Fern: Self-Employed Taxes
Tax set-aside for freelancers
Only for iPhone
Free · In‑App Purchases
iPhone
Fern is a tax-aware budgeting app for freelancers, 1099 contractors, and creators with irregular income.
If you're self-employed, no one withholds your taxes. Every deposit that lands looks like money you can spend, until April says otherwise. Fern fixes that.
HOW IT WORKS
1. Connect your bank securely through Plaid.
2. Fern spots incoming deposits and asks you to confirm which ones are taxable income. Nothing is guessed, you decide, every time.
3. Fern sets aside a percentage of what you confirm into your tax bucket.
4. Your home screen shows one number: what's actually safe to spend.
A REAL ESTIMATE, NOT A RULE OF THUMB
Most advice says "save 30%" and leaves you guessing. Fern estimates your reserve rate from published tax figures:
• Self-employment tax, Social Security up to the wage base, Medicare, and the additional Medicare tax
• Federal income tax brackets for your filing status, after the standard deduction
• The qualified business income (QBI) deduction
• State income tax, from a per-state dataset covering all 50 states
You see the breakdown, how much is self-employment tax, how much is federal, how much is state, not a black box. And you always control the final percentage.
DEDUCTIONS THAT LOWER YOUR RESERVE
Fern flags likely business expenses, software subscriptions, professional services, travel. You confirm each one and set how much is deductible. Confirmed deductions lower your suggested reserve rate, and Fern shows you by how much.
ALSO INCLUDED
• Savings goals with realistic timelines based on your actual income pace
• An income forecast built from your deposit history
• Clear tracking of everything you've set aside
WHAT FERN IS NOT
Fern is a savings and budgeting tool, not tax advice, and not a tax preparer. It does not file your taxes, does not submit quarterly payments, and does not replace an accountant. The reserve estimate is exactly that: an estimate, to help you set money aside. Your money stays in your own bank account the entire time.
Built for people with lumpy income who are tired of being surprised.
SUBSCRIPTION
Fern Pro is an optional auto-renewing subscription: $12.99/month or $89.99/year, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers eligible for an introductory offer. Pro adds a suggested reserve rate, the deduction finder, two or more linked banks, and the in-app assistant. Everything else is free.
If you start a free trial, payment is charged to your Apple Account when the trial ends. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings > your name > Subscriptions.
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.getfernapp.com/legal/terms
Privacy Policy: https://www.getfernapp.com/legal/privacy
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
• A fresh new look across the app
• Goals: categories, simple guides, and a contribution history you can edit
• Add estimated tax deadlines and goal dates to your calendar
• Spending by category, with smoother, interactive charts
• Faster loading, with your data cached for quick starts
• Accessibility improvements and bug fixes
The developer, jack patterson, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Purchases
- Financial Info
- Contact Info
- Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Diagnostics
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- jack patterson
- Size
- 58.8 MB
- Category
- Finance
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 16.4 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 16.4 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Fern Pro Monthly $12.99
- Fern Pro Yearly $89.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 Fern Financial