Tennessee Quarterly Tax Calculator

Because Tennessee has no state income tax, your quarterly estimated tax obligation consists entirely of federal income tax and self-employment tax. This simplifies your calculations — you only need to file one set of quarterly payments with the IRS rather than splitting between state and federal agencies.

For a single self-employed worker in Tennessee earning $100,000 in net self-employment income, the estimated annual federal obligation would be approximately:

Compared to states with income taxes, Tennessee residents keep significantly more of their self-employment earnings. For example, a freelancer earning $100,000 in California would owe an additional ~$5,580 in state income tax on top of the federal amounts above.

All self-employed workers — regardless of which state they live in — must pay federal self-employment (SE) tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings. This breaks down into 12.4% for Social Security (on earnings up to $184,500 in 2026) and 2.9% for Medicare (no cap). An additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to earnings above $200,000 (single filers).

Quarterly estimated tax payments are due on the following dates for tax year 2026:

To avoid underpayment penalties, pay at least 100% of your prior-year tax liability (or 110% if your AGI exceeds $150,000) spread across four equal payments, or at least 90% of your current-year tax. You can deduct 50% of your self-employment tax from your adjusted gross income on your federal return, reducing your overall income tax.