How much should an owner-operator set aside for taxes?

For most solo owner-operators, roughly 25-30% of net profit covers self-employment tax plus federal and state income tax. Self-employment tax alone is 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit (about 14.1%), and federal income tax stacks on top. The exact share depends on your profit, filing status, and state — the calculator works it out from the 2026 brackets.

What is self-employment tax for truckers in 2026?

Self-employment tax is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare), charged on 92.35% of your net profit, so it works out to about 14.1% of net. You can deduct half of it when figuring your income tax. An extra 0.9% Medicare tax applies to self-employment income above $200,000 single / $250,000 married filing jointly.

When are quarterly taxes due?

Federal estimated taxes are generally due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. Paying roughly a quarter of your projected tax each period avoids underpayment penalties. Many owner-operators set the money aside every settlement instead of scrambling at the deadline.

Does per diem lower my taxes?

Yes. The per-diem meal allowance reduces your taxable net profit, which lowers both income tax and the amount you owe. Track your nights away from home and run the number on the per-diem tool, then feed your lower net profit into this calculator.

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Trucking Quarterly Tax Calculator (2026)

Don't get blindsided in April. Enter your trucking net profit and this works out how much to set aside each quarter (and each week) for self-employment tax plus federal and state income tax — using the real 2026 IRS brackets.

Trucking net profit ($/yr, after expenses)

Filing status

Other household taxable income ($)

State income tax rate (%)

Annual paid miles (for per-mile)

Set aside / quarter—

Per year—

Per week—

% of net profit—

Enter your net profit to see your set-aside.

Tax	Estimated /yr

An estimate, not tax advice or a filing. It ignores credits, retirement contributions, QBI, and dependents, and uses a flat state rate. Use it to size your set-aside; have a trucking-tax pro file the return.

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Why the set-aside is bigger than W-2 drivers expect

As an owner-operator you pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare — that's the 15.3% self-employment tax, on 92.35% of your net profit (about 14.1% of net) — before any income tax. Then federal income tax stacks on top at 10–37% over the 2026 brackets, plus your state. For a typical solo owner-operator netting $60k–$90k, that lands around 25–30% of net profit. The good news: you deduct half the SE tax, and per-diem and real expense tracking shrink the net you're taxed on.

Roughly what to set aside by net profit (single filer, 5% state)

Net profit	Est. total tax	≈ % of net	Per week
$40,000	~$8,700	~22%	~$167
$60,000	~$14,700	~24%	~$283
$80,000	~$21,300	~27%	~$410
$100,000	~$28,600	~29%	~$550

Illustrative, single filer, no other income, 5% flat state. Your number depends on filing status, state, and deductions — run yours above.

How the calculator works

Self-employment tax = net profit × 92.35% × 15.3%; half of it is deducted before income tax.
Taxable income = net profit − half the SE tax − the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 joint), plus any other household income.
Federal income tax is the 2026 brackets applied to that taxable income (the share created by your trucking profit).
State is your flat rate; add it up, divide by 4 for quarterly and 52 for a weekly set-aside.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I set aside for taxes?

Around 25–30% of net profit for most solo owner-operators. Set it aside every settlement so the quarterly payment is already sitting there.

When are estimated taxes due?

Generally April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Paying ~25% of your projected tax each period avoids underpayment penalties.

Can I lower it?

Yes — claim per-diem for nights away, track every legitimate expense, and consider a retirement contribution. Each dollar of net profit you legitimately reduce saves you the ~14% SE tax plus your income-tax rate.

Methodology & sources

Uses 2026 IRS figures: self-employment tax 15.3% on 92.35% of net (half deductible); standard deduction $16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ; 2026 federal brackets (10% to $12,400/$24,800 … 37% over $640,600/$768,700). State is a flat user rate. Sources: IRS self-employment tax, Tax Foundation 2026 brackets. Estimate only — not tax advice. Last updated June 2026. Built by TruckMargin.