Quarterly Tax Calculator (2026)

The four 2026 due dates are April 15, 2026 (for January–March income), June 15, 2026 (April–May), September 15, 2026 (June–August), and January 15, 2027 (September–December). Note the quarters are not equal lengths. If a due date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it shifts to the next business day. Pay online at IRS Direct Pay or with Form 1040-ES vouchers.

Estimate your full-year tax — self-employment tax plus federal income tax — and divide by four. The calculator above does that from your expected profit. As a working rule, freelancers typically set aside 25–35% of net income for federal taxes, more if their state has an income tax. Park it in a separate savings account so the money is there on each due date.

Underpaying triggers an interest-based penalty calculated per quarter, even if you settle in full when you file. You avoid it by meeting a safe harbor: pay at least 90% of your current-year tax, or 100% of your prior-year total tax (110% if your prior-year AGI exceeded $150,000). If income is hard to predict, paying last year’s tax in four equal installments is the simplest penalty-proof strategy.

Only if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the year after subtracting withholding and credits. Small side gigs are often covered by increasing the W-4 withholding at your day job instead — withholding is treated as paid evenly through the year, which can erase a penalty retroactively.

Yes. If you also have a W-2 job, you can raise your withholding there to cover your self-employment tax bill. The IRS treats withholding as spread evenly across the year regardless of when it was withheld, which makes it a powerful late-year fix if you discover you are behind on estimates.

Any income without withholding: 1099/freelance profit, gig-app earnings, rental income, interest, dividends, and capital gains. For self-employment income you owe both SE tax (15.3%) and income tax — see the full breakdown on our 1099 tax calculator.