The Honor System

NIL Tax Calculator

See what an NIL deal leaves after taxes, on your own numbers, free. Part of the Honor System, the money curriculum every NYC Honor athlete gets: how NIL income is taxed, what a contract is really offering, and what to do with what is left.

Why This Exists

An NIL check arrives with no tax withheld. Most young athletes learn that in April, from a bill nobody warned them about. The Honor System exists so ours learn it first, in a classroom, with the math in front of them.

Six modules, taught to every athlete in the program at no cost, covering the decisions that arrive with money well before most people are old enough to vote. How a 1099 actually works. What a contract is really offering. What to do with what is left.

6
Core Modules
100%
Athlete Access
$0
Cost to Players
15.3%
The Tax Nobody Warns Them About
Masterclass Curriculum

The 6-Step Blueprint

Module 01

Money Fundamentals

Budgeting, compound interest, and why your first dollar matters more than your last.

Foundation
Module 02

Understanding NIL

Contract evaluation, identifying red flags, and building sustainable brand partnerships.

NIL Strategy
Module 03

Athletes & Taxes

Navigating 1099s, quarterly estimates, and avoiding the most common tax traps.

Tax Planning
Module 04

Building Credit

The mechanics of credit scores and how to leverage credit for future business opportunities.

Credit Mechanics
Module 05

Investing 101

Index funds, risk, and why time in the market beats timing it. Being written now.

Investing
Module 06

Protecting Wealth

Insurance, estate basics, and how to tell a good advisor from a salesman. Being written now.

Risk Management
The rule just changed: for payments made after December 31, 2025, a business only has to send you a 1099 once it pays you $2,000 in a year. It used to be $600. Here is the part that traps people: that threshold decides who mails you a form, not whether you owe the tax. You owe it either way. A $900 deal with no paperwork is still taxable income.

Developed and taught pro bono by licensed financial professionals from Sirmium Capital. Every module is delivered to every athlete at no cost.

Interactive Tool

NIL Tax Engine

What to Set Aside

Nobody withholds tax from an NIL check. You get the full amount and you owe the IRS later. Put in what you expect to make and see what you should not spend.

Set Aside for the IRS
$0
Gross Income $0
Self-Employment Tax (15.3%) -$0
Federal Income Tax -$0
Left over, before state tax $0
State tax is not in this number. New York and New Jersey both tax this income, and neither is modeled here because we will not put a made-up figure in front of you. Check New York or New Jersey directly, and set aside more than the figure above.
Figures current for tax year 2026. Rates and standard deductions come from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. This is a teaching estimate, not tax advice, and it ignores business expenses and the qualified business income deduction, both of which would lower your bill. It errs toward setting aside too much rather than too little. Anything real goes to a CPA.
Fund the Honor System

This Is What Your Gift Builds

Every dollar funds free financial literacy and NIL education for our athletes, the curriculum above, delivered at $0 cost to every player in the program. Every gift is tax-deductible.

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These are the athletes it serves. Our 17U team played for a national title in July. See the season →