Wisconsin Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026)
Federal self-employment tax, federal income tax and Wisconsin state income tax on 1099 income, plus the quarterly estimated payment to set aside.
- Total tax
- $17,267
- Effective rate
- 24.0%
- Per quarter
- $4,317
- After-tax income
- $54,733
| 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 |
| Wisconsin income tax | $2,463 |
| Total federal + state | $17,267 |
Estimated payments of $4,317 are due Apr 15, 2026, Jun 15, 2026, Sep 15, 2026, Jan 15, 2027.
How the 2026 numbers are calculated
- Net profit is your 1099 income minus deductible business expenses (Schedule C).
- Self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of net profit: 12.4% Social Security on the first $184,500 of combined wages and net earnings, plus 2.9% Medicare on all of it. An extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies above $200,000 ($250,000 married filing jointly).
- Adjusted gross income is net profit plus any W-2 wages, minus half of the self-employment tax.
- The standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household) and the 20% qualified business income deduction reduce taxable income. The QBI deduction starts phasing out above $201,750 of taxable income ($403,500 joint).
- Federal income tax is applied to what is left using the 2026 brackets for your filing status.
- The child tax credit ($2,200 per child under 17, $500 per other dependent) reduces income tax; up to $1,700 per child is refundable and can offset self-employment tax.
- The earned income credit for filers with children — up to $4,427 with one child, $7,316 with two, $8,231 with three or more — is fully refundable and phases out above $23,890 of income ($31,160 joint).
- Wisconsin income tax: calculated under the state's own rules, described below.
Wisconsin and self-employment income
Wisconsin has four brackets — 3.5%, 4.4%, 5.3% and 7.65% — and the 2025 budget widened the 4.4% band so that it now reaches $50,480 (single) / $67,300 (joint) in 2025 and slightly more in 2026. The standard deduction is a sliding scale: $13,560 single / $25,110 joint at low incomes, shrinking by 12% (single) or about 20% (joint) of every dollar over roughly $19,550 / $28,210 until it disappears around $132,000 / $155,000. Each filer and dependent adds a $700 exemption. Wisconsin starts from federal AGI, so the deduction for half of self-employment tax carries over; the QBI deduction does not.
Wisconsin rules used by this calculator (2026)
- Wisconsin applies 4 brackets from 3.5% to 7.65% for 2026.
- Each filer gets a $700 personal exemption.
- Each dependent adds a $700 deduction.
- Standard deduction: $13,960 single ($25,840 joint), shrinking once income passes $20,120 ($29,040 joint) and gone at about $136,453 ($159,690 joint).
- Wisconsin's earned income credit is 4% to 34% of the federal credit depending on the number of children, refundable; the calculator applies it.
- Wisconsin starts from federal AGI, so the deductible half of self-employment tax reduces state income as well.
- Wisconsin has no city or county income taxes.
What a Wisconsin freelancer may still owe
- Wisconsin requires estimated payments (Form 1-ES) when you expect to owe $500 or more.
- There is no city or county income tax. Not included here: the school property tax / rent credit (up to $300) and the married couple credit for two-earner couples.
- Applied here: Wisconsin's refundable earned income credit for full-year residents — 4%, 11% or 34% of the federal credit for one, two, or three or more children (nothing for childless filers or married filing separately).
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). Wisconsin runs its own estimated-payment schedule with its own threshold (see above); the calculator's per-quarter figure combines federal and state so you can set aside one amount.
- Federal payment 1: April 15, 2026
- Federal payment 2: June 15, 2026
- Federal payment 3: September 15, 2026
- Federal payment 4: January 15, 2027
The calculator splits your total into four equal payments. To avoid an underpayment penalty you can instead pay 100% of last year's total tax (110% if your prior-year AGI was over $150,000) spread across the four dates.
Common questions
Does Wisconsin 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; Wisconsin 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?
A single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship pays exactly what this calculator shows. Electing S-corporation status changes the math (salary plus distributions) and is outside this tool's scope.
What if I moved to Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin resident.
Data sources and status
Federal figures for 2026: verified · last verified 2026-09-05
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments, incorporating OBBBA changes)
- SSA 2026 COLA fact sheet — Social Security wage base
- 26 U.S.C. §199A as amended by Public Law 119-21 — QBI phase-in range widened to $75,000 / $150,000
- 26 U.S.C. §24 as amended by Public Law 119-21 — CTC $2,200, indexed from 2026
- IRS Form 1040-ES (2026) — estimated tax due dates
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §4.06 — earned income credit amounts and §32(i) investment income limit
- IRC §6654(d)(1)(B)–(C), (e)(1) and (f) (required annual payment: lesser of 90% of the current year's tax or 100% of the prior year's, 110% when prior-year AGI exceeds $150,000 / $75,000 MFS; no penalty when the tax less withholding is under $1,000; 'tax' = income tax + SE tax less credits other than withholding), read at law.cornell.edu; Form 1040-ES instructions, 'Who Must Pay Estimated Tax' and the Estimated Tax Worksheet
Wisconsin figures for 2026: verified · last verified 2026-09-08
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue — 2026 Form 1-ES instructions (D-101A R. 1-26, Wayback capture): 2026 rate schedules (brackets $15,110 / $51,950 / $332,720 single and head of household; $20,150 / $69,260 / $443,630 joint; $10,080 / $34,630 / $221,820 separate) with the printed bases (e.g. $528.85 + 4.4% over $15,110; $2,149.81 + 5.3% over $51,950; $2,866.09 + 5.3% over $69,260 joint), and the 2026 standard deduction schedules ($13,960 / $18,030 / $25,840 / $12,280; phase-outs from $20,120 / $20,120 / $29,040 / $13,780)
- 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 §230 — s. 71.06(2e)(bm): brackets indexed from 2026 on an August-2024 CPI-U base; 2025 Form 1 instructions for the unchanged mechanics ($700 exemptions, formula shapes)
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue — 2025 Form 1 instructions, line 30 (earned income credit: 4% / 11% / 34% of the federal credit for one / two / three or more qualifying children, none for childless filers, refundable, full-year residents, not married filing separately; computed directly on the form — there is no separate schedule); Wis. Stat. §71.07(9e)