{
  "slug": "self-employed-quarterly-set-aside",
  "title": "Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator",
  "heading": "Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/self-employed-quarterly-set-aside",
  "summary": "What to set aside each quarter on self-employment income.",
  "description": "Self-employed income has no withholding, so quarterly payments are on you. This estimates the quarterly set-aside from net profit, self-employment tax and your income bracket. Educational only.",
  "formula": "SE tax = profit × 92.35% × 15.3%. Income tax applies after half the SE tax deduction.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=self-employed-quarterly-set-aside",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "profit",
      "label": "Expected annual net profit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 95000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "seRate",
      "label": "Self-employment tax rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15.3,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "incomeRate",
      "label": "Income tax rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 22,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 50
    },
    {
      "id": "credits",
      "label": "Credits / withholding already paid",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "quarterly",
      "label": "Set aside per quarter",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total annual tax",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "seTax",
      "label": "Self-employment tax",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "income",
      "label": "Income tax",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Expected annual net profit: 95000 $",
      "Self-employment tax rate: 15.3 %",
      "Income tax rate: 22 %",
      "Credits / withholding already paid: 0 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Set aside per quarter: $8,212",
      "Total annual tax: $32,847",
      "Self-employment tax: $13,423",
      "Income tax: $19,423"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter expected annual net profit ($).",
      "Enter self-employment tax rate (%).",
      "Enter income tax rate (%).",
      "Enter credits / withholding already paid ($).",
      "Read your set aside per quarter on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "profit": 57000,
        "seRate": 9.18,
        "incomeRate": 13,
        "credits": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "profit": 95000,
        "seRate": 15.3,
        "incomeRate": 22,
        "credits": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "profit": 152000,
        "seRate": 24.480000000000004,
        "incomeRate": 35,
        "credits": 0
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the quarterly estimated tax calculator work?",
      "a": "Self-employed income has no withholding, so quarterly payments are on you. This estimates the quarterly set-aside from net profit, self-employment tax and your income bracket. Educational only. The underlying maths is: SE tax = profit × 92.35% × 15.3%. Income tax applies after half the SE tax deduction."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "4 values: expected annual net profit, self-employment tax rate, income tax rate, and credits / withholding already paid. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the set aside per quarter result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contractor-vs-employee-pay",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freelance-minimum-day-rate"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/self-employed-quarterly-set-aside)"
}