Rough buffers for SE-style tax, income tax set-aside, expenses, and retirement —
then annual take-home, quarterly reserve, monthly net, and effective hourly.
Educational only — not tax, legal, or CPA advice.
Estimate = net profit × SE rate (default 15.3%). Not filing advice.
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Enter profit and rate.
Safe-to-spend after set-aside
Safe = income × (1 − set-aside %).
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Enter income and %.
Monthly tax withhold
Withhold/mo = annual tax estimate ÷ 12.
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Enter annual tax estimate.
Buffers, not a tax engine
Real self-employment and income tax depend on country, filing status, deductions, and credits.
SELab only multiplies editable percentages so freelancers can plan cash reserves.
Your CPA or tax software is the source of truth.
Nine tools on this page
Annual take-home — profit after expenses, SE buffer, income buffer, retirement.
Quarterly set-aside — tax buffers only, divided by 4.
Monthly net — annual take-home ÷ 12.
Effective hourly — take-home ÷ billable hours.
Effective rate — combined SE/income/retirement buffers vs take-home %.
Net hourly — billable hourly × take-home % (+ weekly).
Edit SE % and income % to match advice you already trust — defaults are demos.
Expenses lower taxable profit in this simplified model before % buffers apply.
Retirement set-aside is optional planning, not a deduction engine.
No tax APIs, no filing, no multi-country legal rules.
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FAQ
Is this official tax software?
No. Editable educational buffers only. Not IRS, HMRC, or multi-country tax advice.
How is take-home calculated?
Profit = gross − expenses. SE buffer and income buffer apply to profit (simplified stack). Retirement % optional. Remaining ≈ take-home in this model.
Should I use 15.3% SE tax?
That is a common US illustration only. Change it. Rules and deductions differ by place and year.
Is my data private?
Yes. All math runs in your browser.
Is this a substitute for quarterly IRS estimates?
No. It helps you ballpark a set-aside using editable buffers. Official estimates depend on your full situation and forms.
What is a reasonable SE tax buffer?
Many freelancers start around a combined self-employment style buffer and adjust. Edit the percent to match your accountant guidance.
Should I set money aside every month or only quarterly?
Many people skim a percent every payment into a tax account, then pay quarterly estimates from that balance so the bill is not a surprise.
Does this include state tax and income tax?
Only through the buffers you enter. There is no full federal/state engine. Raise the set-aside percent if your combined rate is higher.
What happens if I skip quarterly estimates?
You can owe underpayment penalties and a painful year-end bill. A simple monthly skim into a tax account reduces that risk — confirm rules for your situation.
Can I use this alongside a freelance rate calculator?
Yes. Build a pre-tax rate first, then check whether your set-aside still leaves the lifestyle net you need. Raise rates if the buffer eats too much.