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🇺🇸 US · Form 1040-ES · Updated June 2026

Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator 2026

No employer is withholding your taxes — so you send them to the IRS yourself, four times a year. This calculator shows exactly what to pay on each 2026 due date, your safe-harbor minimum, and the percentage to set aside from every invoice so you're never caught short.

Built & maintained by Marcus, freelancer · Figures from the IRS · Last updated June 2026
🇺🇸 US federal estimated taxes (Form 1040-ES), tax year 2026. For a full annual breakdown — brackets, deductions, and take-home — use the Self-Employed Tax Calculator. State estimated taxes are separate; check your state's revenue site.
4×
estimated payments per year
$1,000
owe more? you must pay quarterly
90%
safe harbor of this year's tax
8%
IRS underpayment penalty (2026)
$ / yr
$ / yr
$
$
Apply QBI deduction (20% of net business income)Phases out above $201,775 single / $403,550 MFJ
Deduct 50% of SE tax (IRS standard rule)Reduces AGI before income tax calculation
⭐ Pay each quarter
$—
4 equal Form 1040-ES payments
Set aside from every payment
—
— per $1,000 invoiced
Total 2026 tax
—
SE + Medicare tax
—
Federal income tax
—
State income tax
—
💡 Set-aside rule: bank — of every client payment in a separate savings account the day you're paid — that's your effective tax rate. Do it every time and all four quarterly 1040-ES payments are fully funded, with no scramble come April.
⚠️ Estimate only. Federal SE + income tax for tax year 2026 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, SS wage base $184,500). Splitting your annual tax into four equal payments is the standard method; if your income is uneven, see the annualized installment method (Form 2210, Schedule AI). State estimated taxes are not included. Always confirm with a CPA or EA before filing.

The four 2026 estimated-tax due dates — note they don't line up with calendar quarters. Your next deadline is highlighted. Amounts below are your annual tax split into four equal payments (from the Your Quarterly Payment tab).

Q1 · 2026
Due April 15, 2026
$—
Income Jan 1 – Mar 31
Q2 · 2026
Due June 15, 2026
$—
Income Apr 1 – May 31
Q3 · 2026
Due Sept 15, 2026
$—
Income Jun 1 – Aug 31
Q4 · 2026
Due Jan 15, 2027
$—
Income Sep 1 – Dec 31

Already paid some? See what's left

$
$
Remaining tax to pay in 2026
$—
Total tax − withholding − payments made
Due next
$—
—
How to pay (free): IRS Direct Pay (irs.gov/payments) · EFTPS · the IRS2Go app · or mail Form 1040-ES with a check. Schedule payments ahead of each date so you never miss one — the penalty applies per quarter, even if you're owed a refund at year-end.

You avoid the underpayment penalty if you pay the smaller of two targets: 90% of this year's tax, or 100% of last year's (110% if your prior-year AGI was over $150,000). Pay the lower one and you're penalty-proof — even if you end up owing more.

$
$
Method A · This year
90% of 2026 estimated tax
$—
— / quarter
Method B · Last year
100% of prior-year tax (110% if AGI > $150k)
$—
Enter prior-year tax
✅ Penalty-proof payment
$—
— per year
Est. penalty on current shortfall
$—
rough: shortfall × 8% (2026 rate)
Why safe harbor matters: it caps your downside. If you pay 100%/110% of last year's tax in four equal installments, the IRS won't penalize you even if a great year means you actually owe far more — you just settle the difference by April 15, 2027. The penalty (8% annualized in 2026) is charged separately on each quarter you underpay, from that quarter's due date until it's paid.

How quarterly estimated taxes work in 2026

When you're an employee, your employer withholds tax from every paycheck and sends it to the IRS for you. As a freelancer or 1099 contractor, no one does that — so the IRS asks you to estimate your own tax and pay it in four installments through the year. Skip them, and you face an underpayment penalty even if you pay everything by April.

You're required to make estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in tax for the year after any withholding. That covers almost every full-time freelancer, because self-employment tax alone (15.3%) usually pushes you past $1,000 well before income tax even enters the picture.

The four-step calculation

1. Estimate your total 2026 tax. Self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net income) plus federal income tax on what's left after the standard deduction, the QBI deduction, and half your SE tax. The Your Quarterly Payment tab does this for you.
2. Divide by four. Four equal payments is the standard method. If your income is lumpy, the IRS also allows the annualized installment method (Form 2210, Schedule AI) so you pay less in slow quarters.
3. Subtract what's already paid. Tax withheld from a W-2 job (yours or your spouse's) and any estimated payments you've already made this year reduce what's left — the What's Left tab handles this.
4. Pay by each due date. Use IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS — both free. Schedule the payments ahead so a busy month never costs you a penalty.

The set-aside habit that makes this painless

The freelancers who never stress about quarterly taxes do one thing: the day a client pays them, they move their effective tax rate — often 20%–30% of the payment — into a separate savings account they don't touch. When each due date arrives, the money is already there. The calculator shows your exact set-aside percentage so you can automate it.

2026 estimated tax payment due dates

The four federal deadlines for tax year 2026 (IRS Form 1040-ES). Note the periods are uneven — Q2 covers only two months, so it arrives faster than people expect.

QuarterIncome earnedPayment dueNotes
Q1Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026April 15, 2026Same day as the 2025 annual return
Q2Apr 1 – May 31, 2026June 15, 2026Only a two-month period
Q3Jun 1 – Aug 31, 2026September 15, 2026—
Q4Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026January 15, 2027Skip if you file your 2026 return and pay in full by Feb 1, 2027
Weekend & holiday rule: if a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, it moves to the next business day. All four 2026 dates above already reflect this.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I set aside for taxes as a self-employed freelancer?
Most US freelancers should set aside roughly 25%–35% of each payment for taxes, though the exact figure is your effective tax rate — commonly 20%–30% of net income once the QBI deduction and the 50% self-employment-tax deduction are applied. The safest habit is to move that percentage into a separate savings account the day a client pays you, then send it to the IRS each quarter. Higher earners and those in high-tax states should set aside more.
When are quarterly estimated taxes due in 2026?
For tax year 2026 the four federal estimated-tax deadlines are April 15, 2026 (Q1), June 15, 2026 (Q2), September 15, 2026 (Q3), and January 15, 2027 (Q4). The periods are uneven — Q2 covers only April and May. If a due date lands on a weekend or federal holiday it moves to the next business day. Pay using Form 1040-ES through IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS.
How do I calculate my quarterly estimated tax payment?
Estimate your total 2026 tax — self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net income) plus federal income tax on what remains after the standard deduction, the QBI deduction, and half of your SE tax — then divide by four. Subtract any tax already withheld from a W-2 job. If your income is uneven across the year, the IRS also allows the annualized installment method (Form 2210, Schedule AI), which lets you pay less in slower quarters.
What is the safe harbor rule and how do I avoid the underpayment penalty?
You avoid the underpayment penalty if you pay the smaller of two amounts: 90% of your current-year (2026) tax, or 100% of your 2025 tax — 110% if your 2025 AGI was over $150,000. Paying 100%/110% of last year's tax in four equal installments is the simplest safe harbor: you're protected even if you earn far more this year. If you'll owe less than $1,000 after withholding, you don't need to make estimated payments at all.
What's the penalty if I underpay or miss a quarterly payment?
The IRS charges interest on each quarter's shortfall from that quarter's due date until it's paid. For 2026 the rate is 8% annualized (the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points, reset quarterly). It's calculated separately for each period on Form 2210, so a missed Q2 keeps accruing even if you catch up in Q3. There's no flat late fee — it's interest on the unpaid amount, which is why paying something on time always beats paying nothing.
Do I have to pay quarterly taxes in my first year of freelancing?
You must make estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in tax for the year after withholding. In your first freelance year you often have no prior-year safe harbor to rely on, so estimate carefully and set money aside from day one. Use the Self-Employed Tax Calculator to see your full annual picture — brackets, deductions, and take-home — and the 1099 vs W-2 Calculator to compare a contract gig against an employee role on an after-tax basis.

Sources & how we calculate

This calculator splits your projected 2026 tax (self-employment tax plus federal income tax) across the four estimated-payment due dates, applies the safe-harbor rule (90% of this year, or 100/110% of last year), estimates any underpayment penalty, and converts the total into a set-aside percentage for every invoice. Everything is computed in your browser from the numbers you enter.

Official sources: Estimated Taxes · Form 1040-ES · Self-Employed Tax Center

Estimate only, not tax advice. Due dates can shift for weekends and holidays, and the penalty rate is set quarterly by the IRS. Confirm amounts with the IRS or a tax professional.

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