Freelancer quarterly tax & set-aside calculator (US)
Estimate your self-employment, federal and state tax for the year, what each quarterly payment should be, and the percentage to move into tax savings every time a client pays you.
Estimate
| Net profit | |
|---|---|
| Self-employment tax | |
| Federal income tax | |
| State income tax | |
| Total estimate | |
| Safe-harbour payment per quarter |
Payment periods and due dates
| Quarter | Income earned | Due | Pay |
|---|
Dates on a weekend or a holiday (Emancipation Day, MLK Day) move to the next business day. Confirm on IRS.gov.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the income you expect this year and your expected business expenses. A rough figure is fine; update it each quarter.
- Pick your best-guess federal bracket and type your state's income tax rate (0 for states without one).
- Read the quarterly payment and the set-aside %. Every time a client pays you, move that share into a separate savings account.
- Optional: enter last year's total tax to see the safe-harbour payment, which generally avoids underpayment penalties even if you earn more this year.
How the math works
The estimate follows the method used in our tax set-aside tracker:
The federal part deliberately ignores the standard deduction and applies your top bracket to all profit, so it errs on the safe side. The set-aside % is higher than your final effective rate on purpose: it is what you save from each payment, and any surplus is yours at filing time. Very high earners (above the Social Security wage base) will see SE tax overstated.
The IRS periods are not calendar quarters: Jan-Mar is due in April, Apr-May in June, Jun-Aug in September, and Sep-Dec in January of the next year.
Worked example
A freelance designer expects $72,000.00 of client income and $9,000.00 of expenses, is in the 22% bracket and lives in a state with a 5% income tax.
- Net profit: $63,000.00
- Self-employment tax: 63,000 x 92.35% x 15.3% = $8,901.62
- Federal: (63,000 - 4,450.81) x 22% = $12,880.82
- State: 63,000 x 5% = $3,150.00
- Total: $24,932.44, so each quarterly payment is about $6,233.11
- Set-aside: 43.1% of every payment ($431.30 from each $1,000)
For tax year 2027 the payments are due 2027-04-15, 2027-06-15, 2027-09-15, 2028-01-18.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a freelancer set aside for taxes?
Many US freelancers save 25-35% of every payment. A more precise figure is 14.1% for self-employment tax plus your federal bracket plus your state rate, plus a small buffer. This calculator works that out for you.
When are quarterly estimated taxes due?
April 15 (for Jan-Mar income), June 15 (Apr-May), September 15 (Jun-Aug) and January 15 of the next year (Sep-Dec). Dates that fall on a weekend or holiday move to the next business day.
Do I have to pay quarterly taxes?
Generally yes, if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in federal tax for the year after withholding and credits. Missing payments can mean an underpayment penalty.
What is the safe harbour rule?
If you pay at least 100% of last year's total tax (110% if your adjusted gross income was over $150,000) in four on-time payments, you generally avoid the underpayment penalty, even if you owe more when you file.
Why is self-employment tax only on 92.35% of profit?
The IRS lets you reduce net earnings by the employer-equivalent half of the 15.3% tax before calculating it, which works out to multiplying profit by 92.35%.
Is this calculator tax advice?
No. It is a planning estimate that ignores credits, deductions other than business expenses, and other income. Use IRS Form 1040-ES or a tax professional for your actual payments.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-15.