This free gig work tax calculator shows what to set aside for quarterly taxes. No taxes are withheld from your gig pay — so the IRS expects you to pay them yourself, four times a year. Here’s your number.
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When you drive for Uber, deliver for DoorDash, or freelance, nobody takes taxes out of your pay. That feels great every week — and then April arrives with a bill big enough to ruin your year. The fix is quarterly estimated taxes: you set money aside and pay the IRS four times during the year, so you’re never blindsided.
This calculator tells you how much. Enter what you expect to earn and spend, and it works out your self-employment tax, your income tax, and the amount to send in each quarter — using the current 2026 federal figures.
It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
GigWorkerTools · Quarterly tax
How much to set aside for quarterly taxes
Hate doing this by hand? Self-employed tax software tracks write-offs and files your quarterlies automatically.
See tax software →Why gig workers owe quarterly taxes
As a gig worker you’re an independent contractor, not an employee — the platform sends you a 1099, not a W-2, and withholds nothing. That leaves you responsible for two taxes an employee barely notices:
Self-employment tax — 15.3%. This covers Social Security and Medicare. An employee splits this with their employer; you pay both halves. It applies to about 92% of your net profit, and for most gig workers it’s the bigger of the two taxes.
Federal income tax. On top of self-employment tax, your profit is regular taxable income, taxed at your bracket after the standard deduction.
The IRS doesn’t want to wait until April for all of it, so it asks the self-employed to pay as they go — in four estimated payments. Skip them and you can owe an underpayment penalty on top of the tax.
How to lower the number
The single biggest lever is deductions. Every legitimate business expense lowers your net profit, which lowers both taxes above. The one most drivers under-use is mileage — see what yours is worth with the Mileage Deduction Calculator. Phone, hot bags, tolls, parking, and platform fees count too.
Two smaller but real reducers are already built into the calculator: you deduct half of your self-employment tax from your income, and most gig workers qualify for the 20% QBI deduction on their business profit. You don’t have to do anything to claim these here — they’re in the math — but they’re why your income tax comes out lower than you might expect.
When and how to pay
Estimated taxes for 2026 are due in four rounds: April 15, June 15, and September 15 of 2026, and January 15 of 2027. You can pay online in minutes through IRS Direct Pay (free, straight from your bank account) or the IRS2Go app, or by mailing Form 1040-ES. Paying is the easy part — the hard part is having the money ready, which is exactly what setting it aside each week is for.
Frequently asked questions
Q — How much should a gig worker set aside for taxes? A common rule of thumb is 25–30% of your profit, but your real number depends on your income, filing status, and deductions. This calculator gives you a personalized figure instead of a guess — for many drivers it lands somewhere in the high teens to high twenties as a percentage of gig income.
Q — What happens if I don’t pay quarterly taxes? You can be charged an underpayment penalty, which works like interest on the amount you should have paid each quarter. Even if you can’t pay the full amount, paying something each quarter reduces the penalty.
Q — What’s the “safe harbor” rule? You generally avoid the underpayment penalty if you pay at least 90% of what you owe for the current year, or 100% of last year’s total tax (110% if your income is higher). Paying last year’s amount in four equal installments is the simplest way to stay safe.
Q — Do I still owe quarterly taxes if I have a regular W-2 job too? Maybe not. If your job withholds enough to cover your gig taxes, you may be fine — or you can bump up your W-2 withholding instead of making separate payments. Enter your withholding in the calculator and it adjusts what you owe.
Q — Does self-employment tax replace income tax? No — they’re separate, and you pay both. Self-employment tax (15.3%) funds Social Security and Medicare; income tax is calculated on top of it. That’s why the total surprises people.
Q — Are these numbers exact? They’re a solid estimate using current 2026 federal figures and the standard deduction, but they don’t include state taxes or every personal detail. For anything you’re relying on, confirm with a CPA. See our Disclaimer.
Q — Does this calculator store my information? No. Every calculation happens in your browser. The numbers you enter are never sent to us or saved. See our Privacy Policy.
Related calculators
Gig Driver Take-Home Pay Calculator — what you really earn after costs
Mileage Deduction Calculator — the deduction that lowers this bill
Self-Employment Tax Calculator — a closer look at the 15.3%
Estimates for planning purposes only — not tax, legal, or financial advice.