Self-employed taxes aren’t one decision — they’re a dozen connected ones. See them interact, and the moves you can make this year.
Salary and distributions, retirement contributions, the health-insurance deduction, estimated payments, the QBI and ACA thresholds — for the self-employed, they all interact. Enter your situation, compare the moves available to you, and see what each one is worth before the year closes.
Explore a worked example free. Run your own numbers with a free account — sign-ups open soon.
QBI deduction kept · reasonable-comp set · penalty-safe
Illustrative — an example S-corp consultant near the QBI phase-out. Your own situation and numbers set the real plan.
Start with the situation that fits you.
ACA Subsidy Cliff
Recover the premium tax credit the 400% FPL cliff wipes out.
up to ~$19–33k / yr near the cliffOpen →QBI Phase-Out
Restore the 20% deduction the SSTB phase-out quietly erodes.
~$10k+ for SSTB owners in rangeFreelance Tax Setup
SE tax, estimated payments, and contributions, dialed in for the year.
stop over/under-paying the IRSS-Corp Election
Should you elect S-corp? See the real breakeven for your income.
FICA vs. filing-cost tradeoffRetirement Vehicles
SEP vs. Solo 401(k) vs. Cash Balance — with the limit math done right.
including stacked plansW-2 + Side Business
The interactions between a day job and a side gig, resolved together.
shared 401(k) limits, SE tax＋ Start new project
The full builder — build any scenario, no template. For when you already know what you want to model.
the advanced way inLumsyl is built on a financial engine that models the interactions most tools miss. Self-employment is where we start, not where it ends — the same engine extends into retirement, real estate, equity and beyond. You’ll never be handed a blank canvas; every situation opens on a worked example.
Model your situation.
A planning tool, not a calculator. Most tools calculate one thing at a time. Lumsyl models your situation as a whole — your income, retirement contributions, and deductions all pull on each other, so it solves them together from your real numbers. See where you stand against the thresholds that cost you money, what it would take to clear each one, and what each move is worth.
Track your position through the year. With lumsyl you can see where you stand and the moves available to you — so when a strong quarter or a late invoice pushes you toward a threshold, you find out while you can still act on it, not at filing.
Compare your options side by side. Salary at $80k or $120k. Fund a SEP or a solo 401(k). Take the distribution this year or next. Build each one as its own scenario and see what it actually costs.