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Self-Employment Tax Quiz

Tax Quiz

Test your grasp of self-employment tax with 12 questions on the 15.3% SE rate, the $400 threshold, quarterly estimated payments, the half-SE-tax deduction, and S-corp treatment.

3 min · 12 questions

Written by · Reviewed by the thecalcu.com team · Last updated August 28, 2026

Question 1 of 12

What is the combined self-employment (SE) tax rate on net earnings from self-employment?

Self-employment tax catches a lot of first-year freelancers off guard, usually as a surprise bill in April. It's the 15.3% you owe on business profit to fund Social Security and Medicare, and it's completely separate from the income tax on that same money. This 12-question quiz covers the rate, the $400 filing threshold, the 92.35% adjustment, quarterly estimated payments, and how an S-corp election changes the picture. It takes about three minutes.

Once you've seen your score, plug your numbers into the Self-Employment Tax Calculator to get the actual SE tax and the deduction you can claim, then check the full picture, income tax included, with the Tax Refund Estimator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my score calculated?

You get one point for each of the 12 questions you answer correctly, for a score out of 12. There's no weighting and no penalty for wrong answers.

Are my answers saved anywhere?

No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser, nothing is sent to a server, and refreshing the page clears your progress. Your score isn't stored after you leave.

Why is self-employment tax higher than the FICA I paid as an employee?

As an employee, you paid 7.65% and your employer paid a matching 7.65%. When you work for yourself, you cover both halves, which is why the rate is 15.3%. You do get to deduct roughly half of it as an adjustment to income.

Does this quiz use current-year numbers?

The rates in the questions (15.3%, 12.4%, 2.9%, 0.9%) are fixed in law and don't change year to year. The Social Security wage base does change annually, so check the current figure before filing.

I only did a little freelance work on the side. Do I still owe SE tax?

If your net earnings from that work reach $400 for the year, yes. It doesn't matter whether it was a side gig or your main income, and it doesn't matter if you didn't receive a 1099.

How do I figure out what to actually pay?

Run your expected net profit through the [Self-Employment Tax Calculator](/us/self-employment-tax-calculator/) to see the SE tax and the deductible portion. Then use the [Tax Refund Estimator](/us/tax-refund-estimator/) to fold in income tax and any withholding so you know whether you'll owe or get money back.

When are the quarterly estimated payment deadlines?

They generally fall in April, June, September, and January of the following year. The exact dates shift slightly each year when they land on a weekend or holiday, so confirm them with the IRS.

Will forming an LLC lower my self-employment tax?

A single-member LLC by default is taxed the same as a sole proprietor, so it changes nothing for SE tax. What can change the math is electing S-corporation treatment, where only your reasonable salary is subject to payroll tax.

Can I retake the quiz?

Yes, as many times as you want. It's worth revisiting after you've filed a Schedule SE at least once, since the mechanics tend to click after you've done it for real.