TurboTax Self-Employed Costs $89+. These Calculators Are Free.
TurboTax Self-Employed is a tax filing product that also tracks mileage and expenses. Reise Tools is something different: planning calculators that show SE tax formulas, quarterly safe harbor math, and rate analysis — free, before you ever open a tax return.
🧮Try Self-Employment Tax Calculator →Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Calculate your exact self-employment tax using the IRS formula. Shows SE tax (SS + Medicare), the half-SE deduction, 2024 federal income tax brackets, effective rate, take-home pay, and quarterly estimated payment.
| Feature | TurboTax Self-Employed (paid plan) | Reise Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Free with no account required TurboTax Self-Employed starts at $89/year | ||
| SE tax formula shown (12.4% SS + 2.9% Medicare) | ||
| 50% SE tax deduction on AGI computed | ||
| QBI deduction (Section 199A) modeled TurboTax applies QBI but only during full return prep | ||
| Quarterly safe harbor amounts (100%/90% rules) | ||
| Formula shown for every result | ||
| Run hypothetical scenarios freely (rate change, 401k max) | ||
| Full tax filing (Schedule C + 1040) TurboTax files taxes; Reise is a planning tool only | ||
| Receipt scanning and expense tracking | ||
| Mileage auto-tracking (mobile app) TurboTax app tracks mileage; Reise has a manual mileage deduction calculator |
To be honest: this is a widely-used tool for good reasons. Here's what it does well.
- TurboTax Self-Employed files your full federal and state return end-to-end — Reise Tools is a planning tool, not a filing product
- Receipt scanning and QuickBooks Self-Employed sync save real bookkeeping time for active freelancers
- Industry-specific deduction prompts (Uber, Etsy, Airbnb, etc.) surface write-offs TurboTax knows by category
- TurboTax Live add-on connects you to a real CPA for review — genuinely valuable for complex tax situations
- ▸The $89+ price is software only — state filing costs an additional $49+/state, and TurboTax Live CPA access pushes the total to $169–$359+/year
- ▸No scenario modeling — TurboTax computes your current tax liability but won't answer ‘what if I max my Solo 401(k)?’ or ‘what if I raise my rate 20%?’ without rerunning the full interview
- ▸Formula opacity — TurboTax shows you a tax owed number but never the SE tax calculation steps (12.4% SS + 2.9% Medicare on 92.35% of net income), the QBI deduction logic, or quarterly safe harbor thresholds
- ▸Annual subscription required — you lose access to prior-year planning data after your subscription lapses, making year-over-year comparison harder
- ▸No rate or break-even tools — TurboTax has nothing equivalent to a freelance rate calculator, W-2 vs 1099 break-even, or contractor rate-sanity benchmark
Every Reise calculator has a ShowMath panel — expand it and you see the exact formula with your actual numbers substituted in. Not just a result. Not a black box. The full derivation, step by step.
TurboTax Self-Employed is excellent at filing your taxes. Reise Tools is excellent at planning before you file — understanding SE tax, modeling retirement contributions, and knowing what rate you need to charge. Use both: Reise to understand the math during the year, TurboTax to file when April comes.
Calculate your quarterly IRS payments with QBI deduction (Section 199A), safe harbor, and all 4 due dates. Adds the 20% pass-through deduction that most freelancers forget to claim.
Same gross pay, wildly different take-home. See exactly how W-2 and 1099 offers compare after self-employment tax, FICA, and employer benefits — then get the break-even number that tells you exactly what to negotiate.
100+ free calculators. Every result shows the formula. No account required.