How to do taxes as a freelancer in the USA

Concerns included: Maybe I’d overpaid or underpaid the IRS? Actually, it was the latter that I was most afraid of, dreading that IRS-addressed envelope in the mail.

Below, you can learn how to file your taxes as a freelancer in the United States, with details about the most methods and best practices available.

As a freelancer, gig worker, or independent contractor, you’re responsible for your own Social Security and Medicare taxes, which amount to 15.3% of your net business profit.

You fill out taxes four times a year, which, thankfully, you can pay yourself online. The deadline is April 18, 2023. Forget that, and you’ll receive a fine.

Filing taxes may be a hassle, but reputable tax filing providers give you online tools to help you, aside from which the IRS provides its free resources for certain relatively low-earning freelancers. Tax deductions, too, are a boon that people with “regular” jobs lack.

Important Things to Consider When Filing Your Taxes as a Freelancer

• Different freelance structures have different rules: Are you a sole proprietor, an S-Corporation , a C-Corporation, or an LLC? An independent contractor?
• You only pay taxes as a freelancer if you make more than $400. Anything less than that, and you’re free.
• You pay the IRS four times a year.
• Clients who paid you more than $600 should give you a Form 1099-MISC by January 31, 2023.
• You pay the IRS according to your tax bracket. For example, how much you earn and your filing status.
• Some states and cities have their own tax laws due quarterly in addition to federal taxes.

Except the Form 1040, the varied Schedule C is different for other situations.

• Form 1040 Schedule SE to calculate your quarterly freelance taxes
• Schedule C lists the business income and expenses and calculates the net income of the business.
• Schedule C-EZ used by LLCs, S-Corporations or C-Corporations to list only the primary information about the business and includes only a simple calculation of your net income.
• Schedule C-SE is an alternative to Schedule C-EZ and used for reporting self-employment tax.

Federal income tax (IRS 1040)

You pay the Federal tax for federal programs, such as national defense, social programs, law enforcement, and dabbling with that horrendous national debt.

There are seven tax-brackets you can fall into, each based on your taxable income and filing status.

Tax deductions climb the ladder, from 10% to 37% plus for the highest earners.

Some states and cities charge you taxes for programs that include education, healthcare, transportation, and public assistance.

These taxes pay for the state expenses in which you work, not where you live. If you work in multiple states, you pay multiple states.

The taxes are filled out on a separate state return, calculated either on a flat rate or on the same bracket system as federal taxes.

While the IRS provides free software for those earning $72,00 per year or less, other tax filing providers provide their own (mostly) reasonable options. Here are some of the best 2023 are the following:

H&R Block Free

Best for simple returns at a reasonable price with simple deductions and user-friendly. There’s a free version that comes with Form 1040 but lacks the Schedule-Cs.

TurboTax

Best for ease of use. TurboTax is very user-friendly with an interview-type Q&A experience, almost as though you were chatting with your tax preparer. It can be a costly option, though.

TaxAct

TaxAct is online software that’s cheaper than TurboTax or H&R Block. You can also get on-demand, on-screen access to a tax pro (for a fee).

TaxSlayer

TaxSlayer bases prices on the level of support rather than the functionality level, which could make this option the cheapest bet for confident tax filers who need little support.

Verdict

H&R Block Free and TurboTax are best for beginners, with TurboTax being your most expensive option. TaxAct and TaxSlayer are your cheapest bets, with TaxSlayer offering less customer support but the cheapest package.

1. If you plan to pay online, register for a PIN some months ahead of the filing date.
2. Collect your 1099 from clients who have paid you more than $600 that past tax-filing year. Even if you haven’t received those 1099s, you’re still required to report those earnings.
3. Use your financial statements to total your business income.
4. Use receipts or your financial statements to total your business expenses
5. Calculate your deductions.
6. Gather your tax forms: The 1040, Schedule-C or Schedule C variations.
7. File your returns through an online tax-filing tool or through the IRS free tax filing software. Alternatively, you could download paper forms from the IRS that you manually fill in and mail.
8. Pay your taxes onlineor mail a check, money order, or cashier’s check to the given IRS address.

Arguably, taxes are an even bigger hassle for freelancers since we have to file them quarterly at the risk of fines. That said, there is easy and useful tax-filing software that can help us. Hopefully, freelancers can qualify for tax deductions, too.