2027 tax brackets and standard deduction: what changes if you're self-employed

The IRS published the 2027 tax brackets on November 5, 2026, in Rev. Proc. 2026-35. They apply to income you earn from January 1, 2027, which you'll report on the return you file in early 2028. Every bracket edge moved up by roughly 3% for inflation, and the rates stayed the same: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%.

If you're self-employed, the brackets matter for a second reason: they set how much you send the IRS each quarter, starting with the April 15, 2027 estimated payment.

2027 tax brackets

The figures are taxable income, which is your income after the standard deduction (or itemized deductions) and the QBI deduction.

Single

Rate	Taxable income
10%	$0 to $12,800
12%	$12,801 to $52,025
22%	$52,026 to $109,125
24%	$109,126 to $208,325
32%	$208,326 to $264,550
35%	$264,551 to $661,375
37%	Over $661,375

Married filing jointly

Rate	Taxable income
10%	$0 to $25,600
12%	$25,601 to $104,050
22%	$104,051 to $218,250
24%	$218,251 to $416,650
32%	$416,651 to $529,100
35%	$529,101 to $793,650
37%	Over $793,650

Head of household

Rate	Taxable income
10%	$0 to $18,250
12%	$18,251 to $69,650
22%	$69,651 to $109,100
24%	$109,101 to $208,300
32%	$208,301 to $264,550
35%	$264,551 to $661,350
37%	Over $661,350

Married filing separately uses the single brackets up to 35%, and the 37% rate starts above $396,825.

A bracket only applies to the slice of income inside it. Moving into the 22% bracket doesn't make all of your income taxed at 22%, just the dollars above the line.

2027 standard deduction

Filing status	2026	2027
Single or married filing separately	$16,100	$16,600
Married filing jointly	$32,200	$33,200
Head of household	$24,150	$24,925

The other 2027 numbers freelancers use

Figure	2026	2027
Social Security wage base (the cap on the 12.4% part of self-employment tax)	$184,500	$192,300
QBI deduction threshold, single	$201,750	$208,300
QBI deduction threshold, married filing jointly	$403,500	$416,600
Minimum QBI deduction (with at least $1,030 of active business income in 2027)	$400	$415
Form 1099-NEC reporting threshold	$2,000	$2,100
Standard mileage rate	72.5¢ to June, 76¢ from July	Not out yet

The IRS usually announces the next year's mileage rate in December. All of these, with links to the source for each, are on our self-employed tax numbers page.

What it means for your tax bill

Not much, on its own. Self-employment tax is still 15.3% of 92.35% of your profit, and inflation adjustments don't touch it. Only the income tax part of your bill gets the higher brackets and the bigger standard deduction.

Here's a single freelancer with no other income, using the same profit in both years:

	$50,000 profit	$75,000 profit
Self-employment tax, 2026 and 2027	$7,065	$10,597
Income tax for 2026	$2,667	$4,898
Income tax for 2027	$2,611	$4,842
Saved in 2027	$56	$56

The examples take the standard deduction and the QBI deduction and assume no other income or credits. The saving is small because most of a freelancer's bill is self-employment tax. If your profit grows with inflation, your tax grows with it. The share of each payment you should set aside barely moves.

Your 2027 estimated tax payments

The quarterly due dates for 2027 income are April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2027, and a fourth payment in mid-January 2028. The IRS confirms the exact January date when it publishes Form 1040-ES (2027).

To avoid an underpayment penalty, your 2027 payments need to add up to the smaller of:

• 90% of your 2027 tax, or
• 100% of the tax on your 2026 return (110% if your 2026 adjusted gross income was over $150,000, or $75,000 married filing separately).

The second option is the safe harbor, and it's the easier one for most people. Once you file your 2026 return in early 2027, you know the exact number, and you can split it into four equal payments without guessing at 2027's income or the new brackets.

Before then, there's one more payment for 2026 itself: January 15, 2027, the last quarterly due date for this year's income. The free calculator works out what's left to pay.

Where the brackets came from

The rates and the structure come from the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, signed July 4, 2025, which made the 2017 rates permanent instead of letting them expire after 2025. The dollar amounts are adjusted for inflation each year, and the IRS publishes them in a revenue procedure each autumn. The 2027 figures above are copied from Rev. Proc. 2026-35, sections 3.01 and 3.15.