Freelancer Tax Estimator

Freelancer Tax Estimator — Know What You Owe Before Tax Day

Freelance tax is the bill that sneaks up on you: no employer withholds anything, and then April arrives with self-employment tax plus income tax at once. This estimator keeps a running total as you earn, so each quarter you know exactly how much to set aside and pay — no surprises.

Log a payment in thirty seconds and the sheet works out your net income, your self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of net, the standard US freelancer rule), your income tax at your rate, and the total estimated tax for the quarter. A payments sheet tracks each quarterly deadline and what you still owe, and a deductions checklist makes sure you claim the expenses that lower your bill.

What you get:

• Income Log — every payment with date, source, description, gross income, business expenses, net income and quarter
• Tax Estimate — per-quarter gross, expenses, net, self-employment tax, income tax, total estimated tax and effective rate (about 25% in the sample)
• Quarterly Payments — due dates, estimated tax due, amount paid, remaining and status, so nothing slips past a deadline
• Deductions — common freelancer deductions checklist (home office, software, internet, equipment, mileage, health insurance) with sample annual amounts
• README sheet — 5-minute setup guide, no macros, no add-ins

How it works:

Yellow cells are the only ones you type in. Everything else is a formula. The three tax rates sit in yellow cells at the bottom of the Tax Estimate sheet — change them if your rates differ and the whole estimate updates. Works in Microsoft Excel 2016 and newer, and in Google Sheets (File > Import > Upload). No sign-in, no subscription, no macros.

Who it is for:

US freelancers and side hustlers — Etsy sellers, Fiverr freelancers, writers, tutors, photographers — anyone who gets paid without tax withheld and wants to stop guessing what April will cost.

This is a planning estimate, not tax advice. Rates and rules change; check the current IRS figures or ask a tax professional for your situation.

You get: 1 Excel file (.xlsx), 5 sheets, instant download. For personal use only.