Do consultants pay self-employment tax?
If you earn as an independent contractor, yes — self-employment tax is 15.3% (Social Security and Medicare) on your net profit, on top of regular income tax. You deduct half of it, and every business deduction lowers what you owe. We handle the calculation on Schedule SE.
What can consultants write off?
Common write-offs include a qualifying home office used regularly and exclusively for the business, business travel, lodging, and the deductible portion of meals, professional development, courses, and industry conferences, subscriptions to research, data, and software tools, plus a share of your phone and any home-office use. We go through your year line by line so nothing legitimate gets missed.
Do consultants need to pay quarterly estimated taxes?
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year, the IRS generally wants quarterly estimated payments to avoid an underpayment penalty. We calculate them so next April isn't a surprise.
Do I have to report income if I didn't get a 1099?
Yes. Your income is taxable whether or not a client or platform sent a 1099. We report it correctly and offset it with every deduction you qualify for.