Free calculators · No sign-up · Tax year 2026
Work out what you owe before it's due.
Straight answers for US freelancers and one-person businesses. Every calculator shows its working, every figure cites the rule it comes from, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Calculators
Each one answers a question people actually type into Google, and shows the worksheet behind the answer rather than a single mystery number.
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Quarterly tax estimator
Work out what to send the IRS every quarter, including self-employment tax, the QBI deduction and the safe-harbour minimum that protects you from penalties.
“How much should I set aside for quarterly taxes?”
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S-corp breakeven
Find the profit level where an S-corp election saves more in self-employment tax than it costs in payroll, filing fees and extra accounting.
“At what income is an S-corp worth it?”
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Freelance rate calculator
Turn the take-home you want into an hourly rate that actually covers tax, unpaid time, health insurance, time off and the hours you cannot bill.
“What hourly rate do I need to charge?”
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Solo 401(k) calculator
See exactly how much you can put into a solo 401(k) this year as both employee and employer, and how much more it shelters than a SEP IRA.
“How much can I contribute to a solo 401(k)?”
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Home office deduction
Compare the simplified $5-per-square-foot method against deducting a share of your real housing costs, and see which gives you the bigger deduction.
“Which home office method gives me a bigger deduction?”
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Mileage deduction
Work out your 2026 business mileage deduction using both IRS rates — 72.5 cents through June, 76 cents from July — and compare it with actual expenses.
“What is my business mileage deduction worth?”
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Self-employment tax
Work out the Social Security and Medicare you owe on freelance profit, including the wage base cap and the half that comes back as a deduction.
“How much self-employment tax will I owe?”
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Estimated tax penalty
Free IRS underpayment penalty calculator for 2026. See if you owe the estimated tax penalty, quarter by quarter, and what it takes to avoid it.
“Do I owe an underpayment penalty?”
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Freelance take-home pay
See what is actually left from your business profit after federal income tax, self-employment tax and an estimate of state tax.
“What do I actually keep from my freelance income?”
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1099 vs W-2 offer
Compare a contract rate against a salary offer properly — both halves of payroll tax, employer health cover, 401(k) match and unpaid time all counted.
“Is this contract rate better than the salary?”
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Business expense value
Work out what a deductible purchase actually costs you after federal, state and self-employment tax relief — and why a deduction is not a rebate.
“What is a business expense actually worth to me?”
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Invoice late fee
Work out what an overdue invoice is now worth with a monthly late fee, simple or compounded, and see the annualised rate you are actually charging.
“What can I charge on an overdue invoice?”
Guides
Mileage Logs: What the IRS Will Accept, and What It Won't
A reconstructed spreadsheet made in April is the weakest possible evidence. Here is what a contemporaneous log needs, and the 2026 rate change most people miss.
Updated October 26, 2026
How to Actually Pay the IRS (Without a Cheque)
Direct Pay, EFTPS and card payments compared — what each costs, how long each takes to set up, and which one to use when the deadline is tomorrow.
Updated October 26, 2026
Schedule C, Line by Line, for People Who Have Never Filed One
Schedule C is where your freelance income becomes a tax number. Here is what each part does and the three lines that cause most of the trouble.
Updated October 19, 2026
The Home Office Test Most Freelancers Fail
Regular and exclusive use is stricter than people assume. A spare room that hosts guests twice a year does not qualify — here is where the line actually sits.
Updated October 19, 2026
Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA: Why One Shelters Far More at Freelance Incomes
At most freelance incomes a solo 401(k) shelters tens of thousands more than a SEP, because you contribute twice. Here is the mechanism and the catch.
Updated October 13, 2026
Reasonable Compensation: The S-Corp Rule That Decides Whether It Works
There is no safe percentage. The IRS tests what your services are actually worth, and it has held that position since a 1974 ruling.
Updated October 13, 2026
LLC vs Sole Proprietor: What Actually Changes (and What Doesn't)
Forming an LLC changes your legal liability, not your tax bill. Here is what the change actually buys you, and the thing people confuse it with.
Updated October 7, 2026
Freelance Tax Deductions: What Actually Counts, and What Gets Disallowed
A deduction saves a freelancer around 30 cents on the dollar, not 22. Here is what qualifies, what does not, and the records that make it stick.
Updated October 7, 2026
2026 Tax Brackets for the Self-Employed (and Why Your Bracket Is Lower Than You Think)
The 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deduction, and what they mean for freelancers: worked examples at $50k, $80k and $120k of profit.
Updated October 4, 2026
2026 Retirement Contribution Limits for the Self-Employed: Roth IRA, SEP and Solo 401(k)
Every 2026 retirement limit a freelancer needs: Roth IRA, SEP IRA and solo 401(k), with income limits and a worked example at $100,000 of profit.
Updated October 4, 2026
No Tax on Tips for the Self-Employed: Who Qualifies and What It Really Saves
How no tax on tips works if you are self-employed: the $25,000 cap, who qualifies, the phase-out, and why self-employment tax still applies.
Updated October 4, 2026
Quarterly Tax Due Dates for 2026 (and Why Q2 Catches Everyone)
When are quarterly taxes due in 2026? The four estimated tax payment dates, why the periods are not equal lengths, and what actually happens if you miss one.
Updated October 1, 2026
The QBI Deduction: Up to 20% Off, and Most Freelancers Get It Automatically
Section 199A can take 20% off your business income before tax. Below the threshold it is close to automatic — above it, the rules change sharply.
Updated October 4, 2026
Self-Employment Tax: Why Your First Freelance Year Costs More Than You Expect
Self-employment tax is 15.3% on top of income tax, and it catches almost everyone who leaves a salaried job. Here is exactly how it is calculated.
Updated October 7, 2026
The Estimated Tax Penalty Is Not a Fine. It's Interest.
The IRS underpayment penalty is interest on what you were short, charged from each quarter's due date. How it works and how to avoid it entirely.
Updated October 7, 2026
S-Corp vs Sole Proprietor: When the Election Actually Pays
The S-corp election saves payroll tax but costs real money to run. Here is where the line falls, and the three things that quietly erase the saving.
Updated October 13, 2026
Quarterly Taxes for Freelancers: What to Pay and When
How estimated quarterly taxes work when you are self-employed: what you owe, the four due dates, and the safe-harbour rule that prevents IRS penalties.
Updated October 4, 2026
How to Set a Freelance Rate That Is Not Secretly a Pay Cut
Why dividing a salary by 2,080 hours produces a rate that loses money, and how to work backwards from the take-home you actually want.
Updated October 4, 2026
Why trust these numbers?
Every figure is sourced
Brackets, wage bases and thresholds come from the IRS revenue procedure for the tax year, and the source is linked in the code that uses it.
The maths is tested
The calculation engine has a unit test suite with hand-checked cases, including the awkward ones like the Social Security cap and QBI phase-outs.
It admits what it can't do
Where the real rules get more complex than the calculator models, it tells you so and suggests checking with a CPA rather than quietly guessing.
Ballpark Tax is not a tax preparer and nothing here is advice about your situation.