Taxes and compliance
Owner-Operator Quarterly Tax Estimator
What to set aside for 2026 federal taxes on your trucking profit, and what to send with your next estimated payment.
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- Shows the math
- Official sources
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Your result
How this calculator works
Total tax = self-employment tax + income tax. Quarterly payment = (total − withholding − payments made) ÷ payments left.
Self-employment tax is Social Security and Medicare for people who work for themselves. It's 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare, figured on 92.35% of your profit. The Social Security part stops at $184,500.00 of earnings in 2026. Half of it is deducted before income tax.
Income tax uses the 2026 brackets after the standard deduction:
| Filing status | Standard deduction | QBI threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $16,100.00 | $201,750.00 |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200.00 | $403,500.00 |
| Married filing separately | $16,100.00 | $201,775.00 |
| Head of household | $24,150.00 | $201,750.00 |
QBI deduction. Most owner-operators can deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income, capped at 20% of taxable income. This estimator does the simple version, for taxable income at or under the threshold above. Over it, wage and property limits can apply, so the estimate leaves QBI out and tells you.
Per diem lowers both taxes because it comes off your business profit. Work it out with the per diem calculator.
2026 due dates: Apr 15, 2026, Jun 15, 2026, Sep 15, 2026, Jan 15, 2027.