That “30% rule of thumb” comes from the fact that self-employment income is taxed at an additional 15.3% to make sure that self-employed people still pay Medicare and Social Security tax.
For 2023, the maximum amount of self-employment income subject to social security tax is $160,200. Form 1040-SS, Part V and Part VI, have been replaced. For 2023, Schedule SE (Form 1040) is available to be filed with Form 1040-SS, if applicable. For additional information, see the Instructions for Form 1040-SS.
If your net earnings are more than zero then multiply your net earnings by . 9235. This accounts for the fact that you only pay self-employment tax on 92.35% of your net earnings. (You use this percentage since employees pay half of Social Security and Medicare taxes or 7.65% of their total wage income.)
The deduction allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20 percent of their QBI, plus 20 percent of qualified real estate investment trust (REIT) dividends and qualified publicly traded partnership (PTP) income.
Generally, the amount subject to self-employment tax is 92.35% of your net earnings from self-employment. You calculate net earnings by subtracting ordinary and necessary trade or business expenses from the gross income you derived from your trade or business.
By taking a business deduction instead of an itemized deduction, you reduce your adjusted gross income (AGI) and your self-employment tax. Whenever possible, it's best to deduct an expense or a portion of an expense as a business expense rather than an itemized deduction, as this generally increases your tax savings.
You can accomplish this by seeking to maximize tax write-offs through your business. Maximizing write-offs directly reduces the income subject to self-employment tax. As a self-employed individual, the tax law allows you write-off all ordinary and necessary expenses to conduct your trade or business.
The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. The rate consists of two parts: 12.4% for social security (old-age, survivors, and disability insurance) and 2.9% for Medicare (hospital insurance).
There are different tax rate structures for the self-employment tax and the income tax. The self-employment tax consists of the 12.4% Social Security tax and the 2.9% Medicare tax, for a total tax rate of 15.3%.
Self-Employment Tax Rate for 2022 and 2023
The IRS set the self-employment tax rate at 15.3 percent. That rate is the sum of two parts: A 12.4% Social Security tax rate and a 2.9% Medicare tax rate.
Simply being self-employed subjects one to a separate 15.3% tax covering Social Security and Medicare. While W-2 employees “split” this rate with their employers, the IRS views an entrepreneur as both the employee and the employer. Thus, the higher tax rate.
File as an S corporation
LLCs have the option of filing as an S corp., the main benefit of which is it provides a mechanism for reducing self-employment taxes. Under an S corp structure, the owner of an LLC can be considered an employee and receive a salary.
Nevertheless, independent contractors are usually responsible for paying the Self-Employment Tax and income tax. With that in mind, it's best practice to save about 25–30% of your self-employed income to pay for taxes. And, remember, the more deductions you find, the less you'll have to pay.
Self-employment tax: 1099 contractors are subject to self-employment tax, which covers both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes. This totals 15.3% of your net earnings. In contrast, W-2 employees only pay the employee portion (7.65%), while their employer covers the remaining half.
I didn't know I had to pay self-employment taxes
You may be surprised when you file a return and find out that, on top of your income taxes, you'll owe another 15.3% tax. This is called self-employment tax and it covers Social Security and Medicare taxes. It can result in a large tax bill if you didn't know about it.
This could reduce your total tax bill, possibly getting you a personal tax refund if you had too many taxes taken out of your paychecks, if you overpaid on your self-employed estimated taxes or if you were eligible for refundable tax credits that brought your tax liability below what you paid.
You calculate net earnings by subtracting your business expenses from the gross income of your gig or other self-employment income. You must pay Social Security tax on most earnings and Medicare tax on all earnings. Self-employed workers are taxed at 15.3% of their net profit.
As a self-employed individual, estimated tax is the method used to pay Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes; this is because you do not have an employer withholding these taxes for you. Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals PDF, is used to figure these taxes.
For tax years 2018-2025, you can deduct car expenses only if you are self-employed as a contractor (freelancer, or gig-worker), or you are a business owner. The IRS updates federal tax laws constantly, so it's a good idea to check every year.
Generally, you can deduct only 50% of qualifying business-related meal expenses. The 50% limit applies to employees, employers, and the self-employed or their clients. Previously, between December 31, 2020, and January 1, 2023, 100% of business meal expenses for food or beverages from a restaurant could be deducted.
Use Schedule SE (Form 1040) to figure the tax due on net earnings from self-employment. The Social Security Administration uses the information from Schedule SE to figure your benefits under the social security program.
Deductible travel expenses include:
Travel by airplane, train, bus or car between your home and your business destination. Fares for taxis or other types of transportation between an airport or train station and a hotel, or from a hotel to a work location.
By placing a “0” on line 5, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period.
Income of $400 or less after deductions
Generally, self-employed individuals must pay a self-employment tax to make sure they pay their portion of FICA taxes based on their annual income. But, if your net earnings from self-employment were less than $400, you don't have to file a business tax return.