🧮 FREE · 2026 IRS RULES · NO ACCOUNT

Estimated Tax Calculator (2026)

Four payments a year, and this works out what each one should be.

Are you 65 or older?
Service business?
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This assumes you earned nothing in Q1, Q2. The estimate spreads your figures across every quarter of the year so far, so if you have been earning all along your real bill is higher than this. Sign in to enter each quarter, or pick the quarter that matches what you typed.

Once saved, manage expenses on the Expenses page — this field will auto-update.

Health insurance & retirementBoth come off before tax is calculated — most freelancers miss them

Premiums you pay yourself — not any covered by a spouse’s employer plan.

Reduces income tax, but not self-employment tax.

Found on line 24 of your 2025 Form 1040

⚡ Instant calculations · No account required · IRS 2026 compliant

Estimated tax is how income without withholding gets paid — freelance work, contract work, and anything else where nobody deducts tax before paying you. It is reported on Form 1040-ES.

For 2026 the payments are due Apr 15, Jun 16, Sep 15 and Jan 15. The deadlines are not evenly spaced, which is the first thing that surprises people: the second falls two months after the first, not three.

Each payment should cover roughly a quarter of what you expect to owe for the year, less anything already withheld from wages. Withholding counts as paid evenly across the year no matter when it happened, which can reduce the estimated payments a freelancer with a salaried spouse needs to make.

Underpay and the IRS charges interest on the shortfall from the date each payment was due. The safe harbour rules give you a way to avoid that even if your income turns out higher than expected.

Common questions

What if my income varies through the year?

You can annualise, paying based on what you have actually earned so far rather than a flat quarter each time. That is the method this calculator uses when you give it prior quarters.

What happens if I miss a deadline?

Interest accrues on the underpayment from that date. Paying late is better than not paying — the charge is proportional to how much and how long.

Do I need to pay if I already have a job with withholding?

Only if the withholding does not cover the whole bill. Increasing withholding at the job is often simpler than making separate payments.

Is my state payment separate?

Usually yes. Most states with an income tax run their own estimated payment schedule, which this calculator estimates alongside the federal figure.

Other calculators

Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026) · Self-employment tax is 15.3% of your net profit, and it is separate from income tax. This works out both.1099 Tax Calculator (2026) · Nobody withheld anything from those payments. This works out what you owe on them.Safe Harbor Calculator (2026) · Pay at least this much and the penalty cannot apply, however your year turns out.Full 2026 quarterly tax calculator →