Kentucky self-employment tax 2026
With $68,000 of self-employment profit in Kentucky, a single filer owes about $9,608 in self-employment tax for 2026 and should set aside about $3,994 each quarter.
Self-employment tax · 2026
Quarterly payments $9,608for the year
15.3% on 92.35% of your profit
Where your $68,000 of profit goes
You keep$52,02576.5%
Social Security$7,78711.5%
Medicare$1,8212.7%
Federal income tax$4,2736.3%
Kentucky income tax$2,0943.1%
Income tax
$6,367
Total tax
$15,976
Each quarter
$3,994
Quarterly estimated payments for 2026
Apr 15, 2026Covers Jan 1 to Mar 31
$3,994Jun 15, 2026Covers Apr 1 to May 31
$3,994Sep 15, 2026Covers Jun 1 to Aug 31
$3,994Jan 15, 2027Covers Sep 1 to Dec 31
$3,994Equal amounts to set aside, not a bill.
Self-employment tax in Kentucky
- Self-employment tax
- 15.3%
- Wage base
- $184,500
- Extra Medicare
- 0.9%
- Owed from
- $400
- Business income deduction
- 20%
- Kentucky income tax
- 3.5% flat
How we work it out
- 1Net earningsYour profit times 92.35%.
- 2Social Security12.4% on net earnings up to $184,500, less W-2 wages.
- 3Medicare2.9% on all net earnings, plus 0.9% over $200,000.
- 4Income taxAfter half your self-employment tax and the 20% business income deduction.
- 5Quarterly estimateSelf-employment tax plus income tax on the profit, split in four.
Self-employment tax questions
How much self-employment tax do I owe on $68,000 of profit?
About $9,608 for 2026, made of $7,787 for Social Security and $1,821 for Medicare. Half of it, $4,804, comes off your income before income tax.
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
15.3% on 92.35% of your net profit: 12.4% for Social Security on up to $184,500 and 2.9% for Medicare on all of it. Above $200,000 for single filers, another 0.9% Medicare applies.
When are 2026 estimated tax payments due?
Apr 15, 2026, Jun 15, 2026, Sep 15, 2026, and Jan 15, 2027. Each payment covers the months before it.
I also have a W-2 job. Does that change my self-employment tax?
Yes. Social Security stops at $184,500 of combined earnings, and your job's wages count first. Add your W-2 wages in the calculator to see the difference.
Does Kentucky tax self-employment income?
Yes. Kentucky taxes your profit as income at 3.5% flat.
Sources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 brackets and standard deduction
- Social Security Administration: 2026 contribution and benefit base
- IRS Notice 2025-67: 2026 retirement plan limits
- Kentucky Department of Revenue
- Kentucky DOR, 2026 standard deduction announcement ($3,360)
- Kentucky DOR, 2026 Kentucky Withholding Tax Formula (3.5% rate, $3,360 deduction)
- WKYU, Kentucky misses budget trigger for income tax cut (Sept. 4, 2026)
- Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, OL-3D 2025 instructions (2.2% resident, 1.45% nonresident)
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Revenue (2.25% occupational license fee)
- Bloomberg Law, 4 Kentucky jurisdictions increase occupational taxes (Ashland, Somerset, Walton 2026)
- Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026
- Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (state rate)
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