2026 Tax Numbers for the Self-Employed: 12 Figures in One Place
If you're self-employed, a handful of numbers shape your whole tax year. For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for a single filer, the business mileage rate changed partway through the year from 72.5 to 76 cents, and the threshold for a 1099-NEC jumped from $600 to $2,000.
These figures are published in different places at different times, which is why most people only meet them in April. With the year nearly over, now is when they're most useful.
Here are twelve of them in one place, each from the IRS or the Social Security Administration, followed by the three changes most likely to affect you and what to do before December 31.
The figures your preparer will ask about, in one place. Example data.
The short version
Standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household.
Self-employment tax: 15.3% on 92.35% of your profit, with the Social Security part applying up to $184,500.
Mileage: 72.5 cents a mile to June 30, then 76 cents.
A 1099-NEC is now required from $2,000, not $600.
Estimated tax is generally due if you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
The twelve numbers
$16,100, $32,200 and $24,150. The 2026 standard deduction for single filers, married couples filing jointly, and heads of household.
10% to 37%. The seven federal income tax rates. For a single filer in 2026, the 12% rate starts at $12,400 of taxable income and the 22% rate at $50,400.
15.3%. Self-employment tax: 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare, applied to 92.35% of your net profit.
$184,500. The most earnings the Social Security part applies to in 2026.
$400. Once your net self-employment earnings reach this, self-employment tax applies and you need to file a return.
$1,000. If you expect to owe this much or more when you file, the IRS generally expects estimated payments during the year.
April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15. The four estimated tax due dates. The next one is January 15.
72.5 and 76 cents. The business mileage rate for January to June, and for July to December. The IRS raised it partway through the year.
$2,000. The new threshold for Form 1099-NEC. For payments made in 2026, a business reports what it paid a contractor once it reaches $2,000. For decades it was $600.
$20,000 and 200. A payment app or marketplace only issues a Form 1099-K if your payments pass both: more than $20,000 and more than 200 transactions.
$5 a square foot, up to 300 square feet. The simplified home office deduction, for a maximum of $1,500.
50%. The share of a business meal that's generally deductible.
The 2026 brackets for a single filer
Taxable income | Rate on that slice |
|---|---|
Up to $12,400 | 10% |
$12,400 to $50,400 | 12% |
$50,400 to $105,700 | 22% |
$105,700 to $201,775 | 24% |
$201,775 to $256,225 | 32% |
$256,225 to $640,600 | 35% |
Over $640,600 | 37% |
Each rate applies only to the income inside its own row. Earning one dollar into the 22% row doesn't move the rest of your income into it. And taxable income is what's left after your standard deduction and other deductions, so it's always lower than your profit.
Three changes, and what to do about each
1. Mileage has two rates this year. If you track your miles, you need them by date. Here's 6,000 business miles, split evenly across the year:
Period | Miles | Rate | Deduction |
|---|---|---|---|
January to June | 3,000 | 72.5 cents | $2,175 |
July to December | 3,000 | 76 cents | $2,280 |
The whole year | 6,000 | Both rates | $4,455 |
A log with only a yearly total can't produce that figure. If yours isn't dated, rebuild it from your calendar now. It's much easier in October than in March.
2. The 1099-NEC threshold went up, but your income didn't change. If a client paid you $1,500 in 2026, you may not get a form. You still report the $1,500. Income is taxable whether or not anyone sends you paperwork, so your own record of what each client paid matters more than ever.
3. The 1099-K needs both conditions. Receiving $25,000 through a payment app in 40 transactions doesn't trigger the form. The income is still reportable either way.
Your own total by client is the record that counts. Example data.
Before December 31
Total your income by client, rather than waiting for forms to do it for you.
Date your mileage log, so both rates can be applied.
Measure your home office if you use the simplified method.
Check what you've set aside against the January 15 payment.
Ask your preparer whether anything else changed for you this year. Several rules did, and not all of them apply to everyone.
Where to find the other 2026 numbers
Retirement and health accounts have their own limits, so we've listed them separately: the 2026 retirement contribution limits, the 2026 HSA limits, and the estimated tax due dates, including who has to pay them.
The line most people leave off, free
Tax you owe but haven't paid yet is a debt. La Soglia, the free membership of the Money Mastery System, holds everything you own and owe in one place, personal and business together, with no bank connection and no card. Add your January payment as a line, and your net worth stops looking better than it really is.
Bring it to the Collective
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Questions we hear
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
$16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household.
What is the IRS mileage rate for 2026?
72.5 cents a mile for business use from January 1 to June 30, and 76 cents from July 1 to December 31.
What is the 1099-NEC threshold for 2026?
$2,000. For payments made in 2026, a business reports nonemployee compensation of $2,000 or more. It was previously $600.
Do I have to report income if I don't get a 1099?
Yes. Income is reportable whether or not a form is issued.
References
Standard deductions and brackets: IRS news release IR-2025-103. Mileage: the IRS standard mileage rates page, updated 28 July 2026. Form 1099-NEC: the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. Form 1099-K: Understanding your Form 1099-K. Self-employment tax: Tax Topic 554. The earnings limit is from the Social Security Administration's 2026 fact sheet. The mileage table is our own worked example.
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A note on what this is
This article is educational. The Money Mastery System is an educational tool, not financial software, and nothing here is legal, tax, investment or financial advice. Tax rules change, vary by state and depend on your whole situation, and several 2026 figures were changed by recent legislation. For guidance on your own circumstances, please speak with a qualified professional who knows them.
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