Fern: Self-Employed Taxes
jack patterson Finance iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Fern: Self-Employed Taxes is a free Finance app for iPhone and iPad by jack patterson. Requires iOS 16.4. Updated October 16, 2026.
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 56 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 16
- 2026 · v1.0.3
Screenshots
About Fern: Self-Employed Taxes
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
What’s new
Version 1.0.3 · Updated October 16, 2026
• 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
App privacy
The developer, jack patterson, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Purchases: Purchase History
- Financial Info: Other Financial Info
- Contact Info: Email Address, Name
- Identifiers: User ID
Used for: App Functionality
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Diagnostics: Crash Data, Performance Data
Used for: Analytics
Alternatives to Fern: Self-Employed Taxes
Looking for apps like Fern: Self-Employed Taxes? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Bips: Self-Employed Finance (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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Bips: Self-Employed Finance
5.0
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Self Employed-Accounting & Tax
5.0
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HIFI
4.4
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Royalties LLC
3.6
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IRA Financial
3.9
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Tax Refund Guide Status Check
2.4
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fern: Self-Employed Taxes | – | Free | October 16, 2026 | |
| Bips: Self-Employed Finance | 5.0 / 5 (1) | Free | Jun 30, 2026 | Compare |
| Self Employed-Accounting & Tax | 5.0 / 5 (6) | Free | Jul 3, 2026 | Compare |
| HIFI | 4.4 / 5 (28) | Free | Nov 1, 2023 | Compare |
| Royalties LLC | 3.6 / 5 (30) | Free | Jul 6, 2026 | Compare |
| IRA Financial | 3.9 / 5 (41) | Free | Oct 8, 2026 | Compare |
| Tax Refund Guide Status Check | 2.4 / 5 (5) | Free | Nov 13, 2025 | Compare |