Estimated Tax Calculator
This estimated tax calculator turns your expected 2026 income into a payment plan: enter expected income, filing status, last year's tax and what you have already paid to see the required annual payment and each installment.
Estimate your 2026 quarterly payments
How estimated tax payments are figured for 2026
Estimated tax is the pay-as-you-go side of the US system. It covers income that no employer withholds from: freelance and business profit, interest, dividends, capital gains, rent and royalties, plus taxes such as self-employment tax. The year is divided into four payment periods, and each installment is meant to cover the tax earned during that slice of the year.
Two tests decide whether you have paid enough. The first is 90% of the tax shown on your 2026 return; the second is 100% of the total tax on your prior-year return. Paying at least the smaller of the two generally keeps the underpayment penalty away, which is what makes an estimated tax payment schedule easier to build from whichever figure is lower — a falling income can be covered by last year's number, while a rising one leans on this year's projection. If you expect to owe under $1,000 after withholding and credits, you usually do not have to make estimated payments at all.
Quarterly installments at different income levels (2026)
| Expected income | Tax on that income | Required annual payment (90%) | Each installment |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,518 | $1,130 |
| $90,000 | $10,970 | $9,873 | $2,468 |
| $120,000 | $17,570 | $15,813 | $3,953 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $22,261 | $5,565 |
Assumes a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction, no credits, nothing paid yet and four equal installments, so the required annual payment is the 90% test. When your prior-year tax is lower than that figure, the required payment drops to last year's number and each installment falls with it. Self-employment tax belongs in these amounts too, because estimated tax is designed to cover it.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the income you expect for 2026. Use your best estimate of total income before deductions, including salary, self-employment profit, interest, dividends and rent. The closer this lands to the figure on your return, the closer the installments will be.
- Choose the filing status you will use. Enter 1 for Single, 2 for Married filing jointly or 3 for Head of household, so the 2026 standard deduction and rates match the return you will file.
- Add the total tax from your prior-year return. That single figure becomes the prior-year safe harbor. Leave it at 0 if you would rather plan on this year's numbers alone, which is common when income is expected to rise.
- Enter what has already been withheld or paid. Include paycheck and pension withholding plus every estimated payment you have sent so far, then set how many installments remain — three after April, two after June, one after September.
- Read the quarterly tax payment calculator result. The breakdown shows the projected tax, the safe-harbor target the calculator chose, the required annual payment and the amount due for each remaining installment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I have to pay each quarter in 2026?
Start from the required annual payment — the lower of 90% of this year's expected tax or 100% of the tax on your prior-year return — then subtract what has already been withheld or paid and split the rest across your remaining installments. Paying more than that is allowed and simply moves credit to your return.
How to calculate estimated tax payments on self-employment income?
Estimate net profit for the year, add the self-employment tax it produces, apply the 2026 standard deduction and rates, then run the two safe-harbor tests. Estimated tax is designed to cover self-employment tax as well as income tax, which is why freelancers usually owe a larger amount than a straight income tax estimate suggests.
Is the estimated tax payment schedule the same every year?
The four dates follow the same pattern each calendar year — mid-April, mid-June, mid-September and mid-January of the next year — with a shift to the next business day when a date falls on a weekend or holiday. The amounts change with your income, not with the calendar.
Do I owe estimated tax if my paycheck already has withholding?
Only if that withholding will not cover the lower of the two safe-harbor amounts. One option is to ask your employer to withhold more on Form W-4 instead of sending quarterly payments, and if you expect to owe under $1,000 after withholding and credits, estimated tax is generally not required.
What happens if I skip a quarterly payment?
The annual target does not change. The unpaid portion rolls into the next installment, and an underpayment penalty can be charged for the period it was late — even when you are due a refund once you file.
The four payment dates and how the amounts are spaced
The installments are generally due April 15 for income earned January 1 to March 31, June 15 for April 1 to May 31, September 15 for June 1 to August 31, and January 15 of the following year for September 1 to December 31. When a due date lands on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a payment made the next business day is still on time.
Missing a date does not change the annual target: the required annual payment stays the same and the shortfall simply carries into the next installment, where a penalty can apply to the period it was late. If your income arrives unevenly, Form 2210 lets you annualize it and pay unequal amounts that follow the cash as it came in. Higher-income filers face a stricter safe harbor than the 90% used here, and farmers and fishermen follow their own rules, so read the publication details before assuming the two-test comparison fits your year.