Guessing 30%
$24,000
30% of $80,000 profit, for the year.
Type what you earned. We'll tell you what to save.
Live estimate
No signup
Add your expected profit. You'll see a set-aside percent and the next federal amount. Same engine as the saved projection.
Estimates for educational purposes; not tax, legal or investment advice. TaxPace does not file returns or send payments.
Quarterly bills surprise people when nobody withholds for them. The calculator uses the tax engine for the percent to move aside and the next federal amount.
Next federal due January 15, 2027. 96 days remaining.
Get early accessMany freelancers set aside about 30% as a rule of thumb. TaxPace uses the IRS safe-harbor rules: 90% of this year, or 100% of last year (110% if prior-year AGI was over $150,000). IRS estimated taxes.
The math comes from the engine. Pricing · Reserve early access
15 of 15 founding-tester spots still open
Reserve with your emailAdd Jan 15, 2027 due date to calendar
- SE tax
- 15.3% to $184,500
- Safe harbor
- 90% or 100/110%
- Penalty rate
- 7% estimate
Guessing 30%, or the safe harbor
Hypothetical example. These amounts are computed by the tax engine for a single filer in North Carolina with $80,000 of profit, no expenses, and no prior-year return. Not a customer.
TaxPace safe harbor
$14,982.72
Federal safe harbor for the same year. The engine's set-aside is 24% of profit. 90% of 2026 tax (no qualifying prior-year return).
Example years
What the engine tells three kinds of year
These are example scenarios, not customers. Income and last year are the inputs. Every result is the tax engine on October 9, 2026, with nothing withheld and no estimates paid yet. The penalty lines are illustrations, not a promise about what the IRS will charge.
Hypothetical example scenario
Freelance designer
North Carolina · single
$88,000 income, $12,000 expenses, net profit $76,000. Last year's federal tax $5,400, AGI $62,000.
- Set aside
- 24%
- of net profit
- Next federal
- $1,350
- January 15, 2027
The prior-year test on this profile is 100%. The engine uses 100% of 2025 tax.
North Carolina tax is calculated in full.
Illustrative penalty difference
$23.30
Skip estimate $251.40. Pay on the due date $228.09. This is how far those two engine estimates sit apart. It is not a promise that a penalty is avoided.
Hypothetical example scenario
Rideshare driver
Texas · single
$54,000 income, $22,000 expenses, net profit $32,000. Last year's federal tax $2,100, AGI $28,000.
- Set aside
- 18%
- of net profit
- Next federal
- $525
- January 15, 2027
The prior-year test on this profile is 100%. The engine uses 100% of 2025 tax.
Texas has no broad earned-income tax in this planner.
Illustrative penalty difference
$9.06
Skip estimate $97.77. Pay on the due date $88.70. This is how far those two engine estimates sit apart. It is not a promise that a penalty is avoided.
Hypothetical example scenario
Consultant
California · single
$240,000 income, $40,000 expenses, net profit $200,000. Last year's federal tax $48,000, AGI $190,000.
- Set aside
- 34%
- of net profit
- Next federal
- $12,021.89
- January 15, 2027
The prior-year test on this profile is 110%. The engine uses 90% of projected 2026 tax.
California uses the 2026 published schedule. That is not a state return.
Illustrative penalty difference
$207.50
Skip estimate $2,238.71. Pay on the due date $2,031.20. This is how far those two engine estimates sit apart. It is not a promise that a penalty is avoided.
Why switch
The money is already in the budget
Quarterly tax shows up as an underpayment penalty, as hours with a preparer, or as a subscription. Keeper Premium, the plan that pays quarterly taxes, is $399/yr. FlyFin's verified annual price is $192. A spreadsheet is the free IRS worksheet. TaxPace Annual is $59/yr.
Not stated means we could not find it on the official page as of Oct 9, 2026. It does not mean the feature is missing. Prices change. Check the source before you rely on one.
| TaxPace | Keeper | FlyFin | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Quarterly Check $29 once. Annual $59/yr. Pro $99/yr. One free year of Annual, then $59/yr. The first 15 founding testers get it the moment they request it. One 20-minute feedback call.SourceSource | Premium, which includes "Pay quarterly taxes", is $399/yr. Standard is $199/yr. Bookkeeping Only is $20/mo. Business is $1,199/yr. 14-day free trial.Source | Standard is $192/yr ($16/mo billed annually, a limited-time offer, 20% off from $20/mo). Premium is $348/yr ($29/mo billed annually, 30% off from $41/mo). The page has a "Start free trial" button. Trial length: Not stated.Source | $0. Form 1040-ES is free.Source |
| Free option | The calculator needs no signup. A free account includes one saved projection, the dashboard, payment logging, and 5 copilot questions.SourceSource | Free web quarterly calculator for federal and state payments.Source | The calculator page points to the app. Whether the app calculator is free: Not stated.Source | Free.Source |
| Federal quarterly amount | The lower of 90% of this year or 100% of last year (110% if prior AGI was over $150,000). 90% of this year if there is no full-year return.Source | Premium uses the prior-year safe harbor (100% or 110%) in four equal payments. The free calculator estimates from this year's income.SourceSource | The app calculates quarterly payments from income and A.I. deductions. Whether it uses the safe-harbor method: Not stated.Source | You complete the IRS 2026 Estimated Tax Worksheet.Source |
| State estimate | North Carolina in full. Other states use the 2026 published rate schedule. That is not a state return.Source | The free calculator shows state payments. Scheduled payments are federal only. State quarterly payments are marked "Not yet."SourceSource | The calculator asks for your state. Whether it outputs a state estimate: Not stated.Source | Not covered by Form 1040-ES.Source |
| Set-aside percent | Yes. A percent of net profit.Source | Yes. Free "How much should I set aside" calculator.Source | Not statedSource | You decide.Source |
| Penalty estimate | Yes. Regular method at a flat 7% for the last quarter of 2026, or Form 2210 Schedule AI style installments when period profit is entered.Source | Yes. Free estimated tax penalty calculator for IRS and state.Source | Not statedSourceSource | Not part of Form 1040-ES.Source |
| Reminders | A calendar file. Opt-in email reminders go out 7 days and 1 day before each quarterly due date.SourceSource | Not stated. Premium schedules all four federal payments in advance.Source | Yes. FlyFin notifies you before your quarterly taxes are due.Source | Whatever you set up yourself.Source |
| Sends the IRS payment | No. A filled 1040-ES voucher, a Direct Pay hand-off, and a payment log.SourceSource | Yes on Premium. It withdraws from the bank account and sends the payment to the IRS.SourceSource | Not statedSourceSource | You pay. Direct Pay is free and needs no sign-in.Source |
| Files your return | No.Source | Yes. Federal plus up to 2 state returns on Standard, reviewed by a tax pro. 3 or more states on Premium.Source | Yes. A tax team prepares and e-files federal and state.Source | No.Source |
| Expense tracking | No bank-linked tracking. Pro adds CSV import.Source | Yes. Unlimited accounts. AI categorizes expenses.Source | Yes. A.I. expense and deduction tracking.Source | Manual.Source |
Sources, as of Oct 9, 2026:
Get your quarterly number in about a minute.
- 01
Tell us the year you're having
State, filing status, last year's tax if you have it, profit, expenses, and any W-2 withholding in the household.
- 02
The engine does the brackets
Federal income tax, self-employment tax, North Carolina in full, and the 2026 published schedule for other states. Then the safe harbor and a penalty if you skip the next date.
- 03
Ask why, in plain English
The copilot calls the engine for your figures. It cannot file, and it will not invent a dollar amount.
One quarter, or the whole year
The calculator on this page is free. A saved projection is free too. Paid plans add the voucher and the Direct Pay hand-off. Opt-in email reminders go out 7 days and 1 day before each quarterly due date. Pro adds CSV import and unlimited copilot. One free year of Annual, then $59/yr. The first 15 founding testers get it the moment they request it. One 20-minute feedback call.
Quarterly Check
$29 once
- One quarter's number
- Filled 1040-ES voucher
- IRS Direct Pay hand-off
Annual
$59/yr
- All 4 quarters
- Calendar and payment log
- Opt-in email reminders go out 7 days and 1 day before each quarterly due date.
- Vouchers for each date
Pro
$99/yr
- Everything in Annual
- CSV import
- Unlimited copilot
Questions, answered plainly
Does TaxPace file my return?
No. It estimates what to set aside and what would meet the federal safe-harbor rules. You still pay the IRS or your state yourself, or ask a preparer to file.
Where do the numbers come from?
A deterministic tax engine: 2026 federal brackets from Rev. Proc. 2025-32, self-employment tax at 15.3% up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the 0.9% Additional Medicare tax, and the 90% / 100% / 110% safe harbor. North Carolina is calculated at 3.99%. Other states use the 2026 published rate schedule, labeled on the result. The copilot has to call that engine. It is not allowed to invent a figure.
What is the safe harbor?
The amount that generally avoids an underpayment penalty: 90% of this year's tax, or 100% of last year's tax (110% if last year's AGI was over $150,000). TaxPace uses the lower one when both exist. If you didn't file a full-year return last year, it uses 90% of this year.
What if I skip a quarter?
You'll see an estimated penalty at a flat 7%, the rate in effect for the last quarter of 2026. Later rates aren't announced. Equal installments are the regular method. If you enter cumulative profit for each Form 2210 Schedule AI period, the required amounts follow the annualized-income method.
What does the free plan include?
One saved projection and the full dashboard: federal tax, self-employment tax, state tax, the next safe-harbor amount, a penalty if you skip it, and the set-aside percent. Five copilot questions. The calculator on this page doesn't need an account.
What do the paid plans include?
Quarterly Check is $29 once: one quarter's number, a filled 1040-ES voucher if you mail a check, and a hand-off to IRS Direct Pay. Annual is $59 a year: all four quarters, a calendar file, the payment log, and vouchers. Opt-in email reminders go out 7 days and 1 day before each quarterly due date. Pro is $99 a year and adds CSV import and unlimited copilot. Choosing a plan on a demo install never charges a card.