#self-employment-tax
Self-Employment Tax
Self-employment tax rules, calculations, and strategies for business owners
Small Business Taxes 2026: A Complete Obligations Guide for New Business Owners
A 2026 walkthrough of every small business tax obligation—federal income, self-employment, payroll, sales, and excise—with the full filing calendar, quarterly estimated tax safe harbors, OBBBA-era changes (permanent QBI, $1.21M Section 179, restored 100% bonus depreciation), and the recordkeeping habits that prevent penalties.
FEIE Explained: How Expats and Digital Nomads Can Exclude Up to $132,900 from US Tax in 2026
The 2026 Foreign Earned Income Exclusion lets qualifying Americans abroad exclude up to $132,900 of foreign-earned income on Form 2555. This guide details the physical presence and bona fide residence tests, the housing exclusion, FEIE vs. Foreign Tax Credit tradeoffs, and audit-ready documentation for expats and digital nomads.
LLC Taxes Explained: A Complete Guide for Single-Member, Multi-Member, and S-Corp Elections
A practical guide to how LLCs are actually taxed federally—disregarded entity, partnership, S-corp, or C-corp—when each classification makes sense, what the S-Corp election saves at $150K of profit, the 75-day Form 2553 deadline, and the six mistakes that most reliably trigger IRS audits.
Self-Employment Tax Deductions 2026: A Complete Guide for Freelancers
A line-by-line guide to the deductions self-employed workers can claim in 2026, including the now-permanent 20% QBI deduction under OBBBA, $72,000 Solo 401(k) limits, the 72.5-cent IRS mileage rate, and the documentation rules that hold up under audit.
What Is the LLC Tax Rate? A Complete Guide to How LLCs Are Actually Taxed
An LLC has no federal tax classification of its own — it borrows the rules of a sole proprietorship, partnership, S corporation, or C corporation. This 2026 guide breaks down every regime, the actual rates that apply, the income thresholds where the S-corp election starts paying off, and the state and self-employment tax layers that determine your real effective LLC tax rate.
Self-Employment Tax in 2026: The Complete Guide for Freelancers and Independent Contractors
How self-employment tax works in 2026 — the 15.3% combined rate, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the $400 filing threshold, quarterly estimated payment deadlines, the deductions that reduce both income and SE tax, and the income level where an S-corp election starts to pay off (typically $60K–$80K net).
What Tax Rate Do Small Businesses Actually Pay? A 2026 Guide by Entity Type
There is no single small business tax rate. Federal effective rates typically run 12–24% for pass-throughs and a flat 21% for C corps, with self-employment tax, the QBI deduction, and entity choice each shifting the bill by thousands per year.
17 SMB Tax Saving Strategies That Actually Move the Needle in 2026
A working playbook for small business owners filing in 2026 — covering the now-permanent QBI deduction, the $2.56M Section 179 cap, S-corp salary structure, Solo 401(k) limits up to $72,000, and the bookkeeping habits that make every other strategy survive an audit.
Sole Proprietorship Taxes: A Complete Guide to Schedule C, Self-Employment Tax, and Deductions
A practical 2026 walkthrough of how the IRS taxes sole proprietors — covering Schedule C, the 15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of net earnings, quarterly estimated payments, the QBI deduction, and the threshold where an S-Corp election starts paying off.
Schedule SE: The Self-Employment Tax Form Every Freelancer Needs to Master
Schedule SE calculates the 15.3% self-employment tax (Social Security + Medicare) owed by anyone with $400 or more in net self-employment earnings. This guide walks through the 2026 wage base ($184,500), the 92.35% adjustment, the 50% above-the-line deduction, and the safe-harbor rules that prevent quarterly underpayment penalties.
Single Member LLC: Formation, Taxes, and Liability Protection in 2026
A single member LLC is taxed as a disregarded entity by default but creates the legal separation a sole proprietorship lacks. This guide covers formation steps, the three tax election paths (Schedule C, S-corp via Form 2553, C-corp via Form 8832), and the bookkeeping discipline needed to preserve the liability shield.
From Sole Proprietor to S Corp: When the Switch Pays Off (and When It Backfires)
A sole proprietor netting $100,000 pays roughly $14,130 in self-employment tax that an S corp owner can legally avoid. This guide explains the break-even math, Form 2553 deadlines, reasonable compensation audit triggers, and the annual compliance costs that decide whether the switch actually saves money.