Freelancer and Self-Employed Tax Filing
Nobody withholds tax for you when you are self-employed, which makes both the deductions and the quarterly payments your responsibility. We handle both.
Freelancer and Self-Employed Tax Filing with EvoTax
Self-employment changes the tax problem in two ways. You owe self-employment tax on your net profit on top of income tax, covering the Social Security and Medicare contributions an employer would otherwise have shared with you. And because nobody withholds on your behalf, you are expected to pay in quarterly instalments through the year, with a penalty if you underpay. The offset is that genuine business costs reduce your taxable profit, and freelancers routinely under-claim them — home office, business mileage, equipment, software, professional fees, health insurance premiums and half of the self-employment tax itself. EvoTax reconciles your 1099s against what you actually received, claims the deductions you are entitled to and can substantiate, computes your self-employment tax, and sets a quarterly schedule so the following year does not produce a surprise.
Benefits & What You Get
Deductions claimed, and substantiated
Home office, mileage, equipment, software and professional fees claimed on a basis that holds up if questioned.
1099s reconciled to reality
We match what was reported to you against what you received, so misreported 1099s do not become your problem.
Self-employment tax computed properly
Including the deduction for half of it, which is routinely missed by self-filers.
Quarterly schedule set
We calculate your instalments and the safe-harbour amount so you avoid underpayment penalties.
Entity advice when you outgrow it
Once profits justify it, we tell you whether an S-election would reduce your employment tax.
How It Works
Gather income and costs
We collect your 1099s, payment records and expense summary for the year.
Build Schedule C
We construct your profit and loss, apply allowable deductions and compute self-employment tax.
File the return
We prepare and e-file the federal and state returns with all business schedules.
Plan the quarters
We set your estimated payment schedule and amounts for the coming year.
Pricing
Single-business freelancer or contractor
Several income streams or schedules
Four instalment calculations and reminders
Monthly categorisation and reconciliation
Final pricing depends on the complexity of your case. Contact us for an exact quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is self-employment tax and how much is it?
It is your Social Security and Medicare contribution as a self-employed person, and it runs at 15.3% of net profit — 12.4% Social Security up to the annual wage base and 2.9% Medicare with no ceiling, plus an additional Medicare surcharge at higher incomes. An employee splits this with their employer; self-employed people pay both halves, but can deduct half of it against income tax.
When are quarterly estimated taxes due?
Generally 15 April, 15 June, 15 September and 15 January of the following year, with the date moving when it falls on a weekend or holiday. You are normally expected to pay if you will owe $1,000 or more for the year. Paying either 90% of the current year liability or 100% of the prior year — 110% at higher incomes — puts you inside the safe harbour and avoids the penalty.
Can I deduct a home office?
Yes, if part of your home is used regularly and exclusively as your principal place of business. Exclusively is the demanding word — a dining table used for work in the evenings does not qualify. You can use the simplified per-square-foot method or the actual-expense method apportioning rent, utilities, insurance and repairs. We compute both and take the larger.
What if a client never sent me a 1099?
You still report the income. The 1099 is the payer's reporting obligation, not the trigger for yours — all business income is reportable whether or not a form was issued. The bigger risk runs the other way: a 1099 issued for more than you actually received, or issued twice, will be matched against your return by the IRS, so it is worth reconciling rather than assuming the forms are right.
Should I form an LLC or S-Corp as a freelancer?
An LLC gives you liability protection but does not by itself change your tax — a single-member LLC is taxed the same as a sole proprietor. The tax saving comes from electing S-Corp treatment, which lets you split profit between salary and distribution and cuts employment tax on the distribution. That only pays once profit is high enough to absorb the extra payroll and filing cost, so it is a question of scale rather than a default step.
Ready to get started with Freelancer and Self-Employed Tax Filing?
Talk to an EvoTax expert today. Free consultation, transparent pricing, no obligation.