# Fern: Self-Employed Taxes — Know what's safe to spend

> Know what's safe to spend (iPhone/iPad app by jack patterson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fern-self-employed-taxes/id6785351947 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [jack patterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872784716)
- Category: Finance, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 52 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-09-02
- Data updated: 2026-09-09
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fern-self-employed-taxes/id6785351947/reviews.md

## What is Fern?

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, each with a 7-day free trial. Pro adds automatic transfers into your tax account, the deduction finder, and the in-app assistant. Everything else is free.

Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the free 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

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fern Pro Yearly | $89.99 | per year |
| Fern Pro Monthly | $12.99 | per month |



## Version history (last 1 release)

### 1.0.0 — 2026-09-03

No release notes.

## More apps by jack patterson

- [Rinkside: Hockey Stats](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rinkside-hockey-stats/id6762891002)

All apps by jack patterson: https://appshunter.io/developer/1872784716

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*