Quarterly Tax Calculator
Self-employed and wondering what to send the IRS every quarter? Estimate your 2025 federal self-employment tax and income tax, subtract anything already withheld, and see the Form 1040-ES payment to set aside four times a year.
Reviewed by the CalcCafe editorial team · Last updated 18 July 2026 · How we test our tools
Example
A single freelancer expects $90,000 of net self-employment profit in 2025 and has no other withholding. SE tax applies to 92.35% of profit ($83,115): 12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare comes to $12,717. Taxable income is $90,000 − $6,358 (half the SE tax) − $15,000 (2025 standard deduction) = $68,642, giving federal income tax of about $10,015. The total annual estimate is $22,732, so each Form 1040-ES payment is roughly $5,683. State estimated taxes, if your state levies income tax, would be extra.
How it works
The calculator projects a full 2025 federal bill and divides it by four. Self-employment tax is charged on 92.35% of your expected net profit: 12.4% Social Security on that base up to the $176,100 wage cap, plus 2.9% Medicare on all of it. Taxable income = net profit − half the SE tax − the 2025 standard deduction ($15,000 single, $30,000 married filing jointly). Federal income tax is then applied through the 2025 brackets (10% to 37%; married thresholds are double the single ones). Anything already withheld elsewhere — say from a W-2 side job or a spouse's paycheck — is subtracted, and the remainder is split into four equal quarterly payments. Federal only, 2025 tax year, educational estimate.
Good to know
You generally must make estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax for the year after subtracting withholding and credits. That catches most freelancers, contractors, gig workers, landlords with significant profit, and investors with large untaxed income. If you also have a W-2 job, an easier route is often to raise withholding there — withholding is treated as paid evenly through the year no matter when it happens, which can erase a penalty retroactively.
The safe-harbor rules are your friend when income is hard to predict. You avoid the underpayment penalty if your payments through the year reach at least 90% of this year's tax, or 100% of last year's total tax (110% if your prior-year adjusted gross income was over $150,000, or $75,000 married filing separately). Many self-employed people simply pay last year's tax in four installments and settle any difference in April — predictable, penalty-proof, and easy to automate.
For the 2025 tax year the four payments are due April 15, 2025, June 16, 2025 (June 15 falls on a Sunday), September 15, 2025, and January 15, 2026. Note the uneven spacing — the second payment arrives only two months after the first. Miss or underpay a deadline and the IRS charges an interest-based underpayment penalty computed quarter by quarter on Form 2210, even if you pay everything by the filing deadline. If your income arrives unevenly, the annualized income method on Form 2210 can shrink the penalty by matching payments to when you actually earned.
Paying is the easy part: IRS Direct Pay pulls from a bank account free of charge with no registration, EFTPS lets you schedule payments in advance once enrolled, and your IRS Online Account shows a history of what you've paid. You can also mail a 1040-ES voucher with a check. Keep in mind this tool is a federal-only, 2025 educational estimate using the standard deduction — it ignores state estimated taxes, the QBI deduction, the additional 0.9% Medicare surtax, credits and other income, so treat the result as a planning number and confirm with a tax professional.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to pay quarterly estimated taxes?
Generally anyone who expects to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax for the year after withholding and credits — typically the self-employed, contractors, gig workers and people with large investment or rental income. If enough tax is withheld from a W-2 paycheck to cover the bill, no separate estimated payments are needed.
When are 2025 quarterly estimated taxes due?
April 15, 2025; June 16, 2025; September 15, 2025; and January 15, 2026 for the fourth quarter. Deadlines shift to the next business day when they land on a weekend or holiday. The periods are uneven — the second payment covers only April and May.
What is the safe-harbor rule for estimated taxes?
You avoid the underpayment penalty if your withholding plus estimated payments reach at least 90% of the current year's tax, or 100% of last year's total tax — 110% if your prior-year adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000. Many people simply pay last year's tax in four installments and settle up in April.
Is this calculator free, and is my data uploaded anywhere?
Yes, it is completely free with no sign-up, and no — it runs entirely in your browser. Your income figures never leave your device. It produces a federal-only 2025 educational estimate, not tax advice.
People also ask
How do I pay my quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS?
The simplest way is IRS Direct Pay, which debits your bank account free with no registration, selecting 'Estimated Tax' and Form 1040-ES. EFTPS allows scheduling all four payments in advance after enrolling, and you can also pay by card (fee applies) or mail a 1040-ES voucher with a check.
What happens if I miss a quarterly estimated tax payment?
The IRS charges an interest-based underpayment penalty on the shortfall for each quarter, figured on Form 2210, even if you pay in full by the April filing deadline. Paying as soon as possible stops the interest from growing, and raising W-2 withholding late in the year can cure it because withholding counts as paid evenly through the year.
Do quarterly estimated taxes include self-employment tax?
Yes. Your 1040-ES estimate should cover both federal income tax and the 15.3% self-employment tax (12.4% Social Security up to $176,100 of 2025 earnings plus 2.9% Medicare). For many freelancers the SE tax portion is the larger of the two, which is why this calculator computes both.
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Sources & references
These tools follow our methodology and provide educational estimates only — verify important figures with a qualified professional.