Quarterly Tax Calculator

Being self-employed comes with a number of challenges — including estimated taxes. Luckily, our quarterly tax calculator takes the guesswork out of a complicated task. 

How does this quarterly tax calculator work? 

Starting with a few simple inputs, this calculator provides a ballpark estimate for your quarterly tax bill. Let’s look over the key inputs to better understand exactly what goes into the results. 

What should you enter into the calculator?

Here are the input fields you'll fill in:

Where you live

This helps the calculator figure out which state tax rates it needs to determine your state tax bill. Be sure to use the state that you’ll be paying taxes to.

For example, if you worked in California all year, but are in the process of moving to Arizona, your state input would be “California.” 

That’s because your income up until now was sourced in California. 

Income

Employment income (W2) refers to any income earned from a traditional job, in which your employer gives you a W2 form at the end of the year.

Freelance / business / 1099 income refers to any type of 1099 work. This could mean working as a:

• Freelancer
• Independent contractor
• Gig worker
• Small business owner

If you receive a Form 1099 instead of a W-2 — or don't get any form at all — you count as a 1099 worker.

Tax filing status

If you’ve filed taxes before, you’re probably familiar with these statuses. The options are: 

• ‍Single
• Married filing jointly
• ‍Head of household

If you're married and filing separately, use "single." If you got divorced during the year you're filing for, "single" is also the most common option.

Your filing status affects your tax brackets and standard deduction amount. Choosing the right one is crucial to getting an accurate tax estimate.

What the calculator does automatically

Once you put in your info, the calculator will estimate your quarterly tax bill with a little bit of automatic tax magic. Here’s what it’s doing in the background:

✓ Calculating your standard deduction
‍

The standard deduction shields a portion of your earnings from income tax. Pro tip: You can take this tax break and still write off your business expenses on top.

The amount of your standard deduction depends on your filing status. For your 2023 taxes, those figures are: 

• ‍Single: $14,600
• Married filing jointly: $29,200
• ‍Heads of household: $21,900

The standard deduction is supposed to represent the amount of money it takes to maintain a basic standard of living.

✓ Accounting for your QBI deduction

The qualified business income deduction gives anyone with self-employment income a bonus write-off. It lets you deduct up to 20% of your income after subtracting business write-offs.

Here’s how it works: if you have $20,000 in 1099 income and $10,000 in business expenses, your net income is $10,000. And your QBI deduction would be $2,000 ($10,000 x 0.20). 

Unlike the standard deduction, there are limitations for the QBI deduction. (Our calculator accounts for these, but it’s not able to handle all scenarios.)

Generally speaking, most 1099 workers will receive 20% if they have leftover business income after subtracting their write-offs.

What the calculator doesn’t do:

Include your business deductions:

Business deductions lower your taxable income and therefore lower your overall tax bill. For example, if you drive for Uber, that might include part of:

• ⛽ Gas fill-ups
• 🛠️ Car maintenance and car washes‍
• 📉 Vehicle depreciation‍
• 🛡️ Rideshare insurance
• 📱 Your phone bill‍
• 🎶 The Spotify account you use to play music for passengers

Not sure what your business deductions are? Download the Keeper app and find out!

Include State Tax Thresholds:

• The calculator only shows a state bill if you'll owe a federal tax bill, meaning your total federal obligation is greater than $1,000. Check with your state's tax authority to see at what threshold you actually need to make estimated state tax payments.

Include Some Tax Credits:

Most tax credits are based on your particular circumstances. For example, maybe you:

• Had a baby

We would have to ask a lot more questions to accurately forecast your tax credits. To make this calculator quick and easy to use, we’ve chosen not to include them in our results.

How to check which tax credits you qualify for

‍
If you’re not sure whether these credits apply to you, you can check by looking at your tax return from last year. The second page of your ‍ will list the credits you received for the year:

To find more information about the amounts listed on line 31, look at your Schedule 3, which should be included with your tax return.

If you were eligible for a tax credit last year, you’ll often be eligible again this year (although that’s not always the case).

What happens if you’re eligible for tax credits

Being eligible for tax credits could mean that, if you make the estimated payments recommended by the calculator, you’ll end up overpaying in taxes. 

If that happens, you’ll get the extra money back in a refund.

Why should you make quarterly tax payments?

There are a few reasons why making quarterly tax payments is a good idea. Of course, not everyone is required to. You can skip the process altogether if you:

• Expect to owe less than $1,000 
• Didn’t owe any tax last year
• Increased your W-2 withholding to cover your 1099 taxes

For everyone else, let’s look at why this process is a good idea: 

Penalty avoidance

This is the main reason to stay on top of your tax payments. If you don’t pay in throughout the year, you’ll likely get hit with an underpayment penalty. That's 0.05% of your tax due for every month it stays unpaid.

While that might not seem like much, it can add up quickly. The best way to save your hard-earned dollars is to pay your taxes once a quarter when they’re due. 

If you're concerned about making those payments during your slow season, you even have the option of using the annualized income installment method. This allows you to make smaller quarterly payments when you're earning less, making up for it when business is booming.

Peace of mind

While paying taxes is never fun, it comes with a greater sense of control heading into tax season. You don’t have to be concerned about a surprise bill because you’ve been managing your payments throughout the year.

For 1099 workers who already have a lot of stress on their plates, this approach can make a huge difference. 

Improved financial focus 

An important step to doing quarterly taxes is finding your “net income.” This forces you to review your business's financial health beyond just your bank balance.

To pay quarterly, you’ll have to know: 

• How much money you’ve earned so far
• How much money you expect to earn for the whole year
• Your work expenses so far
• A good forecast for what your work expenses will be for the current year

Knowing all this forces you to engage with the financial side of your business. Having a quarterly reason to study your income and expenses sharpens your financial focus and improves your managerial skills.

Pro tip: To save time sorting your expenses, consider downloading the Keeper app! We can automatically scan your bank and credit card transactions and find all your eligible write-offs for you.

When should you make quarterly tax payments?

The IRS sets deadlines for estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis. The dates don’t align with regular calendar quarters, though. The IRS keeps its calendar of tax deadlines updated.

7 ways to make your quarterly tax payments

Now that you know how much to pay and why, let’s look at how to make the rubber meet the road. There are six ways to make estimated tax payments on your 1099 income: 

Option #1: Direct Pay

Best if: You want to avoid making an account

If you want to make your federal payments yourself, IRS Direct Pay is a lightweight option. It doesn’t require you to set up an account or register in any way. You can simply:

1. Input your tax details
2. Make a payment

This is easiest to do with direct deposit, but the IRS can also work with third-party merchants to handle credit card payments. 

Option #2: An EFTPS account

Best if: You might want to see your tax transcripts someday

You’ll need to set up an account to use this payment method, but I recommend all taxpayers do that at some point anyway. It’s the only way to easily view your tax records and transcripts — useful if you ever fall behind on your taxes and need to file them a few years late. It also lets you conveniently make tax payments. 

To enroll, visit the IRS’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). Once registered, you’ll be able to view all your tax return filings and can seamlessly make estimated payments

Option #3: Mobile app

Best if: You want a free app (and don't mind glitches)

Believe it or not, the IRS recently released a mobile app for taxpayers called IRS2Go, which is available for both Android and iPhone.

This is a good direction for the IRS, but be prepared for some glitching and long wait times with customer support. The app is far from a walk in the park, but hopefully the functionality will improve over time. 

Option #4: Phone payments

Best if: You don't want to deal with screens at all

You can also pay your estimated quarterly taxes by making a phone call.

If you’ve created an EFTPS account, you can call the IRS directly at:

• 1-800-555-4477 (English)
• 1-800-244-4829 (Español)
• 1-800-733-4829 (Deaf or hard of hearing) 

Don't have an EFTPS? You can still pay over the phone. But instead of calling the IRS directly, you’ll actually call one of the third-party providers listed below.

They'll allow you to pay using credit, debit, or — in a few cases — an app. Again, you'll have to pay a convenience fee.

Which third-party provider is best?

Each option comes with pros and cons:

• payUSAtax has the lowest fees
• Pay1040 (formerly known as Link2Gov) offers the most payment methods including PayPal
• ACI Payments is the only option to accept Venmo

Option #5: Physical check

Best if: You want to do this the old-fashioned way

Many people still prefer physical checks, and those are accepted as well. However, due to security concerns around paper mail, the IRS strongly encourages people to make electronic payments whenever possible.

If you plan to use a check, be sure to follow the steps below: 

• Fill out your 1040-ES (pages 9-11) 
• Make your check payable to the “United States Treasury”
• Write your Social Security number or ITIN on the check
• Write “2024 1040-ES” on your check (or whatever tax year the check is for) 
• Mail both the check and the 1040-ES together without stapling them 

Pro tip: Make sure your payment amount is written correctly on the check. The IRS doesn’t want you to use dashes or lines:

• ✓ Correct format: $1,000.00 
• ✘ Incorrect format: $1,000– 
• ✘ Incorrect format: $1,000 ^0/100 

Where you mail the check depends on your location. Refer to page 5 of the IRS instructions to find the correct address.

Option #6: Increasing your W-2 withholding

Best if: You're a side hustler who doesn't mind doing extra paperwork

Last but not least, if you work a W-2 job in addition to your freelance work, ask your employer to increase your withholding by giving them an updated Form W-4. This saves you from having to submit payments yourself.

For example, if the results from this calculator tell you to pay $1,200 quarterly, have your employer increase your withholding by $200 on your biweekly payroll. This amounts to $400 a month, or $1,200 a quarter — all without you having to do anything. 

And with that, you’re off to the races! Be sure to visit Keeper’s Free Resources page for more tips and free tools, or download our app so that we’re never further than a click away.

Tax terms glossary

1099

A 1099 form is a type of form used to report payments that aren’t from a W-2 employer. There are many different types of 1099 form, including, but but limited to:

• 1099-NEC
• 1099-K
• 1099-MISC
• 1099-B

1099-K

A 1099-K form is used to report payments received through third-party network transactions, such as those made by credit card or via online payment services like PayPal and Venmo. 

For the 2024 tax year, individuals who received $5,000 or more on one of these platforms will receive a 1099-K. In future years, the IRS plans to implement a threshold of $600 across any number of transactions — the $5,000 figure is intended as a “phase-in.”

1099-NEC

A 1099-NEC form is a type of 1099 form that reports “nonemployee compensation” to the IRS. If you’re an independent contractor for a client during the year and make over $600 across any number of payments, you should receive a 1099-NEC from that client.

1099-B

A 1099-B form reports proceeds from broker and barter exchange transactions to the IRS. This includes the sale of stocks, bonds, and other securities. You might be familiar with this form if you trade on Robinhood, for example.

Audit

In the tax world, an audit is an IRS review of someone’s financial records to make sure their tax return is accurate. An audit can be random or it can be triggered by a red flag on the return you file. Don’t worry too much, though: Less than 1% of all U.S. tax returns get audited by the IRS. 

FICA

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, and is a tax all working Americans pay. It’s actually comprised of two taxes — Social Security and Medicare — and all earned income is subject to it. 

W-2 employees have FICA automatically deducted from their paycheck, but self-employed workers must pay it themselves. And while W-2 employers and their employees split the tax (7.65% and 7.65%), self-employed people are on the hook for the whole 15.3%.

Income tax

Income tax is a tax imposed on individuals and businesses based on their earnings or income. It is typically progressive, meaning the rate increases as the amount of taxable income increases.

Independent contractor

An independent contractor is a self-employed worker who does gigs for clients, but is not their employee. Independent contractors report their income using Form Schedule C.

IRS

The IRS is the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. government agency that collects federal taxes, conducts audits, and enforces tax law.

“Ordinary and necessary”

Business expenses that the IRS considers “ordinary and necessary” are both common for your industry and helpful for your business’s function. If you’re a 1099 worker, you’ll be able to write these business expenses off on your taxes.

Quarterly taxes

Quarterly taxes are estimated tax payments that many self-employed individuals must make at regular intervals throughout the year. Quarterly tax payments are due on:

• April 15
• June 15
• September 15
• January 15 of the next year

Schedule C

Schedule C is a form used to report self-employment income on a personal tax return.

Schedule SE

Schedule SE is a form used to calculate the tax due on self-employment income.

Self-employment tax

Self-employment tax covers your Medicare and Social Security tax obligations as a self-employed worker.

Side hustle

A side hustle is 1099 work done in addition to a W-2 job. For example, if you work a 9-5 job as a marketing coordinator but run an Etsy shop in your spare time, that Etsy shop is a side hustle. (Sorry, you’ll still have to pay taxes on both sources of income.)

Sole proprietor

A sole proprietor is an individual who runs a business solo, without any formal legal structure. This person is also personally responsible for all business debts and liabilities.

Tax deduction

A tax deduction (also called a tax write-off) is an expense you can subtract from your taxable income. A lower taxable income means a smaller tax bill! Examples of tax deductions include:

• Eligible business expenses
• Student loan interest
• Charitable donations

Tax credit

Like a tax deduction, a tax credit is a tax incentive. However, a tax credit directly lowers the amount of tax you owe instead of lowering your taxable income.

Tax rate

A tax rate is the percentage at which an individual or business’s income is taxed. Depending on the system, it can be progressive, regressive, or proportional:

• Progressive tax rate: Tax rate increases with income
• Regressive tax rate: Everyone pays the same dollar amount, regardless of income
• Proportional tax rate: Everyone is assessed the same tax rate, regardless of income

Tax write-off

A tax write-off is another name for a tax deduction.

W-2

The W-2 form is issued by employers to employees and details wages earned and taxes withheld during the year. Employees use this form to file their annual tax returns.

W-4

The W-4 is a form filled out by an employee at the beginning of a job to let the employer know how much tax should be withheld from each paycheck.