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Individuals who are self-employed are responsible for paying self-employment tax. This tax is essentially the self-employed person's equivalent of the FICA tax that employees and employers pay in a traditional job setting, which funds Social Security and Medicare. Since self-employed individuals do not have an employer withholding taxes from their earnings, they must pay both the employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes through self-employment tax.

This tax is calculated based on the net earnings from self-employment, and self-employed individuals need to report their income to the IRS and pay the required self-employment tax alongside their regular income tax. It's important for those in self-employment to understand this responsibility, as failing to pay self-employment tax can lead to penalties and interest on unpaid amounts.