Freelance Income
Self-Employment Tax
Calculate your SE tax obligation and the deductible portion that reduces your adjusted gross income.
Self-employment tax
$0
Social Security + Medicare on SE income
Deductible half
$0
Net SE tax impact
$0
SE tax: gross vs net after deduction
💡 SE tax insight
Income Smoothing Buffer Calculator
The Income Smoothing Buffer Calculator tells you exactly how much cash to hold in reserve so you can pay yourself a steady monthly amount despite variable freelance revenue. You enter your target monthly take-home, your average monthly revenue, your lowest monthly revenue from the last year, the worst-case number of low months in a row, and the percentage of revenue you reserve for tax. The calculator returns the buffer requirement, the months of full draw it covers, and the worst-case monthly gap. Use it during your annual financial planning. A six-figure freelance income with no buffer feels less stable than a five-figure W-2; the buffer is what lets variable income spend like a salary.