What You Need to Know About Taxes as an Independent Contractor.
Involvement in any economic activity prompts the payment of taxes, and this is every person’s responsibility. Currently, most people prefer to work as independent contractors whose taxing and taxes are different from other permanent workers. The tax of different contractors is different from other employees in that it has different rates, different forms, different credits and deductions. If you are an independent contractor, here is what you need to know about your taxes.
As an independent contractor your tax affairs are your responsibility, and you have to report on your income to the IRS. The independent contractor also has to ensure that he or she makes payments for personal deductions such as social security and medical care funds. Due to the difference in the taxation between independent contractors and other employees, they receive different tax forms. Some of these different tax forms the independent contractors have to fill include the Form-1040-ES, the 1099-MISC form, Schedule-SE, and the Schedule-C.
As an independent contractor you also get to enjoy the advantage of tax credits. The tax credit mechanism is geared to relieving you of some tax cash amount you are supposed to remit to the IRS. With the aid of a professional or tax software, you can never miss out on the tax credits which will see you retain some cash. There are three common tax credits that are common for independent contractors, and they include earned income tax credit, children and dependent care credit, and retirement savings contribution credit.
You also enjoy a wide variety of deductions if you are an independent contractor. Unlike tax credit, the deductions are geared towards reducing the amount of cash that is eligible for the actual taxation. Contributions to charity, home office deduction, contributions to retirement accounts, deductions to tuition and fees, expenses related to moving for jobs and also student loan interest paid are some of the deductions which cans see you reduce the amount of cash the IRS can tax you.
You may find it challenging to file your tax returns when the season comes. You can successfully file your returns without any worries as there are multiple options available for you. The best options when you are looking to have your returns filed successfully and in time is seeking the services of a tax professional. Tax professionals are aware of the all the laws pertaining taxes and they can get you high deductions, credits, and they also offer convenience. The IRS tax filing tool can also come in handy if you want to file the returns personally. Physical forms can also be filled out and sent to the IRS via mail as it is an accepted way you can use in filing your returns. The last technique you can use to fill your returns is through software designed to file the returns.