Business Tax Estimator 2026
Estimate your business income tax obligation for 2026. Supports USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, and Canada.
Select Country & Currency
How Business Taxes Work
When you work as a business owner or self-employed contractor, your tax obligations differ significantly from those of a salaried employee. Rather than having an employer withhold taxes from each paycheck, you are responsible for calculating and paying your own taxes — typically on a quarterly basis in countries like the USA and Canada.
The two main components of freelance tax in most countries are income tax and a social contributions tax (called self-employment tax in the USA, National Insurance in the UK, or CPP in Canada). The self-employment tax is often overlooked by new small business owners and can be a significant additional burden on top of income tax.
Tax Rates by Country
USA: Federal self-employment tax is 15.3% on net earnings (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare), plus federal income tax at graduated rates from 10% to 37%. State taxes vary.
UK: Income tax applies at 20% (basic), 40% (higher), and 45% (additional). Class 4 National Insurance adds 9% between the lower and upper profit limits, and 2% above.
Canada: Federal income tax from 15% to 33% on taxable income, plus CPP contributions of 11.9% on net self-employment income (split rate for self-employed).
Australia: Income tax from 0% to 45% plus a 2% Medicare levy. GST registration is required above A$75,000 annual turnover.
South Africa: SARS income tax on a sliding scale from 18% to 45%, plus provisional tax obligations and VAT registration at R1 million turnover.
