Calculate Your Quarterly Payments

Answer 3 quick steps — takes under 2 minutes

1 · Income

2 · Deductions

3 · Details

Step 1 — Your Gig Income

Annual Gig Income (estimated)

Total you expect to earn from all gig platforms this year before any expenses

Which platform(s) do you work for?

Select your primary platform — this affects how we calculate expenses

Filing Status

Do you have any other income? (W-2 job, etc.)

Used to estimate your correct tax bracket

Step 2 — Deductions & Expenses

Business Miles Driven (full year)

2026 IRS standard rate is $0.70/mile. Every mile reduces your taxable income.

Phone & Data (business portion)

Typically 50–80% of your phone bill if used for gig work

Supplies, Equipment & Other Business Expenses

Hot bags, car accessories, software subscriptions, etc.

Self-employed health insurance deduction

If you pay for your own health insurance, it's 100% deductible

Home office deduction

If you use part of your home exclusively for work

Step 3 — A Few More Details

Which quarter are you calculating for?

State

For state tax awareness (federal calculation only in results)

Did you make estimated tax payments last year?

Estimated Annual Tax Owed

Based on your inputs for 2026

Tax Breakdown

Gross Gig Income —

Total Deductions —

Net Self-Employment Income —

Self-Employment Tax (15.3%) —

SE Tax Deduction (½) —

Federal Income Tax —

Total Federal Tax —

💡

Set aside this much per week to cover your taxes: $0

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📅 2026 Tax Deadlines

Q1 (Jan–Mar) Apr 15, 2026

Q2 (Apr–May) Jun 16, 2026

Q3 (Jun–Aug) Sep 15, 2026

Q4 (Sep–Dec) Jan 15, 2027

Related Calculators

🚗 Mileage Deduction Calculator › ⏱️ True Hourly Rate Calculator › 📊 SE Tax Calculator › 🍕 DoorDash Profit Calculator › 📅 Gig Income Budget Planner ›

How to Calculate Quarterly Estimated Taxes as a Gig Worker

If you earn money through DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, or any other gig platform, the IRS requires you to pay taxes throughout the year — not just at tax time. These are called estimated quarterly tax payments, and missing them can result in IRS penalties on top of what you already owe.

Unlike traditional employees, gig workers don't have an employer withholding taxes from each paycheck. That means you're responsible for calculating and sending payments to the IRS four times per year. This calculator handles all the math for you.

What taxes do gig workers actually pay?

As a gig worker, you typically owe two types of federal tax:

Self-Employment (SE) Tax: 15.3% on your net self-employment income. This covers Social Security (12.4%) and Medicare (2.9%). Employees split this with their employer — you pay the full amount yourself.
Federal Income Tax: Based on your tax bracket after deductions. This ranges from 10% to 37% depending on your total income.

The good news: you can deduct half of your SE tax from your gross income before calculating income tax, which reduces your overall bill.

The most important deductions gig workers miss

Mileage: The 2026 IRS standard mileage rate is $0.70/mile. This is often the single biggest deduction for delivery and rideshare drivers.
Phone & data: The portion of your phone plan used for gig work is fully deductible.
Health insurance: If you pay your own premiums, 100% is deductible from your gross income.
Equipment and supplies: Hot bags, phone mounts, car accessories — all deductible.
App and software fees: Any subscriptions used for managing your gig work count.

When are quarterly tax payments due in 2026?

The IRS sets four payment deadlines each year. Missing a deadline doesn't mean you owe more tax — but you may owe a small underpayment penalty (typically 0.5% of the unpaid amount). The 2026 deadlines are April 15, June 16, September 15, and January 15, 2027.

How much should I set aside from each paycheck?

A commonly used rule of thumb is to save 25–30% of your gross gig income for taxes. However, this varies significantly based on your total income, deductions, and state taxes. Use the calculator above to get your exact number. Most gig workers with strong deductions end up owing considerably less than the 25–30% estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don't pay quarterly taxes? +

If you owe more than $1,000 in taxes at the end of the year and didn't make quarterly payments, the IRS will charge an underpayment penalty. In 2026, this is roughly 8% annually on the underpaid amount. It won't bankrupt you, but it's an unnecessary expense — paying quarterly is always smarter.

Do I have to pay quarterly taxes if I have a W-2 job too? +

Maybe. If your W-2 employer withholds enough tax to cover your total liability (including gig income), you may not need to make separate quarterly payments. The safest option is to use the IRS withholding estimator, or increase your W-4 withholding at your day job to cover gig income taxes.

How do I actually pay quarterly taxes? +

The easiest way is through IRS Direct Pay at irs.gov/payments — it's free and takes about 5 minutes. You can also pay through the IRS2Go mobile app, or mail a check with Form 1040-ES. Never pay to a third party claiming to accept IRS payments on your behalf.

Can I deduct my car payment or car insurance? +

If you use the standard mileage rate (recommended for most gig workers), you cannot separately deduct car payments, insurance, or gas — those are already factored into the per-mile rate. If you use the actual expense method, you can deduct a percentage of all car-related costs proportional to business use. The mileage method is simpler and often produces a larger deduction.

What is the SE tax deduction? +

The IRS allows self-employed workers to deduct 50% of their self-employment tax from their gross income before calculating income tax. This exists because employees get the same benefit indirectly — their employer pays half their FICA taxes. This calculator applies this deduction automatically.

Gig Worker Quarterly Tax Calculator