What this line means
The sum of lines 6 through 17 — all the other taxes in Part II of Schedule 2. This subtotal captures self-employment tax, unreported tip income tax, early distribution penalties, household employment taxes, net investment income tax, Additional Medicare Tax, and every other additional tax reported in Part II. This subtotal feeds into line 21.
Does this apply to you?
- You entered any amount on lines 6 through 17 of Schedule 2 Part II
- You owe self-employment tax, net investment income tax, Additional Medicare Tax, or any other Part II tax
- You are completing Schedule 2 Part II for any reason
Easy to overlook
Self-employment tax is usually the largest item on this line For most filers who complete Schedule 2 Part II, self-employment tax (line 6) dwarfs the other items. 1 A sole proprietor with $100,000 in net profit owes roughly $14,130 in self-employment tax — often more than their income tax. Filers new to self-employment sometimes expect additional taxes to be small and are surprised when the Part II total is a five-figure number driven almost entirely by SE tax. IRS Schedule 2 Instructions — Line 18
Multiple additional taxes can stack in the same year A high-earning self-employed filer with investment income can owe self-employment tax (line 6), net investment income tax (line 11), and Additional Medicare Tax (line 17) simultaneously. 2 These are separate taxes calculated on separate forms. They do not offset each other. A freelance consultant with $300,000 in earnings and $50,000 in investment income can owe over $30,000 on this section alone before income tax is calculated. General filing pattern — other taxes lines overlooked on return
Watch out for this
Double-counting self-employment tax by also entering it on Form 1040 line 23 separately. Self-employment tax goes on Schedule 2 line 6, flows through this subtotal to line 21, and then to Form 1040 line 23 via the Schedule 2 total. Entering it both on Schedule 2 and directly on Form 1040 doubles the tax. Let Schedule 2 carry the amount forward.
Footnotes
-
IRS Schedule 2 (Form 1040) Instructions, Part II. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040s2 ↩
-
IRS Schedule 2 (Form 1040) Instructions, Line 18. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040s2 ↩