Stop Overpaying
Quarterly Taxes
Simple Estimates calculates the quarterly estimated tax payment you actually owe the IRS, in about 5 minutes. Most self-employed people pay more than the law requires.
Federal Quarterly Estimated Payments
Q3 2026 Estimate
Payment Method Comparison
Recommended Payment
Using Annualized Income method
Due: Sep 15, 2026
If you're self-employed or run a business, the IRS expects tax payments four times a year, not just in April. This site tells you whether that's you, and exactly how much to send.
Answer a few quick questions about your income
See if you owe quarterly payments, and roughly how much
Pay the right amount by the deadline, no more and no less
Do you need to pay quarterly taxes?
Find out in about a minute. Free, no signup to check.
What's your filing status?
Two ways to pay. The IRS lets you choose.
You can anchor your quarterly payments to last year's tax, or to what you're actually earning this year. Which one is lower depends on your situation, and most people never check.
Safe Harbor
Pay a fixed share of last year's tax, split evenly. Fully predictable, and it protects you from underpayment penalties even if this year turns out bigger. Usually the lower payment when your income is growing.
Annualized Income
Pay based on what you've actually earned so far, period by period. Usually the lower payment when income is down from last year or arrives unevenly (slow start, big Q4, seasonal work).
One of these is the lower legal payment for your situation. This site computes both on your real numbers, every quarter, and shows you which.
Next IRS deadline
Sep 15: 15 days away
Miss it or underpay, and the IRS charges interest on the shortfall from that day forward. It compounds until you catch up.
Check What I Owe, Free →Free tax calculators
Each one answers a single question fast. No signup.
Self-Employment Tax
Social Security + Medicare on your 1099 income.
Open calculator →Income Tax
Federal tax and effective rate by bracket.
Open calculator →Capital Gains Tax
Long-term gains at the 0/15/20% rates.
Open calculator →Safe Harbor
Your penalty-proof quarterly payment from last year's tax.
Open calculator →1099 Tax
Your whole federal bill on freelance income.
Open calculator →IRS Publication 505
Built on the official safe-harbor and annualized methods
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Common questions
If you expect to owe the IRS $1,000 or more beyond what's withheld from any paychecks, generally yes. That covers most self-employed people, contractors, business owners, landlords, and investors. The quick check above tells you where you stand in about a minute.
The IRS charges interest on the shortfall starting the day the payment was due, and it compounds until you catch up. It is not a one-time fine. It grows every day you wait.
The personal calculator is free. You get one full calculation per quarter, federal and state, for one taxpayer. Paid plans add year-round tools like unlimited calculations, saved history, and year-end IRS forms, plus client management for accountants. The calculation engine is identical on every tier.
No. It does one job precisely, quarterly estimated payments using IRS Publication 505 methods. You can send your results to your accountant to double-check, and many users do exactly that.
Pay 100% of last year's tax (110% for higher earners) in equal on-time installments and you're protected from underpayment penalties even if your income jumps this year. The annualized method instead follows your actual income through the year, often a lower payment when income is uneven. The IRS allows either. This site computes both and shows the lower one.
Don't guess what you owe the IRS.
Check your number free. It takes about a minute.
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