Showing posts with label Self-employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self-employment. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Understanding the 1099

Often times, people will get 1099-MISC forms in the mail…and then feel unsure about what those forms mean or what they’re supposed to do with them. If this happens to you, don’t worry. Appropriately handling your 1099-MISC form is not difficult.  


When you get one of these forms, the first thing that you should know is that you’ll need to report the related income on your tax return. You will also be required to pay income tax and self-employment tax on these funds.

And, if you’re wondering why you’re getting one of these forms in the first place, it’s simply because you did work for someone as an independent contractor. Since you’re not a full-time employee of this person or organization, you get a different form than the standard W-2 that regular employees get.

1099-MISC Forms for Businesses
If you own a business and are receiving the form as a business owner, how you will need to report the income is a bit different and will vary depending on the type of business you own. For sole proprietors or single-member LLCs, you can report the income on Schedule C- Profit or Loss from Business.

Partnerships, multiple-member LLCs, and corporations, on the other hand, will include 1099 income as part of their business income tax returns.

If your situation or business doesn’t fit neatly into one of the above categories, then it may be smart to speak with an experienced accountant about your situation.

At the end of the day, it is imperative to correctly report income earned from contract work, whether you’re an individual, a self-employed person, or a business. Make sure you do it the right way and thus avoid penalties and fees by seeking help from a professional.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Tax Tips for Gig Workers

Are you someone who makes money “on the side” or “under the table?” In other words, do you earn or supplement your income with simple gigs? These days, with so many money-making sites and services, such as Uber and Elance, it’s quite easy to make money doing small gigs. However, you need to understand that, if you make above a certain amount, you may qualify as an independent contractor and thus need to file special tax forms and meet other obligations.



Record Everything!

To start off with, if you do earn money through gigs, then you need to make sure that you are keeping clear and detailed records of who you earn money from and how much. That way, you can determine, preferably with the help of a knowledgeable accountant, what your tax obligations are and how to best meet them.

It can often be helpful, in addition to keeping detailed records, to maintain a separate bank account just for your “gig money,” as well as any relevant spending you do. This can help you to maintain a detailed and easy to access record of gig-related spending and earning.

Deduct Where You Can

While paying taxes on your gig money may not be fun, there are some upsides to being a “gig worker.” If you do your gigs from home, for example, and you have a home office that you use exclusively for gig work, you can get a nice tax deduction. Other deductions exist for the self-employed as well, so be sure to discuss your deduction options with your accountant or financial adviser.


Working gigs, whether you do it full-time or part-time, is a great way to make money, but it can turn into a big hassle if you don’t know how to properly manage your finances and taxes, so remember to seek professional help as needed so that you can benefit as much as possible from your gig working.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Do You Have Household Employees?

If you have a household employee, you may need to withold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA), pay federal unemployment tax (FUTA), or both.

Workers Who Are Household Employees

A household employee is an employee hired to do household work. The worker is an employee if you can control both what and how work is done. It does not matter whether the work is full time or part time or that the worker was hired through an agency or association. It also does not matter whether the worker is paid on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis, or by the job.
Note: If the worker usually provides his or her own work tools and offers services to the general public, he or she is an independent contractor and not a household employee.

Household Workers

Some examples of workers who do household work include the following.
    Babysitters    • Housekeepers
    Caretakers     • Maids
    Domestic workers       • Nannies
    Drivers          • Private nurses
    Health aides • Yard workers
    House cleaning workers

Workers Who Are Not Household Employees

If only the worker can control how the work is done, the worker is not a household employee but is self-employed. A self-employed worker usually provides his or her own tools and offers services to the general public as an independent business. A worker who performs child care services in his or her home generally is not a household employee. If an agency provides the worker and controls what work is done, the worker is not a household employee.

Household Employment Taxes  

Taxpayers with household employees must file Schedule H, Household Employment Taxes, with their Form 1040 to report FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax, FUTA (federal unemployment) tax, and federal income tax withholding (if any).
Form W-2 must be filed for each household employee who was paid Social Security or Medicare wages of $1,800 or more, or wages of any amount if federal income tax was withheld.
Taxpayers who are required to file Schedule H with their 2013 individual tax returns must obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) by January 31, 2014.

FICA

The Social Security tax pays for old-age, survivors, and disability benefits for workers and their families. The Medicare tax pays for hospital insurance. Both the employer and the household employee may owe Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2013, the employer share is 7.65% (6.2% for Social Security tax and 1.45% for Medicare tax) of the employee’s FICA wages. For 2013, the employee’s share is 7.65% (6.2% for Social Security tax and 1.45% for Medicare tax). The employer is responsible for remitting both the employee’s and employer’s share of the taxes. Typically, the employee’s share is withheld from the employee’s wages and submitted with the employer’s payment.

Figuring FICA taxes

FICA taxes on Social Security and Medicare wages paid to household employees are figured by the employer.
If you pay your household employee cash wages of $1,800 or more in 2013, all cash wages you pay to that employee in 2013, up to $113,700, (regardless of when the wages were earned) are Social Security wages and all cash wages are Medicare wages. However, any noncash wages paid do not count as FICA wages.
If you pay the employee less than $1,800 in cash wages in 2013, none of the wages are FICA wages and neither you nor the employee will owe FICA taxes on those wages.

Cash Wages

Cash wages include wages paid by check, money order, etc. Cash wages do not include the value of food, lodging, clothing, and other noncash items you give your household employee. However, cash you give your employee in place of these items is included in cash wages.

Wages Not Counted

Do not count wages paid to any of the following individuals as FICA wages.
1)  Your spouse.
2)  Your child who is under age 21.
3)  Your parent. Exception: Count these wages if your parent cares for your child who is either under age 18 or has a physical or mental condition that requires personal care by an adult, and your marital status is either divorced, widowed, or living with a spouse whose physical or mental condition prevents him or her from caring for your child.

4)  An employee under age 18 at any time during the year. Exception: Count these wages if providing household services is the employee’s principal occupation. If the employee is a student, providing household services is not considered to be his or her principal occupation.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Tax Help for Small Business Owners and Self Employed

Do you run your own small business? Or maybe you’re just self-employed and do a lot of contract work to support yourself. Whatever the case may be, you’re probably a very busy person. Whether you’re dealing with the hassles of Naperville payroll processing for your employees or just struggling to get work done on a daily basis, the last thing you need is to have a problem with your taxes.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that you, as a small business owner or self-employed individual, will need to know in order to avoid tax time mistakes. For starters, did you know that, if you made any kind of
profit, you’re probably going to have to pay a self-employment tax? Not doing so could land you in serious hot water.


There are so many little things you need to know in order to file your taxes correctly, and doing so just isn’t easy. That’s why it’s wise to let a qualified financial expert assist you. Hopefully, you already have a professional handling your payroll processing and your other financial matters, so why not also get someone to help you with your taxes? You can find that “someone” at Susan S. Lewis, Ltd., one of the most qualified and professional accounting firms in Naperville.