Best Quarterly Estimated Tax Spreadsheet for Freelancers (2027)

Updated 2026-10-18 · Not tax advice

Figures used: Prices and features were read on each product's own page on October 15, 2026. They change, so check the linked page before you buy. Keelsheet makes two of the options below, one free and one paid. We say where they fall short.

Free: the one-page Q4 2026 estimated tax worksheet (printable, Excel or Google Sheets) and the quarterly estimated tax calculator.

Freelancers search for the best quarterly estimated tax spreadsheet for one reason: to know what to send the IRS four times a year without paying for a full accounting app. Here are the free and paid options, what each one actually does, and who should skip it.

What a good estimated tax spreadsheet does

Check any template against this list before you trust its number:

1. Calculates self-employment tax. 15.3% of 92.35% of net profit, with the 12.4% Social Security part capped at the wage base, and zero when your net self-employment earnings (92.35% of combined profit from all your businesses) are under $400 (self-employment tax explained).
2. Calculates income tax with current brackets, the standard deduction and the QBI deduction (generally up to 20% of qualified business income, with a $400 minimum from 2026 if you have at least $1,000 of qualified business income in total from businesses you materially participate in).
3. Checks the safe harbor. Paying 90% of this year’s tax, or 100% of last year’s (110% if last year’s AGI was over $150,000, or $75,000 if you file married filing separately this year), on time generally avoids the penalty (safe-harbor rule).
4. Tracks payments and due dates, so you can catch up if you paid too little earlier (2027 due dates).
5. Shows where its figures come from, with a date. Tax figures change every year.

A template that only does step 4 is a payment tracker, not a calculator.

Quarterly estimated tax spreadsheets compared

Who each option is for, and not for

Free options

IRS Form 1040-ES worksheet

The official method, and free. The 2026 Form 1040-ES includes the Estimated Tax Worksheet, a self-employment tax worksheet and a Record of Estimated Tax Payments. It is a 16-page PDF you fill in by hand, so redoing it each quarter takes time. Use it to check any spreadsheet’s answer once a year. Here is the 1040-ES worksheet line by line, with a worked example.

Keelsheet free calculator and Q4 worksheet

Our free quarterly estimated tax calculator runs in your browser and handles SE tax, income tax and QBI for a single filer with one business. The Q4 2026 worksheet is a one-page .xlsx for the January 15, 2027 payment. Unlike the calculator, the worksheet also takes married filing jointly, head of household, W-2 wages and withholding. Neither tracks payments across the year.

FinancialAha free tracker

A clean Excel and Google Sheets checklist: a federal and state line per quarter, a paid status and what’s still due. It doesn’t estimate what you owe, so pair it with a calculator.

Coefficient template

A free Google Sheets and Excel template whose page lists fields for SE tax, QBI, state tax and the safe harbor. We haven’t tested its formulas, so check its figures against the 1040-ES worksheet before you rely on it.

Paid options

FinancialAha Essentials ($19 one-time)

Adds an annual estimate split into four quarters, the amount and date of each payment, and a chart. You still bring the annual number.

Tiller ($99 a year)

Tiller pulls bank and card transactions into Google Sheets. Its Estimated Quarterly Tax sheet, installed through the Tiller Community Solutions add-on, estimates federal and state tax from transactions you tag as business. A community post dated January 5, 2026 says version 1.09 has 2026 IRS values. Pick it if you want automatic transaction feeds and already live in Google Sheets.

Keelsheet ($14 calculator, $22 bundle, one-time)

The Calculator Spreadsheet turns year-to-date profit into a projected annual tax. It covers SE tax, income tax for your filing status, QBI, Additional Medicare Tax and an optional flat state estimate. It compares the result with the safe harbor, shows the next payment and logs all four. The Tax Bundle adds a Schedule C ledger whose profit feeds the calculator.

Where it falls short: no bank sync, so you type or paste your numbers. It doesn’t model capital gains, AMT or two self-employed spouses, and above the QBI threshold it needs a figure from your preparer. Workbooks use 2026 IRS figures today; launch buyers get the 2027 update free, and later updates are an optional $19 a year.

How to choose

• You want one number a year and don’t mind math: the IRS 1040-ES worksheet.
• You want a free estimate in two minutes: the Keelsheet free calculator.
• Your preparer gives you the amount: a payment tracker such as FinancialAha.
• You want bank transactions flowing in automatically: Tiller, or an app like Found or Hurdlr (QuickBooks Self-Employed alternatives).
• You want a running estimate with the safe harbor, and to pay once: Keelsheet.

Not sure how much to save from each payment? Try the 1099 set-aside calculator or read how much to set aside for taxes on 1099 income.

Sources

Checked October 15, 2026. Tiller, FinancialAha and Coefficient are trademarks of their respective owners. Keelsheet isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we earn nothing from links to them.

• IRS: About Form 1040-ES (page updated Sep 17, 2026)
• IRS: 2026 Form 1040-ES (PDF)
• FinancialAha: Free Quarterly Tax Payment Tracker
• Coefficient: Free Quarterly Tax Estimate Template
• FinancialAha: Free vs Essentials comparison
• Tiller pricing
• Tiller: Quarterly Estimated Tax Spreadsheet
• Tiller Community: template updated with 2026 IRS values (Jan 5, 2026)
• Tiller Community: Estimated Quarterly Tax Sheet docs (scope limits)

This guide is general information, not tax advice. Confirm figures with IRS.gov or a qualified tax professional.

FAQ

Is there a free quarterly estimated tax spreadsheet?

Yes. The IRS Form 1040-ES worksheet is free but done by hand. FinancialAha's free tracker logs payments but doesn't calculate tax. Coefficient offers a free estimate template. Keelsheet has a free web calculator and a free one-page Q4 worksheet in .xlsx.

What should a quarterly estimated tax spreadsheet include?

Self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of net profit, with the Social Security part capped at the wage base, and none when net self-employment earnings from all your businesses total under $400), income tax by bracket, the QBI deduction (including the $400 minimum when your active businesses together have at least $1,000 of qualified business income), a safe-harbor check (90% of this year, or 100% of last year, 110% if last year's AGI was over $150,000, or over $75,000 if you file married filing separately this year), the four due dates and a log of what you paid.

Is a payment tracker enough?

Only if someone else gives you the amount. A tracker records payments and due dates. It won't tell you how much to pay or whether you meet the safe harbor.

Excel or Google Sheets for estimated taxes?

Either can work. Tiller's sheet runs in Google Sheets only. FinancialAha and Coefficient offer both. Keelsheet is built and tested for Excel. Its Google Sheets copy link is included as a preview: that edition hasn't passed our release checks yet (cover and chart visuals, and the newer Start here tab). If you use it, open the copy link rather than uploading the .xlsx, so formula protection survives.

Is a spreadsheet accurate enough for quarterly estimates?

For a sole proprietor with ordinary income, yes, if it uses current IRS figures and you update it each quarter. Capital gains, AMT, uneven income (Form 2210 Schedule AI) or a high-income QBI calculation need a preparer.