Author name: Freelancer Tax HQ Editorial Team

Every tax deadline freelancers and the self-employed need for 2026 and 2027: quarterly estimated taxes, 1099s, tax day, extensions and retirement contributions.

Free 2026 self-employment tax calculator: enter your profit and see your SE tax, federal income tax, quarterly estimated payment and how much to set aside.

Owe the IRS more than you can pay? Compare short-term and long-term payment plans, 2026 setup fees, how interest and penalties add up, and how to apply online in minutes.

Didn’t pay enough estimated tax? See how the IRS underpayment penalty is calculated at 7% in 2026, a real example, how to avoid it next year and when it can be waived.

The QBI deduction can cut up to 20% off your business income for tax purposes. See the 2026 income limits, what changed under the One Big Beautiful Bill, and worked examples.

Schedule SE turns your Schedule C profit into self-employment tax. See who files it, what each line means with a worked example, and how W-2 wages change the result.

A plain-English, line-by-line guide to Schedule C for freelancers and sole proprietors: what goes on each line, a worked example and the mistakes that trigger IRS letters.

Pay 90% of this year’s tax or 100% (110%) of last year’s and the IRS can’t charge an underpayment penalty. How the safe harbor rule works, with examples for freelancers.