Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
Calculate the quarterly estimated tax payments self-employed filers need to make.
A common safe-harbor rule: pay at least 90% of this year's tax (or 100–110% of last year's) across four quarterly payments to avoid an underpayment penalty.
About the Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
The Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator gives you an instant answer from just a few inputs — filing status, expected annual taxable income (before se tax deduction), self-employment net profit, and more. It runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay private and never touch a server, and the result recalculates the moment you change a value. It's free to use with no sign-up, no limits, and nothing to install.
Worth Knowing
People without an employer withholding tax for them — freelancers, landlords, investors — generally must pay the IRS in four estimated installments through the year, because the US tax system is pay-as-you-go. Underpaying triggers penalties even if you settle up in April. Safe-harbor rules let you avoid penalties by paying either 90% of this year's tax or 100–110% of last year's, whichever is smaller, which is often the easier target to hit.
How to Use
- Enter Filing status into the first field of the Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator.
- Fill in the rest: Expected annual taxable income (before SE tax deduction), Self-employment net profit, Tax already withheld/paid this year.
- Your result appears instantly as you type — there's no submit button or page reload.
- A common safe-harbor rule: pay at least 90% of this year's tax (or 100–110% of last year's) across four quarterly payments to avoid an underpayment penalty.