Schedule SE (Form 1040): Self-Employment Tax

Q: Can I estimate the General Business Credit?

Start with <a href="/calculator/3800.html" title="Form 3800">Form 3800</a> and then reflect the credit here.

Q: How much would a 401(k) contribution change my net?

Model it with the <a href="/calculator/401k-calculator.html" title="401k Calculator">401(k) Calculator</a> then rerun this page with your pre-tax amount.

Q: Considering an IRS Offer in Compromise?

Read through <a href="/calculator/656b.html" title="Form 656-B">Form 656-B</a> to understand eligibility and steps.

Q: What does FICA include?

FICA includes Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes withheld from employee wages.

Q: Is there a quick pay-frequency comparison?

Yes—switch frequency on this page; for employer filings see <a href="/calculator/941.html">941</a> vs <a href="/calculator/944.html">944</a>.

Last reviewed: 2025-10-28

Use the Schedule SE (Form 1040) — Self-Employment Tax (Tax Year 2026) Tax Form Calculator Schedule SE (Form 1040) — Self-Employment Tax (Tax Year 2026) as a stand alone tax form calculator to quickly calculate specific amounts for your 2026 Schedule Se state tax return. Alternatively, you can use one of our Combined Federal and State Tax Estimators to quickly calculate your salary, tax, and take-home pay.

Schedule SE (Form 1040) computes self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) on net earnings from self-employment. Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and partners generally file it when their net earnings reach the filing threshold.

Who must file: File Schedule SE if your net earnings from self-employment are at least $400 in 2026.
Key inputs: Net profit from Schedule C or F and your share of partnership SE income. Multiply by 0.9235 to determine earnings subject to SE tax.
Rates & limits (2026): Social Security 12.4% up to the wage base ($168,600); Medicare 2.9% on all subject earnings; combined 15.3%. Additional Medicare 0.9% may apply above statutory thresholds.
Deduction for AGI: One-half of the SE tax is deductible on Schedule 1 (reduces income tax, not SE tax).
Optional methods: If you have low farm or nonfarm income, the optional methods in Part II may help establish coverage or simplify computation (subject to limits).

Schedule SE (Form 1040): Self-Employment Tax
Part I — Self-Employment Tax
Name (as on Form 1040/1040-SR/1040-SS/1040-NR)
Social security number
A	Minister/member of religious order/Christian Science practitioner who filed Form 4361 and had $400+ other SE earnings
Skip lines 1a–1b if you will use the farm optional method (Part II).
1a	Net farm profit (loss) — Sch F line 34; and K-1 (1065) box 14 code A	1a
1b	CRP payments included on Sch F line 4b or K-1 (1065) box 20 code AQ (if receiving SS benefits)	1b
Skip line 2 if you will use the nonfarm optional method (Part II).
2	Net profit (loss) — Sch C line 31; and K-1 (1065) box 14 code A (other than farming)	2
3	Combine lines 1a, 1b, and 2	3
4a	If line 3 > 0, multiply by 92.35% (0.9235); otherwise, enter line 3	4a
4b	Optional methods amount (total of lines 15 and 17)	4b
4c	Combine lines 4a and 4b (if < $400, stop unless you have church employee income)	4c
5a	Church employee income (Form W-2)	5a
5b	Multiply line 5a by 92.35% (0.9235) (if < $100, enter 0)	5b
6	Add lines 4c and 5b	6
7	Max combined wages+SE subject to Social Security (2026)	7
8a	Total Social Security wages and tips (W-2 boxes 3 & 7) + RR tier 1 comp	8a
8b	Unreported tips subject to SS tax (Form 4137 line 10)	8b
8c	Wages subject to SS tax (Form 8919 line 10)	8c
8d	Add lines 8a, 8b, and 8c	8d
9	Subtract line 8d from line 7 (if ≤ 0, enter 0 and go to line 11)	9
10	Social Security portion: smaller of line 6 or 9 × 12.4% (0.124)	10
11	Medicare portion: line 6 × 2.9% (0.029)	11
12	Self-employment tax (add lines 10 and 11)	12
13	Deduction for one-half of SE tax (line 12 × 50%)	13
Part II — Optional Methods to Figure Net Earnings
Farm Optional Method — allowed if gross farm income ≤ $10,380 or net farm profits < $7,493.
14	Maximum income for optional methods	14
15	Smaller of 2/3 of gross farm income (≥ 0) or line 14; also include in line 4b	15
Nonfarm Optional Method — allowed if net nonfarm profits < $7,493 and < 72.189% of gross nonfarm income, and SE earnings ≥ $400 in 2 of prior 3 years (max 5 uses).
16	Subtract line 15 from line 14	16
17	Smaller of 2/3 of gross nonfarm income (≥ 0) or line 16; also include in line 4b	17

Computation flow: Start with net profit, apply the 0.9235 factor, cap Social Security wages at $168,600 across all employment (combine W-2 wages and SE earnings), apply 12.4% to the capped SS base and 2.9% to all subject earnings, then add any Additional Medicare tax if applicable.

Coordination with wages: If you also have W-2 wages, subtract those from the $168,600 cap before applying the SS portion to your SE earnings to avoid overpayment.

Optional methods detail: Part II allows a farm or nonfarm optional method when profits are small or irregular. Review eligibility limits before electing; elections can affect benefits and estimated tax.

Common pitfalls: Missing the $400 threshold and not filing; failing to cap the SS portion at the wage base; omitting the one-half SE tax deduction on Schedule 1; misapplying Additional Medicare thresholds.

Last reviewed: 2025-10-28: If you believe this form requires an update, please contact us.

Tips for Efficient Filing

Reconcile Schedule C/F and partnership K-1 figures before starting Schedule SE. Keep a year-to-date tracker of W-2 Social Security wages to apply the cap correctly.

Best Practices & IRS Compliance Strategy

Make timely quarterly estimated payments if SE income is significant. Retain workpapers showing the 0.9235 computation, wage-base cap application, and the one-half deduction posted to Schedule 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I estimate the General Business Credit?

Start with Form 3800 and then reflect the credit here.

How much would a 401(k) contribution change my net?

Model it with the 401(k) Calculator then rerun this page with your pre-tax amount.

Considering an IRS Offer in Compromise?

Read through Form 656-B to understand eligibility and steps.

What does FICA include?

FICA includes Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes withheld from employee wages.

Is there a quick pay-frequency comparison?

Yes—switch frequency on this page; for employer filings see 941 vs 944.

Important Notes

All calculations are estimates for guidance only. Always review your return and consider professional advice when submitting official filings.