Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator

How this calculator works

Nobody withholds taxes from freelance income, so the IRS expects you to pay as you go - four times a year. Miss the quarterly payments and you can owe an underpayment penalty even if you pay in full at filing time. This quarterly estimated tax calculator estimates your full 2026 federal liability (self-employment tax plus income tax), then applies the safe-harbor rule that eliminates the penalty: pay the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's tax (110% if your prior-year AGI topped $150,000). Enter your expected self-employment income, any W-2 wages and withholding, last year's total tax, and filing status, and it returns the exact amount to send each quarter.

The four 2026 due dates are April 15, June 15, and September 15, 2026, plus January 15, 2027 - note the uneven gaps, which trip people up. W-2 withholding counts toward the safe harbor, so if you have a day job, its withholding may already cover you; the calculator subtracts it automatically. If your income is lumpy or seasonal, the IRS also allows the annualized-income method (pay based on actual quarterly earnings), which can lower early payments but requires Form 2210 Schedule AI - most steady earners are fine with four equal safe-harbor payments. Pay online at IRS Direct Pay or by EFTPS, keep confirmations, and remember state estimated taxes are a separate obligation with their own dates.