Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator
Self-employed or 1099? Figure what to send the IRS each quarter. The safe-harbor method uses last year’s tax for a penalty-proof number; the income method projects from what you expect to make.
How this works
The IRS expects tax to be paid as you earn it. If you’re self-employed with little or no withholding, you generally make four estimated payments a year. To avoid an underpayment penalty, you only need to hit a safe harbor: pay the lesser of 90% of this year’s tax, or 100% of last year’s tax (110% if your prior-year AGI topped $150,000). Because the safe-harbor target comes straight from your last return, it’s a number you can rely on without guessing this year’s brackets.
The income-projection mode is for planning when last year isn’t representative — you supply your own effective rate so the estimate stays grounded in your real situation.