Freelance calculators and 2026 tax numbers, with the math shown.
Set a rate that covers your costs and tax, price a project, send the invoice, and look up the 2026 self-employment tax figures, deadlines and thresholds in one place. Every number links to its official source.
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2026 numbers freelancers look up most
All tax guides →| What | 2026 figure | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employment tax rate | 15.3% | 12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare, applied to 92.35% of net profit |
| Social Security wage base, 2026 | $184,500 | Up from $176,100 in 2025; the 12.4% part stops here. SSA has set $192,300 for 2027 |
| Self-employment tax floor | $400 | Of net earnings after the 92.35% step, which is about $434 of profit |
| Next estimated tax payment | Jan 15, 2027 | Fourth 2026 installment, covering income from Sep 1 to Dec 31 |
| Form 1099-NEC threshold | $2,000 | For payments made in 2026, up from $600; forms are due Feb 1, 2027 |
| Form 1099-K from payment apps | Over $20,000 | And more than 200 transactions in the year |
| IRS business mileage rate, 2026 | 72.5¢ / 76¢ | 72.5¢ from Jan 1 to Jun 30, 76¢ from Jul 1 to Dec 31 |
| Home office, simplified method | $5 per sq ft | Up to 300 sq ft, so at most $1,500 a year |
| QBI deduction threshold, 2026 | $201,750 | $403,500 on a joint return; new $400 minimum deduction |
| States with no broad income tax | 9 | Top rates in the other states and DC run from 2.5% to 13.3% |
Federal figures from the IRS and Social Security Administration; state rates from the Tax Foundation's 2026 table, updated for cuts passed later in 2026. General information, not tax advice.
Calculators
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Hourly Rate Calculator
Find the hourly rate you need to charge from your take-home goal, costs, tax and billable hours, then check what you actually earn per hour worked.
Open the calculator ↗ PRICINGWord Counter & Writing Quote
Count words, characters and reading time, strip pasted formatting, then price the piece per word and see what it pays per hour. Text never leaves your browser.
Open the calculator ↗ INVOICINGInvoice Generator
Create a professional invoice and download it as a PDF to send to your client. Free, no sign-up, no watermark, and your draft never leaves your device.
Open the calculator ↗ INVOICINGInvoice Number Generator
Build a consistent invoice-number format, then track each client's sequence in your browser — with automatic gap and duplicate detection and a CSV export.
Open the calculator ↗ PRICINGMargin & Markup Calculator
Find profit margin and markup from a cost and price, or set a price from a target margin, with a table of common markups (30%, 40%, 50%) and margins.
Open the calculator ↗ PRICINGSubcontractor Markup Calculator
Work out what to bill a client when you subcontract part of a job. Add each sub's cost and your own hours, set a target markup or margin, and compare scenarios.
Open the calculator ↗ TAXSelf-Employment Tax Calculator
Estimate U.S. self-employment tax on 1099 or freelance profit for 2025, 2026 or 2027: Social Security, Medicare, the deductible half and your quarterly share.
Open the calculator ↗ PLANNINGBreak-Even Calculator
Find the number of sales, projects or billable hours you need to cover your costs - plus the volume to hit a target profit. Free break-even calculator.
Open the calculator ↗Quoting a tight deadline? The rush fee calculator compares a normal booking with a rush quote after displaced work.
What employee pay implies for freelance rates
All 25 occupations →A freelancer who wants to match an employee's pay has to cover the employer's benefit costs too, and bill fewer hours. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 median wages, wages at 70.0% of private-industry compensation, and 1,200 billable hours a year, the multiplier comes to 2.48 × the median hourly wage.
These figures are a floor for replacing median employee pay, before business costs and profit, not a survey of what freelancers charge. Run your own version in the hourly rate calculator.
| Occupation | BLS median hourly | Employee-equivalent rate |
|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $65.38 | $162 |
| Web developers | $44.54 | $110 |
| Accountants and auditors | $40.23 | $100 |
| Writers and authors | $36.98 | $92 |
| Graphic designers | $30.27 | $75 |
| Bookkeeping clerks | $24.36 | $60 |
Guides by topic
All 34 guides →U.S. tax numbers and deadlines
Self-employment tax, estimated payments, 1099 forms, mileage, home office and QBI rules, with the 2026 figures from the IRS and state revenue departments.
- 2026 Self-Employment Tax Rates, Wage Base and Thresholds
- Self-Employment Tax, Explained (Without the Jargon)
- 1099-NEC and 1099-K Thresholds for 2026: What Changed
- Freelancer Tax Deadlines for Late 2026 and 2027
- Home Office Deduction for Freelancers: Simplified vs Regular Method
- IRS Standard Mileage Rates by Year (2015–2026)
Pricing, rates and margins
Work out an hourly or project rate from your costs and billable time, add rush and subcontractor fees, and check what a price leaves after costs.
- Hourly vs. Project-Based Pricing: Which Should You Use?
- How Many Hours Can a Freelancer Bill? What the Hours Data Shows
- How Much to Raise Freelance Rates: Inflation and Wage Data Since 2019
- Per-Word, Per-Hour, Per-Project: Converting Freelance Writing Rates
- What Employee Pay Implies for Freelance Rates: 25 Occupations
- Freelance Day Rate: How to Convert From Hourly (Without Underpricing)
Invoices and getting paid
What an invoice needs and how to number it, state and city laws on written contracts and 30-day payment, deposits, and following up on late payments.
Running a one-person business
Paying yourself, smoothing irregular income, separating accounts and keeping books you can file from.
Official sources, dated pages, tested math.
Tax figures come from the IRS, the Social Security Administration and state revenue departments, and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each reference page lists its sources and the date it was last updated.
Every calculator explains its formula, inputs and rounding, and its arithmetic is covered by automated tests that run before the site is published.
How we research, cite and correct →