Free tax calculator
S-corp savings calculator
Compare what you’d pay as an LLC taxed on self-employment income against an S-corp election — side by side, net of the cost of actually running the S-corp. Federal figures for 2025 and 2026.
Side-by-side comparison
Enter your net profit and the reasonable salary you would pay yourself to see the comparison.
Figures being finalized. Some tax bracket thresholds for the year and filing status you selected are still being verified against the published IRS revenue procedure. The result below may shift slightly. The 2026 single and married-filing-jointly figures are confirmed.
Check this salary carefully. You’ve entered a salary that is smaller than the profit being distributed. That pattern is exactly what the IRS looks at when it reviews S-corp compensation. There is no safe percentage — reasonable compensation depends on your facts, and this tool does not determine it.
The salary you entered is higher than your net profit, so the comparison uses your full profit as salary. There is no distribution left to treat differently.
An S-corp owner who works in the business cannot take a zero salary. Enter the wage you would actually have to pay for your role.
| Line | LLC LLC / sole prop | S-corp S-corp election |
|---|---|---|
| Net business profit | — | — |
| Owner salary (W-2 wages) | — | — |
| Distribution (no SE/FICA) | — | — |
| Self-employment tax | — | — |
| FICA — employee half | — | — |
| FICA — employer half | — | — |
| Half of SE tax (deduction) | — | — |
| Standard deduction | — | — |
| Taxable income | — | — |
| Federal income tax | — | — |
| Added S-corp running costs | — | — |
| Additional Medicare tax | — | — |
| California franchise tax (1.5%, $800 min) | — | — |
| Total federal tax + costs | — | — |
| Effective rate on profit | — | — |
Federal only. This comparison does not model the qualified business income (QBI) deduction under §199A — which an S-corp election can change — or any state or local tax, which varies by state and can reduce or reverse a federal difference. Employer-side payroll tax and the added running costs are treated as deductible business expenses on the S-corp path.
Federal + state
| Federal tax | — |
|---|---|
| State tax | — |
| Combined | — |
| Combined effective rate | — |
Estimate only — not tax advice. These figures are a general educational estimate based on federal tax data and the numbers you entered. They are not a tax return, not tax advice, and not a guarantee of your actual tax. They exclude many credits, deductions, phase-outs, state and local taxes, and situation-specific rules. Using this tool does not create a client relationship. For numbers you can rely on, book a free consultation.
How this works
What an S-corp election really changes — and what it doesn’t
An LLC is a legal structure. An S-corp is a tax election that an LLC (or a corporation) can make. Making the election doesn’t change what your business does or who owns it — it changes how the profit is taxed on the way to you.
As a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, every dollar of net profit is subject to self-employment tax: 12.4% Social Security up to the annual wage base, plus 2.9% Medicare with no cap. That’s on top of ordinary income tax. After an S-corp election, you become an employee of your own business. You run a real payroll, that wage carries FICA at the same combined rates, and the profit left over can be distributed to you without self-employment or FICA tax. That gap is the entire source of any S-corp tax savings — the income tax side barely moves.
Which is why the salary figure does all the work in an LLC vs S-corp calculator. Set the wage low and the modelled saving grows; set it where it genuinely belongs and the saving shrinks. The IRS knows this, which is why reasonable salary for an S-corp is the single most examined number in the whole arrangement. It isn’t a percentage you pick — it’s what you’d have to pay somebody else to do your job, given your duties, your hours, and what comparable roles pay where you are. We ask you to enter it precisely because no honest tool can guess it for you.
The other half of the picture is cost. An S-corp needs payroll processing, a separate Form 1120-S return, and often state fees an LLC never sees. Those are real, recurring, and they come out of the same saving. A calculator that shows you gross employment tax avoided is showing you half the story — at modest profit levels the costs can swallow the benefit entirely. That’s why the headline number here is always net.
So should you elect S-corp status? This page won’t tell you, and you should be wary of any tool that does. Beyond the arithmetic sit the qualified business income deduction, your state’s treatment of S-corps, how steady your profit is year to year, retirement contributions, and whether you want the extra administration. Those interact — sometimes in the opposite direction to the federal employment tax number you see above. Treat this as a starting point for a conversation, not a conclusion.
Just getting started instead? See how we handle business formation and LLC setup, or book a free consultation to talk through the election with a Washington State Licensed CPA. Choosing a state shows S-corp taxes by state, and selecting California computes the California S-corp franchise tax of 1.5% (with its $800 minimum) as its own line.
Questions
S-corp savings, answered
Is an S-corp election right for your numbers?
The answer turns on reasonable compensation, your state, and your QBI position. Book a free consultation and we’ll walk through it together.
Important disclaimer Read Hide
This calculator is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice, and must not be relied upon as such.
No professional relationship. Using this calculator does not create a CPA-client, advisory, or any professional relationship between you and IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC. A professional relationship is established only through a signed engagement letter.
Estimates only; no warranty of accuracy. Results are approximations based solely on the limited information you enter and on general federal tax figures for the selected year (sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40 for 2025 and Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for 2026). Tax law is complex and changes frequently. The calculator does not account for all credits, deductions, phase-outs, alternative minimum tax, the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, net investment income tax, state or local taxes, or facts specific to your situation. IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of any result.
No reliance; hold harmless. You should not make any financial, tax, or business decision based on this calculator alone. Any reliance you place on it is strictly at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC disclaims all liability for any loss or consequence arising from use of this tool.
The S-corp comparison depends on a "reasonable compensation" determination that the IRS requires and that involves professional judgment specific to your facts. A salary set too low to reduce employment tax is a recognized audit risk. This tool does not determine reasonable compensation and does not recommend electing S-corporation status.
State results are simplified estimates. State tax law includes local taxes, credits, and special rules this tool does not model, and some 2026 figures may not yet be finalized by your state. Verify with your state’s Department of Revenue or a professional before relying on any state figure.
For advice you can rely on, book a free consultation with a Washington State Licensed CPA.
Figures: IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40 (2025) and 2025-32 (2026). Federal figures only — state and local taxes are not included. All calculations run in your browser. Nothing you enter is collected, transmitted, or stored.