Set aside for Q4 2026
Based on $56,004 of business income so far this year, on track for about $73,267. That works out to 23.6% of what you bring in, not a percentage anyone guessed.
Pay $5,693 now. Q2 and Q3 are underpaid, and the IRS charges interest on each missed payment from its own due date. Paying now stops it growing. The $5,052 above is for the next deadline, on top of this.
- Owed this year
- $15,546
- Already paid
- $4,800
- Still to pay
- $10,746
100
days
in 100 days
1 payment left in 2026
This is an estimate to help you plan, not tax advice or a filing. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
The difference
What a flat percentage would have told you
A flat 30% would have you set aside $21,980.
We estimate you’ll owe $15,546.
The gap: $6,434
Money you'd tie up for no reason
$6,434
That’s cash sitting in a tax bucket you don’t owe. It’s yours, and it could be paying rent, or buying equipment you’d then deduct.
Set aside so far
$11,340 moved, covering what you need
That's the tax on this year's business income so far ($12,592), less the $4,800 you've already paid the IRS.
From your recent deposits
Upwork
Sep 18 · $665 deposit
Move $155
Meridian Health
Sep 10 · $3,000 deposit
Move $710
Northwind Studio
Aug 20 · $3,968 deposit
Move $940
Meridian Health
Aug 20 · $3,000 deposit
Move $710
Easiest: set your bank to move 24% of each deposit into a tax savings account you own. You move the money; Setaside never touches it.
We count transfers to savings we can see in your connected accounts. If you save somewhere else, or pay the IRS from savings, treat this as a rough guide.
Monthly check-in
17 items to confirm
A few minutes a month: which deposits were income, which purchases were business costs.
Tax year 2026
3 things before your CPA
Your Schedule C so far, a ready-to-file checklist, and an export in a CPA's format.
Penalty protection
Safe harbor
Pay at least this much across the year and the IRS won't charge an underpayment penalty, even if you end up owing more.
$4,800
of $13,991 target
Paying 90% of this year's estimated tax protects you from an underpayment penalty even if you end up owing more. You're 34% of the way there.
Safe harbor protects you from a penalty. It doesn’t cap what you owe. If your income keeps climbing, the balance is still due at filing.
2026 deadlines
Your payment schedule
Estimated taxes are paid four times a year, not once. Miss one and interest starts accruing on that quarter.
$5,693 to catch up now for Q2 and Q3. Record it below once it’s paid.
Q1 2026
April 15
Passed
Q2 2026
June 15
Missed
Q3 2026
September 15
Missed
Q4 2026Next
January 15, 2027 · 100 days away
$5,052
How do I actually pay this?
Federal. Use IRS Direct Pay at irs.gov/payments. Choose Estimated Tax as the reason and 1040-ES as the form, then pick the tax year. It takes a bank account directly with no fee, and you get a confirmation number worth keeping.
State. Paid separately, through your own state’s revenue department. Paying the IRS does not cover it.
Once you’ve paid, hit Mark as paid above so your safe harbor progress stays accurate.
We never move money for you. This is a plan, not a transfer. You pay from your own account, on your own schedule.
Income
$56,004 of business income in 2026
Confirmed deposits by month, less $4,764 of deductible expenses you've categorised.
Tax year 2026
Where the number comes from
Three separate taxes, added together. This is the math a flat percentage skips.
- Self-employment tax
- $9,289
- Federal income tax
- $3,726
- Colorado income tax
- $2,530
Social Security and Medicare. An employer would normally pay half of this; on your own, you pay both halves.
Your 12% top bracket applies only to your last dollars, not all of them.
Flat rate, so this figure is exact.
A 20% deduction most sole proprietors qualify for. Flat-percentage tools don't account for it.
You get to deduct the employer half of what you just paid.
- Calculated after deducting the business expenses you've confirmed. Anything you haven't categorised yet isn't included, so this may still be high.
- State tax uses a single rate for your state, so it's a rougher estimate than the federal figure.
- Your full-year figure is projected from income received so far. It updates as new deposits come in.
Income review
1 deposit need a quick look
We weren't sure about these. Two seconds each, and your estimate gets more accurate.
Halstead & Roe
HALSTEAD ROE LLP PMT
Sep 11
$2,750
One-off deposit we don't recognize. Tell us if this was work income
Use Y / N to move faster. Nothing is permanent, and you can change any of these later.
Your numbers are your numbers. You confirm every deposit and expense here, and you're responsible for their accuracy; Setaside organizes what you confirm and doesn't verify it.
Spending
16 charges to categorise
Every business cost you confirm lowers what you owe. Anything personal, or moving between your own accounts, should be left out.
Chase Savings
ONLINE TRANSFER TO SAV 4471
Oct 6
$720
Looks like a transfer between your own accounts, not a business cost.
It was a business cost, categorise it
Nothing is permanent. You can change any of these later.
Your numbers are your numbers. You confirm every deposit and expense here, and you're responsible for their accuracy; Setaside organizes what you confirm and doesn't verify it.
Activity
Recent activity
- −$720
Chase Savings
Oct 6 · Awaiting your review
- −$60
Adobe
Oct 4 · Awaiting your review
- −$14
Google
Oct 2 · Awaiting your review
- −$1,850
Oak Street Apartments
Oct 1 · Awaiting your review
- −$640
Chase
Sep 22 · Awaiting your review
- −$830
Chase Savings
Sep 21 · Awaiting your review
- $665
Upwork
Sep 18 · Business income
- −$63
Amazon
Sep 15 · Awaiting your review