About The Number Desk

The Number Desk publishes free calculators for people who work for themselves. The first set covers the money questions that come with self-employment — what you owe in tax, what you actually keep, and what it costs to run a small business.

Which country this is for

The United States. Every calculator and guide currently on this site works to US federal tax rules — the IRS definitions, the Social Security wage base, the federal brackets, and the state-level differences within the US.

If you file taxes in Canada, the UK, Australia or anywhere else, these numbers will not be right for you. Not approximately right — the underlying system is different, and applying a US calculation to a non-US return produces a figure that means nothing. Every tool and guide carries a US label for that reason.

Why it exists

Most calculators for this stuff are lead magnets. You type in your numbers, and instead of an answer you get a form asking for your email, or a result deliberately vague enough that you’ll book a call. The information isn’t secret — the tax formulas are published by the IRS and the state agencies — but it’s buried behind signups and sales funnels.

This site does the opposite. The calculator is at the top of the page, it works immediately, and it tells you how it reached the number.

How it’s funded

Advertising. There is no paid tier, no subscription, and nothing is gated. Ads pay for the hosting and the time it takes to build and maintain the tools. Where a page recommends a paid product, that will be stated plainly on the page.

How the numbers are produced

Every calculator is built from primary sources — published tax tables, statutes, and agency guidance — not copied from other calculators. Each tool names its method and its limits, because an estimate that hides its assumptions isn’t worth much.

Tax rules change. Pages carry an “updated” date so you can see how current they are, and anything materially out of date gets fixed or pulled.

What this site is not

It isn’t tax, legal or financial advice. The calculators produce estimates for general information. They can’t see your full situation, and there are always cases they don’t cover. For anything consequential, talk to a qualified professional who can look at your actual circumstances.

Your data

The calculators run in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to us, not stored, and not connected to you. See the privacy policy for the full detail.

Contact

Corrections are genuinely welcome — if a calculator is wrong, telling us is the fastest way to get it fixed. Get in touch.