Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
Because no employer withholds tax from your pay, the IRS expects self-employed workers to send in estimated tax payments four times a year. Missing a payment can trigger an underpayment penalty. Enter your expected 2026 net profit to see your quarterly amounts and due dates.
Where your net profit goes
Take-home pay
$59,505
Social Security
$8,589
Medicare
$2,009
Federal income tax
$4,898
Estimated quarterly payments
Based on the IRS safe-harbor rule of paying 90% of this year's estimated tax in four equal installments.
| Period | Due date | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan 1 – Mar 31) | April 15 | $3,486 |
| Q2 (Apr 1 – May 31) | June 15 | $3,486 |
| Q3 (Jun 1 – Aug 31) | September 15 | $3,486 |
| Q4 (Sep 1 – Dec 31) | January 15 (next year) | $3,486 |
Full estimated annual tax (SE tax + federal + state income tax): $15,495
Quarterly estimated tax by state
Due dates are federal and the same nationwide, but the amount you owe depends on your state's income tax rate. Jump to your state:
Frequently asked questions
Who has to pay quarterly estimated taxes? +
Generally anyone who expects to owe $1,000 or more in tax for the year with no withholding to cover it — which describes most freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners without a W-2 job offsetting the balance.
When are the 2026 quarterly due dates? +
April 15, June 15, and September 15 of 2026, then January 15, 2027 for the fourth quarter. Dates shift slightly if they land on a weekend or holiday.
What is the safe-harbor rule? +
Paying at least 90% of this year's tax (or 100% of last year's tax — 110% if your prior-year AGI was over $150,000) through withholding and estimated payments protects you from an underpayment penalty, even if you end up owing more at filing time.
What happens if I miss a payment or pay too little? +
The IRS charges an underpayment penalty based on how much you were short and for how long, calculated separately for each quarter — paying the full balance by the April filing deadline does not erase penalties for underpaying earlier quarters.
Can I just pay everything at tax time instead? +
You can, but you'll likely owe an underpayment penalty on top of the tax itself. Spreading payments across the year at the IRS due dates avoids that extra cost.
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