Virginia Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026)
Federal self-employment tax, federal income tax and Virginia state income tax on 1099 income, plus how much to set aside for each estimated payment.
Federal 2026 and Virginia 2025 data checked against the official publications, last on 2026-09-05 Runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere, not even when you reload or share the link No sign-up Methodology and data status
- Total tax
- $17,837
- Effective rate
- 24.8%
- Set aside per quarter
- $4,459
- After-tax income
- $54,163
| Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Net profit (income − expenses) | $72,000 |
| Self-employment tax | $10,173 |
| Social Security (12.4%) | $8,245 |
| Medicare (2.9%) | $1,928 |
| Federal income tax | $4,630 |
| Adjusted gross income | $66,913 |
| Standard deduction | −$16,100 |
| Qualified business income deduction (20%) | −$10,163 |
| Taxable income · marginal rate 12.0% | $40,651 |
| Virginia income tax | $3,033 |
| Total federal + state | $17,837 |
Amounts to set aside, not bills: federal $3,701 for each Form 1040-ES installment (Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15). Virginia: $758 per installment on its own schedule. For the safe-harbor amount and payments you have already made, use the quarterly calculator with these inputs. Virginia 2026 rates are not yet published; state figures use 2025 rates.
Virginia and self-employment income
Virginia taxes income under four brackets from 2% to 5.75%, with the top rate starting at just $17,000 of taxable income, so most freelancers are effectively at 5.75%. The standard deduction rose to $8,750 (single) / $17,500 (joint) for 2025, and each filer and dependent gets a $930 exemption.
Virginia rules used by this calculator (2025)
- Virginia applies 4 brackets from 2% to 5.75% for 2025.
- Standard deduction: $8,750 single, $17,500 married filing jointly, $8,750 head of household — below the federal $15,750 single / $31,500 joint for 2025.
- Each filer gets a $930 personal exemption.
- Each dependent adds a $930 deduction.
- Virginia's earned income credit is 20% of the federal credit, refundable; the calculator applies it.
- Filers within the poverty guideline ($15,650 for one person plus $5,500 each additional) may take $300 per person instead of the earned income credit; the calculator picks whichever is worth more.
- No Virginia tax is due when income is $11,950 or less ($23,900 joint) before exemptions.
- Virginia starts from federal AGI, so the deductible half of self-employment tax reduces state income as well.
What a Virginia freelancer may still owe
- Virginia requires estimated payments (Form 760ES) when you expect to owe more than $150.
- Cities and counties levy a Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax on gross receipts, usually above a $100,000 threshold.
- Applied here: the refundable Virginia earned income tax credit (20% of the federal credit for 2025 through 2029) or, when it is worth more, the $300-per-exemption credit for low-income individuals for families within the federal poverty guideline.
What Virginia costs at three levels of profit (2026 federal, 2025 Virginia rates)
A single filer with no dependents and no other income, taking the standard deduction. The state column is Virginia's own tax after its deductions, exemptions and credits.
| Net profit | Federal (2026) | Virginia (2025 rates) | Total | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $9,732 | $1,858 | $11,590 | 23.18% |
| $75,000 | $15,495 | $3,194 | $18,689 | 24.92% |
| $100,000 | $22,365 | $4,530 | $26,894 | 26.89% |
At $75,000 of profit, Virginia takes $3,194 — 17.09% of the total tax bill. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own figures.
How the federal part is worked out
Net profit is 1099 income less business expenses (Schedule C). Self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of that profit — 12.4% Social Security up to $184,500 of combined wages and earnings, 2.9% Medicare on all of it. Half of that tax, the $16,100 standard deduction ($32,200 joint) and the 20% qualified business income deduction come off before the 2026 brackets are applied; the child tax credit and the earned income credit then reduce what is left, and the refundable parts can offset self-employment tax. The methodology page sets out the full sequence and every rule the calculator leaves out, including how Virginia's figures are derived.
Quarterly estimated tax deadlines (2026)
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more of federal tax for the year, the IRS expects four estimated payments (Form 1040-ES). Virginia runs its own estimated-payment schedule with its own threshold (see above); the calculator shows the federal installment and the Virginia installment separately, and one combined amount to set aside each quarter.
The 2026 dates are April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026, January 15, 2027. The federal amount is split into four equal Form 1040-ES installments after any withholding you entered; paying 100% of last year's tax instead (110% above $150,000 of prior-year AGI) also avoids the penalty. The quarterly calculator works that out and subtracts what you have already paid, and the guide to the due dates explains the rule.
Common questions
Does Virginia tax self-employment income differently from wages?
For state income tax, net profit from self-employment is ordinary income like wages. The self-employment tax itself is federal only; Virginia does not add a state equivalent.
Is half of self-employment tax really deductible?
Yes, for federal tax. The employer-equivalent half is an adjustment to income on Schedule 1, which lowers your AGI and therefore your federal income tax. It does not reduce the self-employment tax itself.
Does an LLC change these numbers?
For federal income tax and self-employment tax, a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship follows exactly the calculation shown here. State and local obligations can still differ: an LLC may be a taxable entity for a state's franchise, gross-receipts or excise tax, and may owe registration or licence fees a sole proprietor does not — Virginia's are listed above. Electing S-corporation status changes the federal arithmetic too (salary plus distributions) and is outside this tool's scope.
What if I moved to Virginia during the year?
Income earned while you were a resident of another state is taxable there under that state's rules. This calculator assumes all income was earned as a Virginia resident.
Data sources and status
Federal figures for 2026: verified · last verified 2026-09-05 · the revenue procedures and forms they were read from, with every other data set
Virginia figures for 2025: verified · last verified 2026-09-08 · 2026 figures not yet published by the state
- Virginia Department of Taxation : 2025 Form 760 instructions
- Va. Code §58.1-320 (rates), §58.1-322.03 (standard deduction as amended by the 2025 budget), §58.1-322.03 (personal exemption $930)
- Virginia Department of Taxation : 2025 Form 760 and Schedule ADJ instructions: refundable Virginia earned income tax credit of 20% of the federal credit (line 16b; the former nonrefundable 20% option's lines 15 and 16a are 'reserved for future use'), or instead the credit for low-income individuals of $300 per exemption for family Virginia AGI within the poverty guideline (2025: $15,650 for one person plus $5,500 each additional), nonrefundable; Va. Code §58.1-339.8(B)(3)(b) (20% refundable through 2026, extended through 2029 by the 2026 Appropriation Act per Legislative Summary 26-82)
Virginia Department of Taxation · How figures are checked · Corrections log
Other states
Paying as you go? The quarterly estimated tax calculator applies the federal safe harbor and subtracts what you have already paid.