Owner-operator quarterly estimated tax calculator

How the calculator works

The calculator follows the order the federal tax return uses, simplified for a one-truck business filing Schedule C.

1. Per diem. Days away from home overnight x the per diem rate x 80%. The special transportation rate is $80 a day in the continental U.S. Source: Internal Revenue Service, 2025Notice 2025-54, special per diem ratesInternal Revenue Service, 2025. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source, and drivers under DOT hours-of-service rules deduct 80% of meal costs instead of 50% Source: Internal Revenue Service, 2026Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car ExpensesInternal Revenue Service, 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source.
2. Net profit after per diem. Your expected profit minus the per diem deduction.
3. Self-employment tax. 15.3% of 92.35% of net profit. The 12.4% Social Security part stops at the 2026 wage base of $184,500 Source: Journal of Accountancy, reporting the Social Security Administration announcement, 2025Social Security wage base and COLA announced for 2026Journal of Accountancy, reporting the Social Security Administration announcement, 2025. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source; the 2.9% Medicare part doesn't.
4. Taxable income. Net profit minus half the self-employment tax, your other adjustments, the standard deduction and a simplified 20% qualified business income deduction.
5. Income tax. Taxable income run through the 2026 federal brackets Source: Internal Revenue Service, 2025IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026Internal Revenue Service, 2025. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source.
6. Quarterly payment. The total divided by four, with what you've already paid subtracted from what's still due.

A worked example

A single owner-operator expects $85,000 of net profit in 2026 before per diem, with 220 nights away from home and no other adjustments.

Notice that self-employment tax is bigger than income tax here. That surprises many new owner-operators, who budgeted only for income tax.

Per diem rules worth knowing

Per diem is the biggest deduction many owner-operators miss. It applies to nights you're away from your tax home long enough to need sleep or rest, which covers most OTR and regional runs but not local work where you're home each night. Count the days from your logs, not from memory. The day you leave and the day you come back are partial days, which count at 75% of the full rate. Keep your logs and trip records as proof of where you were; the per diem method saves you from keeping every meal receipt, not from proving the travel.

What the estimate leaves out

This is a planning tool, not a tax return. It doesn't include state income tax, a spouse's wages or other income, tax credits, the extra Medicare tax at high incomes, depreciation choices or the limits on the qualified business income deduction above the income thresholds. Safe-harbor rules may also let you pay less in quarterly payments, based on last year's tax. A tax preparer who works with truckers can put all of that together.

Making quarterly payments easier

• Set aside a share of every settlement. Move it to a separate account the day you're paid, so the money is there on the due date.
• Keep records as you go. Fuel, repairs, insurance, tolls and per diem days are easier to track weekly than to rebuild in April. Our guide to a truck driver file management system shows a simple setup.
• Use the right business code. Your return uses a business activity code for trucking. The truck driver business code guide explains which one fits.
• Update the estimate mid-year. If a strong summer pushes your profit up, recalculate and raise the next payment.

Taxes and the rest of the numbers

Taxes come out of profit, so start with the costs. Detention pay and other extras are income too: the detention pay calculator shows what dock time should be worth. If you're planning a sale or upgrade, the semi truck value estimator gives a value range, and a sale can affect your taxes, so ask your preparer before you sign. Starting a new company? The trucking company name generator helps with the first step.

Revenue that makes the payments easy

Quarterly payments hurt most after slow months. Steady freight is the best quarterly tax plan there is, and finding it is what our desk does for owner-operators: offers worth taking, one after another, each one your decision.

Sources: Internal Revenue Service, Notice 2025-54, special per diem rates (2025); Internal Revenue Service, Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses (2026); Journal of Accountancy, reporting the Social Security Administration announcement, Social Security wage base and COLA announced for 2026 (2025); Internal Revenue Service, IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (2025).