How much should freelancers set aside for quarterly taxes in 2026
Who this page is for
This page is for freelancers, gig workers, and contractors who receive 1099 income and want the quarterly split in plain words. The annual share of profit, self-employment tax plus income tax, is a different page: how much to set aside for taxes on 1099 income in 2026. The fourth date by itself is also a different page: January 15 estimated tax payment for 1099 income. The information-return clock, Form 1099-NEC, is a third page: 1099-NEC deadline January 31. This page is the four periods and the four equal amounts.
The federal worksheet is the 2026 Form 1040-ES. That form says estimated tax is the method for income that is not subject to withholding, and it names earnings from self-employment, including gig economy work. Publication 505, chapter 2, is the longer guide to withholding and estimated tax. Nonresident aliens use Form 1040-ES (NR). A fiscal-year filer uses different dates in the same form. Farming and fishing use a different percentage. This page is the calendar-year regular method. It does not apply those other rules.
The four periods are not calendar quarters
The IRS estimated-tax FAQ says the year is divided into four payment periods, and each period has a due date. Paying less than enough by a period's due date can bring a penalty even when the return later shows a refund. If a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the same FAQ says the payment is on time on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. The 2026 Form 1040-ES prints the dates below for a calendar year. This page does not apply a holiday shift. For a fiscal-year filer, the form points the holiday list to Publication 509.
| Payment | Period in the IRS estimated-tax FAQ | Date printed in the 2026 Form 1040-ES |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | January 1 through March 31 | April 15, 2026 |
| 2nd | April 1 through May 31 | June 15, 2026 |
| 3rd | June 1 through August 31 | September 15, 2026 |
| 4th | September 1 through December 31 | January 15, 2027 |
The second range is April and May. The fourth range is September through December. The regular method still uses one-fourth of the required annual payment on each date. It does not shrink the June 15 amount because that period is shorter, and it does not enlarge the January 15 amount because that period is longer.
January 15, 2027 is a Friday. The form's footnote says that payment is not required if the 2026 return is filed by February 1, 2027, and the entire balance due is paid with the return. February 1, 2027 is a Monday. The date, the ways to pay, and the penalty language are on the January 15 page. This page stays on all four dates.
What four equal amounts divides
The amount that is split is the required annual payment, not the year's profit. The 2026 Form 1040-ES says estimated tax is generally required when both of these are true.
Higher income changes the prior-year side. If 2025 AGI was more than $150,000 ($75,000 if the 2026 filing status is married filing separately), the form says to substitute 110% for 100%. The required annual payment is the smaller amount, not the smaller percentage. Withholding counts toward it. The form's caution says that paying this required amount can still leave tax due when the return is filed. There is also an exception in the same form: estimated tax for 2026 is not required if the person was a U.S. citizen or resident alien for all of 2025 and had no tax liability for the full 12-month 2025 tax year. This page does not choose between the full 2026 estimated tax and the safe-harbor amount, and it does not apply the exception.
Someone who also has wages can increase withholding by filing a new Form W-4. The form says withholding counts toward the required amount. This page does not fill out a Form W-4.
A labeled illustration
Every dollar in this table is a made-up required annual payment or the result of dividing that payment by four. The $8,000 is not a reader's bill. The illustration does not start from profit. It does not apply 90%, 100%, or 110%. It does not subtract withholding.
| Step | Illustration only | What the figure is |
|---|---|---|
| Required annual payment | $8,000 | Made-up. Not a household. |
| One equal amount | $2,000 | $8,000 divided by 4. That is the split the 2026 Form 1040-ES allows. |
| April 15, 2026 | $2,000 | The first of the four equal amounts |
| June 15, 2026 | $2,000 | The second. The IRS period for this date is April 1 through May 31. |
| September 15, 2026 | $2,000 | The third |
| January 15, 2027 | $2,000 | The fourth. The IRS period for this date is September 1 through December 31. |
A client check is a different object. One-fourth of a deposit is not one-fourth of the required annual payment. The 2026 Form 1040-ES does not print a percentage of each 1099 payment. Profit that arrives in December still leaves the earlier dates on the regular method, because that method does not follow the months inside each period.
A percent of each payment, and the next date. Try the free calculator. TaxPace runs a 2026 estimate and shows a set-aside percent and the next safe-harbor amount. The math comes from a tax engine. A copilot explains those figures and does not invent a dollar amount. It does not file a return. It does not send a payment. The calculator does not need an account. The $2,000 line above is a made-up split. The calculator uses the numbers a person types.
Try the free calculatorSelf-employment tax, then the bracket
Self-employment tax is separate from the quarterly split. The IRS self-employment tax page says the rate is 15.3%, which is 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. The same page says self-employment tax and Schedule SE generally apply when net earnings from self-employment, excluding church employee income, were $400 or more, or when church employee income was $108.28 or more. This page does not apply that test.
The 15.3% does not land on the full net profit. The 2026 Form 1040-ES says to multiply net profit by 92.35% (0.9235) first. The Social Security part stops at the 2026 wage base of $184,500. That maximum is in the 2026 Form 1040-ES and on the SSA contribution and benefit base page, which also prints the 12.4% and 2.9% self-employment rates. The IRS self-employment page still shows a 2024 wage-base example of $168,600. This page uses $184,500 for 2026. The 2.9% Medicare part is not capped by that wage base.
Additional Medicare Tax is a further 0.9% when wages, compensation, or self-employment income are over the threshold for the filing status. The IRS self-employment page lists $250,000 for married filing jointly, $125,000 for married filing separate, and $200,000 for single, head of household, and qualifying surviving spouse. The 2026 Form 1040-ES points the details to the Instructions for Form 8959. This page does not apply the 0.9%.
Half of the self-employment tax is a deduction. It does not cut the self-employment tax itself. Worksheet line 11 multiplies that tax by 50% (0.50). The form says that amount is subtracted when figuring expected AGI. Income tax is then figured on the 2026 rate schedules in the same form. The labeled walk-through of those lines, including a made-up $40,000 of net profit, is on the annual set-aside page. This page does not rerun that example, and it does not divide it into four payments. State income tax is not in the federal form. This page does not name a state rate.
When income arrives unevenly
The regular method ignores the months inside each period. If income arrived unevenly, the 2026 Form 1040-ES points to the annualized income installment method in chapter 2 of Publication 505. It says a person who uses that method files Form 2210, including Schedule AI, with the 2026 return even if no penalty is owed. This page does not annualize income.
The same form says a penalty can apply when estimated tax is late, short, or not in the required amount, and that the penalty is imposed on each underpayment for the days it stays unpaid. The Instructions for Form 2210 say the IRS generally figures that penalty. This page does not state a rate, and it does not figure a penalty. The January 15 page states that rule in plain words.
What this page does not do
This page does not figure a quarterly payment for a household. It does not apply the $8,000 illustration to a reader. It does not name a percentage of each 1099 payment. It does not annualize income. It does not figure a penalty. It does not file a return. It does not name a state rate. Confirm the periods, the safe harbor, and any payment with the 2026 Form 1040-ES, Publication 505, and a CPA or enrolled agent.
The next date, from numbers a person types. Try the free calculator on TaxPace. It shows a set-aside percent and the next safe-harbor amount. It does not file a return. It does not send a payment. It is not the $99/year household board. The Tax Money Kit ($47) is the workbook for the year: Schedule C totals, self-employment tax, and a 2026 safe-harbor quarterly payment. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets. It does not file a return. It does not name a state rate. It is a different product from the calculator, and it is not the $99/year household board.
Try the free calculator Tax Money Kit ($47)Related reading
Common questions
Are quarterly taxes for freelancers four equal calendar quarters?
No. The IRS estimated-tax FAQ divides the year into four payment periods: January 1 through March 31, April 1 through May 31, June 1 through August 31, and September 1 through December 31. The 2026 Form 1040-ES prints the due dates April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. The regular method uses four equal amounts of the required annual payment. It does not follow the length of each period. This page does not figure a payment.
What does the $8,000 quarterly illustration show?
A made-up required annual payment of $8,000, divided by 4, is $2,000 on each of the four dates. The $8,000 is not a household's required payment. The illustration does not start from profit and does not apply the 90%, 100%, or 110% safe harbor.
Does this page name a percentage of each 1099 payment?
No. The 2026 Form 1040-ES does not print a percentage of each client payment. Four equal amounts means one-fourth of the required annual payment. The annual share of profit is on the set-aside page. Try the free calculator. It shows a set-aside percent from the numbers a person types. It does not file a return, and it does not send a payment. The Tax Money Kit ($47) is an educational workbook on the kit page. Neither one is the $99/year household board.
This page does not figure a quarterly payment for a household. It does not apply the $8,000 illustration to a reader. It does not name a percentage of each 1099 payment. Confirm the periods and the safe harbor with the 2026 Form 1040-ES, Publication 505, and a CPA or enrolled agent. Educational only. Not tax, legal, or investment advice. Not a filing service.