When you are self employed you have to think about more than your salary and how well you can afford to pay the bills. You have to think about income distribution and quarterly tax filings. You also have to think about filing paperwork for independent contractors and anyone that you may employ other than yourself. Being self employed has its perks, but many people consider the tax side of it a negative part of the equation. The thing is, if you plan ahead working for yourself can be a lot of fun, even when you consider the fact that you have to pay all of your own taxes and it is done quarterly instead of yearly.
Paying your income tax when you are self employed is really simple if you simply plan ahead. You will pay quarterly, and you will need to estimate what your earnings will be for the upcoming quarter. This is usually not all that difficult, you can use your tax papers from the previous year, or you can over estimate what you have made in the previous quarter. A good tip is to over estimate by a couple hundred dollars. This will help to protect you from owing at the end of the year, and you may very well see a refund if you overpay.
Filing your quarterly online tax return is a really good idea because you will make short work for you self employment tax work. Online programs can walk you through all of the steps that you need to follow to be sure that you are entering accurate information that is not likely to be audited at the end of the year, which everyone wants to enjoy. Creating a very organized system and paying quarterly for your self owned business are the best tips that one can have.
No one wants to be audited or to pay more than they have to, and when you are organized you can avoid extra fees. If you don’t pay your taxes on time you will find it regrettable because you will end up owing and you can be charged for not following self employment tax laws. Organization will help keep you up to date and will help keep you on the good side of the IRS! If you keep an open mind and a positive attitude about your self employment you will find that it doesn’t have to be difficult and can actually be a very positive way to pay taxes. Tax services can help you stay organized, too!
