Updated October 28, 2026. Quick answer: Self-employment tax for 2027 is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security on net earnings up to the $192,300 taxable maximum, plus 2.9% for Medicare on all net earnings. The Social Security Administration published the $192,300 base in the Federal Register on October 26, 2026, up from $184,500 for 2026. The 12.4% and 2.9% rates are fixed in the statute, so none of this is an estimate.
More on the 2026 tax figures: the Social Security wage base for 2026.
More on the 2026 tax figures: the 2026 self-employment tax rates and base.
Publication 505 worksheets for 2026: Estimated Self-Employment Tax Worksheet 2-3.
The 2027 rates and base
| Piece | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (OASDI) | 12.4% | Net earnings up to $192,300 in 2027 |
| Medicare (HI) | 2.9% | All net earnings, no ceiling |
| Total self-employment tax | 15.3% (computed: 12.4% plus 2.9%) | Up to $192,300; 2.9% above it |
| Additional Medicare Tax | 0.9% | Over $200,000 single, $250,000 joint, $125,000 married filing separately (computed: half of $250,000) |
The rates come from section 1401 of the Internal Revenue Code. Social Security: “a tax equal to 12.4 percent of the amount of the self-employment income for such taxable year.” Medicare: “a tax equal to 2.9 percent of the amount of the self-employment income for such taxable year.” The Social Security Administration’s 2027 fact sheet lists the combined self-employed rate at 15.30 percent for both 2026 and 2027, which is the sum of the two statutory rates.
The 2027 taxable maximum
The Administration published the base in the Federal Register: “The OASDI contribution and benefit base is $192,300 for remuneration paid in 2027 and self-employment income earned in tax years beginning in 2027.” Its contribution and benefit base page says the same thing: “We call this annual limit the contribution and benefit base. This amount is also commonly referred to as the taxable maximum. For earnings in 2027, this base is $192,300.”
Only the Social Security half has a ceiling. The fact sheet shows the Medicare line without one: “Medicare (HI only) No Limit”.
The base moves with average wages. The Administration printed its arithmetic: “Multiplying the 1994 OASDI contribution and benefit base ($60,600) by the ratio of the national average wage index for 2025 ($72,800.33 as determined above) to that for 1992 ($22,935.42) produces $192,353.14. We round this amount to $192,300.” Recomputed here: $60,600 times $72,800.33 divided by $22,935.42 is $192,353.14 (computed), which rounds to $192,300.
The most Social Security tax in 2027
At the 2027 base, the Social Security part of the tax tops out at 12.4% of $192,300, which is $23,845.20 (computed). For 2026 the same arithmetic on $184,500 gives $22,878.00 (computed). The Medicare 2.9% keeps applying to every dollar above the base, and earnings over the Additional Medicare Tax thresholds in the table also owe the extra 0.9%, covered on the 2027 Additional Medicare Tax page.
Where the tax is figured
The line-by-line form walk-throughs are Schedule SE lines 5 to 13 and Schedule 2 line 4. The rates and the base on this page are the inputs. What counts as net earnings from self-employment is a separate calculation that this page does not repeat.
Common mistakes
- Applying 15.3% to earnings above $192,300. Above the base only the 2.9% Medicare part continues.
- Using the 2026 base of $184,500 for 2027 earnings. The 2027 base is $192,300.
- Forgetting the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on high earners. It is a separate tax on top of the 2.9%.
Related: the 2027 Social Security wage base, the 2027 Additional Medicare Tax, self-employment tax explained, 2027 estimated tax due dates, and the 2027 tax numbers.
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Answer againSources
- 26 U.S.C. 1401, Rate of tax (U.S. Code, 2024 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office): www.govinfo.gov
- Social Security Administration, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2027, 91 Federal Register 67380 (October 26, 2026): www.govinfo.gov
- Social Security Administration, Contribution and Benefit Base: www.ssa.gov
- Social Security Administration, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet: www.ssa.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 28, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.