Pet sitter tax calculator
Put in what you expect to make this year. It works out what to set aside each month, what each quarterly payment should be, and what is actually safe to pay yourself. 2026 US federal figures.
Want this worked out for you every month?
SitterBooks is a bookkeeping tool for solo pet sitters, by text message. You forward a receipt or text what you spent; at the end of each month it texts you one message: what came in, what to set aside, and what is safe to pay yourself. At the end of the year it hands your accountant a tidy pack.
You will hear from us once, when it works.
How the numbers are worked out
- Your profit, not your incomeIncome less expenses, less the standard mileage deduction. Tax is owed on the profit.
- Self-employment tax15.3% on 92.35% of your profit: 12.4% Social Security up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and 2.9% Medicare with no cap.
- Federal income tax2026 brackets and standard deduction, less half of your self-employment tax and the 20% qualified business income deduction.
- Split four waysEstimated tax is normally paid in four instalments, due 15 April, 15 June, 15 September and 15 January.
Questions
Which year and which figures is this using?
Tax year 2026: standard deduction of $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household; the 2026 brackets from Revenue Procedure 2025-32; a Social Security wage base of $184,500; and the 20% qualified business income deduction. Mileage is valued at 74.25 cents, the average of the two 2026 rates, because the IRS raised the business rate from 72.5 cents to 76 cents on 1 July 2026.
Why is the set-aside bigger than my tax bracket?
Because most of it is not income tax. Self-employment tax is charged on your profit from the first dollar, with no standard deduction in front of it. That is the part that catches people out in their first year.
I have a job as well. Does that change it?
Yes, and the "other household income" field handles it. Your sitting profit stacks on top of that income, so it is taxed at a higher rate. The figures shown are the extra tax the business causes, not your whole household bill.
Does this cover state tax?
Only as the flat rate you type in, because every state is different and some have no income tax at all. Some states have no tax on earned income at all; others are banded like the federal system. Use your own state's rate for a closer figure.
Can I rely on this for my actual return?
No. It is an estimate to help you set money aside, and it leaves out plenty: home office, health insurance, retirement contributions, the extra 0.9% Medicare tax on high earners, local tax, and anything particular to your situation. Use it to plan, then check with an accountant.