Loan-Out Corporations for Actors and Performers: How Getting Paid Through Your Own Company Works
A loan-out corporation restores the business-expense deductions the IRS permanently denies W-2 performers — at $3,000 to $6,000 a year to run.
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Self-Employment
Learn about self-employment taxes, LLC owner compensation, and freelancer financial management
The October 15 Countdown: An Extended Filer's 2026 Guide to Penalties, Safe Harbors, and Last-Chance SEP-IRA Funding
File by October 15 and the IRS failure-to-file penalty — 5% a month, ten times the failure-to-pay rate — stops; it is also the last day to fund a 2025 SEP-IRA.
IRS Free File Survived While Direct File Didn't: Your 2026 Guide to Filing Free
IRS Free File is open to AGI of $89,000 or less for 2026, and Direct File is gone. Start at IRS.gov or your free return quietly becomes a paid one.
Mobile Mechanic Bookkeeping: Van Build-Out vs. Lease, Parts Markup, and Pricing the Trip Charge
A $125 posted labor rate falls to $94 once drive time counts. Price the trip charge by zone, tier parts markup, and claim Section 179 on a 6,000-lb van.
Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android: Take Cards With No Terminal — and What It Really Costs
Tap to Pay skips the $59 reader but still pays 2.6–2.7% card-present rates; a per-tap surcharge and the IRS 1099-K decide whether phone-only actually wins.
The Workers' Comp Ghost Policy: A COI With No Employees to Cover
A workers' comp ghost policy covers nobody — it buys the COI a general contractor demands for $750–$1,200 a year. Who qualifies, and what the audit checks.
Billable Expense Income Done Right: How to Invoice Client Pass-Throughs Without Overpaying (or Underpaying) Tax
Client reimbursements are gross income on Schedule C, and most states tax them even at zero markup — bill and book pass-throughs correctly.
Free Tax Return Preparation for Side-Hustlers and Seniors: How VITA and TCE File Your Return for $0
IRS-certified VITA and TCE volunteers file federal returns for $0 — VITA at roughly $69,000 income or less, TCE at age 60+ with no income cap.
Teaching CPR for a Living: The Real Economics of a CPR Training Business
AHA eCards run $6–7 for BLS but about $20 for a Heartsaver combo — price each US course from its own cost card, not one flat seat price.
Hungary's Scrapped KATA Flat Tax Is Coming Back: What an Abuse-Proof Revival Means for Freelancers Who Invoice Businesses
Hungary's KATA flat tax is set to return for freelancers who invoice businesses. Expect per-client concentration caps, so track revenue per payer now.
Are You Leaving the New $6,000 Senior Deduction on the Table?
The new US senior deduction gives filers 65+ up to $6,000 through 2028, shrinking 6 cents per dollar of MAGI over $75,000 single or $150,000 joint.
Renting Out Your Pool by the Hour? The Taxes, Insurance Gap, and Local Laws to Sort Out First
Pool rental income is taxable even without a 1099-K, and your US homeowners policy likely excludes paying guests — check IRS rules, coverage, and permits first.