Nobody withholds tax from a DoorDash payout, an overtime spike, or a freelance invoice — that part is on you. Punch in your income mix and this tool works out exactly what percentage of every payout to lock away, and when the IRS expects it.
Pick the setup that matches how the money actually comes in.
Be honest — this is what decides your risk tier on the Shield Card.
Monthly numbers are fine — the engine annualizes everything behind the scenes.
Your estimated annual tax burden on the income nobody withholds from, broken into its parts.
One rule to follow on every payout, and the four dates the IRS cares about. Your Shield Card below has the summary.
Your per-payout reserve plan.
When no employer withholds tax from your income, the IRS wants it paid as you earn — in four installments due January 15, April 15, June 15, and September 15. You file Form 1040-ES, pay online or by mail, and then square up on your annual return. Skip the quarters and you can owe an underpayment penalty on top of the tax itself, even if you pay in full in April.
It's the moment a gig or hybrid worker files their first return and discovers a full year of untaxed side income at once — self-employment tax plus income tax, all due on one day, sometimes with a penalty for not paying quarterly. A $1,200/month side hustle with no reserves can mean a $4,000+ bill out of nowhere. The Shield Card's reserve rate exists so April feels like a formality, not an emergency.
For self-employment driving — deliveries, rideshare, trips to clients — you can deduct the IRS standard mileage rate ($0.70 per mile for 2025) instead of tracking actual gas and repairs. At 600 business miles a month, that's $420 a month straight off your taxable income. The catch: you need a mileage log with dates, miles, and purpose. A notebook or a tracking tool works — reconstructing it from memory in April doesn't.