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The Tax Estimate page is the most comprehensive view of your tax picture. It calculates federal and state taxes, handles W-2 and 1099 differences, tracks quarterly payments, and evaluates your audit readiness.

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Tax Summary

The top section shows your headline numbers:
MetricDescription
Total Taxable IncomeBase pay + bonuses across all assignments
Total StipendsHousing + M&IE (tax-free if you qualify)
Federal TaxEstimated federal income tax
State TaxCombined state tax across all states
Self-Employment Tax15.3% SE tax (1099 only)
Total TaxFederal + state + SE
Estimated Take-HomeGross income minus total tax
Quarterly PaymentTotal tax / 4

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W-2 vs. 1099 Handling

  • Standard deduction applied (TCJA suspended itemized deductions through 2025)
  • No self-employment tax
  • Expenses shown in “For Your Records” section
  • State deductions applied for NY, CA, AL, HI, AR
  • TCJA expiration warning banner for years 2026+

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Deductions Breakdown

The deductions section shows:
  • Deduction method — “standard” for W-2, “business_expense” for 1099
  • Standard deduction amount — Based on filing status and year
  • Expense breakdown — Per-category totals (tracked even for W-2)
  • Mileage deduction — Total miles, deductible miles, IRS rate, deduction amount

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State Breakdown

Per-state rows showing:
  • State name and income allocated to that state
  • State tax and effective rate
  • Green savings note for states with W-2 expense deductions
  • Link to the full State Income page

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Quarterly Payments

Interactive cards for each quarter (Q1–Q4):
  • Status badge — Paid, Due, Overdue, or Upcoming
  • Estimated amount — Based on your annual tax / 4
  • Due date — IRS quarterly deadlines
  • Record Payment — Log amount, date, confirmation number, notes
  • Underpayment flag — Amber warning when paid < estimated
Summary row at the bottom: Total Estimated / Total Paid / Remaining.See Quarterly Payments for the full tax education guide.

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Social Security Projection

Shows the tradeoff between FICA savings from tax-free stipends and reduced future Social Security benefits:
  • Current SS-creditable earnings — Base pay only (stipends don’t count toward SS)
  • Hypothetical fully-taxable earnings — What you’d earn toward SS if stipends were taxable
  • FICA savings — Money saved by keeping stipends tax-free
  • Estimated annual SS benefit impact — Reduction in future monthly benefits
  • Net advantage — FICA savings minus benefit impact
The projection uses PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) bend points to estimate the marginal impact on your Social Security benefits.

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Audit Readiness

11-point checklist evaluating your audit preparedness:7 core tax home criteria:
  1. Rent being paid
  2. Active assignment
  3. Recent visit (within 30 days)
  4. Voter registration
  5. Driver’s license in tax home state
  6. Property not rented out
  7. No 12-month+ assignment at any location
4 documentation criteria: 8. Tax home costs recorded 9. GSA compliance (stipends within limits) 10. Expenses tracked 11. Mileage loggedItems that don’t apply (no assignments, no tax home) pass automatically.See Audit Readiness for the full guide.

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Assignment Detail

Each assignment in the Tax Estimate shows:
  • Facility, state, and weeks worked
  • Taxable income and stipend breakdown
  • GSA per diem comparison (daily rates vs. IRS limits, excess amounts)