Now that you just perceive a bit extra about how impartial contractor taxes work, let’s get right down to the tactical stuff.
Right here’s precisely tips on how to pay impartial contractor taxes.
Step 1: Estimate your quarterly tax legal responsibility
First, it’s a must to make an informed guess about how a lot cash you’ll make (and subsequently how a lot cash you’ll owe) in any given quarter.
The IRS recommends utilizing kind 1040-ES however you can even use a quarterly tax calculator to estimate.
Keep in mind, this quantity doesn’t should be good. Should you estimate too excessive or too low one quarter, simply alter for the subsequent quarter.
Step 2: Make estimated quarterly tax funds
When you’ve estimated your tax legal responsibility as an impartial contractor, it’s a must to truly make a quarterly tax fee.
You may ship a verify fee together with the aforementioned Type 1040-ES by mail, or (in case you’re not ninety years previous) you may pay on-line, by cellphone, or out of your cell gadget utilizing the IRS2Go app.
Plenty of tax companies like Turbo Tax, HR Block, or your tax preparer even have quarterly choices.
Step 3: Obtain 1099-Misc varieties from shoppers (if relevant)
As soon as the tax yr involves an in depth (Dec. 31 of any given yr), any shopper you labored with over the earlier yr ought to ship you a 1099-Misc Type to adjust to IRS requirements.
It’s your shoppers’ job to grasp who will get a 1099 kind, but when they’re not used to working with impartial contractors, you might have to remind them.
Retailer these varieties collectively in a secure place because you’ll want them to file your taxes.
Step 4: File Schedule-C at tax time
Lastly, when the time involves reconcile and report your tax standing to the federal government, you’ll have to file a Schedule-C kind—an appendage to the normal 1040 varieties used to report earnings.
A Schedule-C stories revenue (or loss) from a sole-proprietorship or different private enterprise. As an impartial contractor, this implies you.
File your taxes as all the time—utilizing a CPA or tax software program—making certain the additional info is accounted for.