Side Hustle Income Tax Calculator
Estimate the US federal tax on your side hustle, gig, or 1099 income — self-employment tax (Social Security + Medicare), the 50% SE-tax deduction, marginal income tax, effective rate, and your suggested quarterly estimated payment.
Input
Total gross income from all side hustles and gig work.
Expenses directly related to your side hustle (supplies, mileage, software, etc.).
Income from W-2 jobs or other sources (affects your tax bracket).
Output
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| No data yet | |
Disclaimer: this tool provides estimates only and is not tax advice. Calculations are based on 2025 US federal tax rates and do not include state taxes, tax credits, the QBI/Section 199A deduction, or itemized deductions. Consult a qualified tax professional for your specific situation.
Guides
Earning money on the side — freelancing, driving, reselling, consulting, or any 1099/gig work — comes with a tax bill that a regular W-2 paycheck hides from you. Because no employer is withholding anything, you're on the hook for both self-employment tax and federal income tax, and the IRS generally expects you to pay it in four installments throughout the year. This calculator estimates all of it so you know how much to set aside.
How to use it
- Pick your filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household).
- Enter your side hustle income — the total gross amount you earned from all gig and self-employment work.
- Enter your business expenses — deductible costs directly tied to the work (supplies, mileage, software, fees). These reduce your taxable net income.
- Optionally, add your other income (a W-2 job or other earnings). This doesn't get taxed here as side-hustle income, but it pushes your side income into higher marginal brackets, so it matters for an accurate estimate.
The breakdown updates instantly as you type.
What the numbers mean
- Net self-employment income — gross income minus your business expenses. This is what your taxes are actually calculated on.
- Self-employment tax — Social Security (12.4%) and Medicare (2.9%) combined, applied to 92.35% of your net earnings. High earners also pay an Additional Medicare surtax (0.9%) above a filing-status threshold. This is the tax that surprises most new freelancers.
- SE tax deduction (50%) — you get to deduct half of your self-employment tax before figuring income tax, which the calculator applies automatically.
- Estimated federal income tax — the marginal income tax your side hustle adds, computed as the tax on all your income minus the tax on your other income alone, using progressive brackets and the standard deduction.
- Total estimated tax — self-employment tax plus federal income tax.
- Effective tax rate — total tax as a percentage of your net side-hustle income.
- Quarterly payment — total tax divided by four, the amount to send the IRS each quarter (due roughly April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15).
Do I have to make quarterly payments?
If you expect to owe more than $1,000 in tax for the year, the IRS generally requires estimated quarterly payments to avoid an underpayment penalty. Owe less, and you may be able to settle up when you file — though setting the money aside quarterly is still the safest habit.
Which tax year does this use?
It uses 2025 US federal figures: the 2025 tax brackets, the $176,100 Social Security wage base, and 2025 standard deductions ($15,000 single, $30,000 married filing jointly, $15,000 married filing separately, $22,500 head of household).
Privacy
Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your income figures are never uploaded, stored, or shared.
Disclaimer
This tool provides estimates only and is not tax advice. It covers federal tax and does not include state or local taxes, tax credits, the QBI/Section 199A deduction, or itemized deductions, and it can't account for every situation. Consult a qualified tax professional before making decisions based on these numbers.