:
More states added monthly.