Side hustle taxes, free

Gig worker tax calculator: what does your side income owe?

Free side hustle tax calculator for 2026. Enter what your gigs and apps paid you and see the 15.3% self-employment tax, the federal income tax on top of it, and what to set aside each quarter. Side hustle taxes are self-employment taxes: no app withholds anything from a payout. Actual 2026 figures, under a minute.

Real 2026 IRS figures App payouts, gigs, side income Under a minute

Before you pay

Three things about taxes for gig workers the app never mentions

01

An app payout is gross pay with nothing withheld

A W-2 paycheck has income tax and half of Social Security and Medicare already taken out. A gig payout has nothing taken out: you owe income tax plus the 15.3% self-employment tax on the profit, paid during the year through quarterly estimates. That is true whether the gig is your living or a few hours on weekends.

02

Small side income still counts

The reporting threshold decides whether an app sends you a 1099, not whether the income is taxable. All of it is taxable, and self-employment tax starts once your net self-employment profit for the year passes $400. If you run several gigs, add them together; the tax is calculated on the total.

Map all four quarterly payments →
03

The write-offs that make the number smaller

Mileage or the business share of your car, your phone plan, supplies and equipment, platform fees and the business share of your internet all reduce the profit the tax is calculated on. Enter your profit after those costs; if you have never tracked them, the write-off estimator shows what they are typically worth.

Estimate the write-offs you are missing →

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Side hustle tax questions

Do I pay taxes on a side hustle if I have a full-time job?+

Yes. Your W-2 job withholds for your wages, not your side income. Once the tax on your gig profit passes $1,000 for the year, quarterly payments are usually due. Add your W-2 wages and withholding in the optional fields and the calculator tells you whether your paycheck already covers it.

How much should a gig worker set aside from each payout?+

A common rule is 25 to 30 percent of profit, but the real number depends on your total income and bracket. The calculator gives you the actual figure: self-employment tax plus income tax on your profit, and the quarterly schedule to pay it on.

I made under $600 on an app. Do I owe anything?+

The $600 line decides whether the app sends a 1099, not whether the income is taxable. All of it is taxable, and self-employment tax starts once your net self-employment profit for the year passes $400.

When does a side hustle need more than a calculator?+

When it becomes your living. Past roughly $80,000 of profit, an S-corp usually saves more in self-employment tax than it costs. Amadae runs that math for members and handles the election, salary and payroll when it pays off.

Estimate only, using TY2026 federal figures (Rev. Proc. 2025-32): the standard deduction, a simplified QBI deduction, and no credits or capital gains. State taxes are separate. Not tax advice.

Amadae members never run this calculator.

We connect your gig income, keep the books, and pay the quarterlies.

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