About Solo Tax Optimizer

Last updated October 2026

Solo Tax Optimizer makes free calculators that help self-employed people understand the tax side of their business decisions: whether to elect S-Corp status, what a reasonable S-Corp salary looks like, and how a 1099 contract compares with a W-2 job.

Many online tax calculators oversimplify, for example by quoting S-Corp savings without subtracting payroll and accounting costs, or they ask for your email before showing a result. We built these tools to show the full picture, with every assumption visible, and without collecting your data.

Our calculators

• 1099 & S-Corp Tax Calculator: Estimate self-employment tax and compare a sole proprietorship with an S-Corp election.
• S-Corp Tax Savings Calculator: Net S-Corp savings after payroll taxes, QBI, state tax and compliance costs, plus your break-even profit.
• S-Corp Reasonable Salary Calculator: A market-based salary range for S-Corp owners from BLS wage data for your occupation and location.
• 1099 vs W-2 Calculator: Compare a contractor offer with a salaried job and find your break-even 1099 hourly rate.

Where our numbers come from

• Federal tax rules: 2026 income tax brackets, standard deductions and retirement plan limits as published by the IRS.
• Payroll and self-employment tax: Social Security and Medicare rates and the 2026 Social Security wage base published by the Social Security Administration.
• Salary benchmarks: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by occupation, state and metro area.

How we keep the calculators accurate

Every calculation runs through an automated test suite that checks results against hand-worked examples, including the Social Security wage base cap, the Additional Medicare Tax and the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction. We update the figures when the IRS and SSA publish each new tax year's numbers.

Our calculators have not been reviewed by a CPA or enrolled agent. Each one lists what it does and does not model, such as which state taxes and QBI situations are covered. If you find an error, please tell us.

Your privacy

All calculations run in your browser. The numbers you enter are never sent to our servers. See our privacy policy for details.

Not tax advice

Our results are estimates for education and planning. They are not tax, legal or financial advice. Talk to a qualified tax professional before electing S-Corp status or changing how you pay yourself. Read the full disclaimer.