A worked example

The leap to self-employment

Sam, 38, earning $150k, thinking about going full-time on a consulting practice they expect to net $60k in year one, growing 20% a year.

“If I quit next year and the business nets $60k growing 20%, how long do my savings carry the household — and what do my taxes look like?”

What the projection shows

Whether and when a shortfall appears under those assumptions, the self-employment tax and QBI deduction each year, the quarterly estimated-tax set-aside the projected income implies, and how low the bracket sits in the lean years.