> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.taxhomebase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tax Estimate

> Federal and state tax calculations with W-2/1099 support, quarterly payments, and audit readiness.

<Snippet file="pro-required.mdx" />

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.

<Frame caption="The Tax Estimate page shows your complete tax picture — income, deductions, state breakdown, and quarterly payments.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/stipendguard/rYTODjwsgR5TPzB9/images/guides/tax-estimate.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=rYTODjwsgR5TPzB9&q=85&s=91d315dea8169760aec79e4223d48293" alt="Tax Estimate page showing tax summary with federal and state tax, deductions breakdown, and state income rows" style={{ maxWidth: '300px' }} width="786" height="1680" data-path="images/guides/tax-estimate.png" />
</Frame>

## Tax Summary

The top section shows your headline numbers:

| Metric                   | Description                               |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Total Taxable Income** | Base pay + bonuses across all assignments |
| **Total Stipends**       | Housing + M\&IE (tax-free if you qualify) |
| **Federal Tax**          | Estimated federal income tax              |
| **State Tax**            | Combined state tax across all states      |
| **Self-Employment Tax**  | 15.3% SE tax (1099 only)                  |
| **Total Tax**            | Federal + state + SE                      |
| **Estimated Take-Home**  | Gross income minus total tax              |
| **Quarterly Payment**    | Total tax / 4                             |

## W-2 vs. 1099 Handling

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="W-2 Employees">
    * Standard deduction applied (TCJA suspended itemized deductions — made permanent by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025))
    * No self-employment tax
    * Expenses shown in "For Your Records" section
    * State deductions applied for NY, CA, AL, HI, AR
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="1099 Contractors">
    * Schedule C business expenses reduce income before SE tax
    * Self-employment tax (15.3%) on net self-employment income
    * 50% SE tax deduction from AGI
    * Standard deduction applied against AGI
    * All expenses directly reduce taxable income
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## 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

## 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](/guides/state-income) page

## Quarterly Payments

<Frame caption="Record quarterly estimated tax payments and track underpayments.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/stipendguard/rYTODjwsgR5TPzB9/images/guides/quarterly-payment-form.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=rYTODjwsgR5TPzB9&q=85&s=86310fa1d2347fd7f5d512d84b7f234e" alt="Quarterly payment form showing amount, date, confirmation number, and notes fields" style={{ maxWidth: '300px' }} width="750" height="1680" data-path="images/guides/quarterly-payment-form.png" />
</Frame>

<Accordion title="Quarterly Payment Tracker">
  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](/tax-education/quarterly-payments) for the full tax education guide.
</Accordion>

## Social Security Projection

<Accordion title="Social Security Impact">
  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.
</Accordion>

## Audit Readiness

<Accordion title="Audit Readiness Score">
  100-point weighted 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 logged

  Items that don't apply (no assignments, no tax home) pass automatically.

  See [Audit Readiness](/guides/audit-readiness) for the full guide.
</Accordion>

## 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)