#self-employment
Learn about self-employment taxes, LLC owner compensation, and freelancer financial management
A booth renter is a separate business, not a salon employee — rent is a Schedule C expense, client payments arrive with nothing withheld, and 15.3% self-employment tax plus quarterly 1040-ES estimates are the renter's alone. This guide covers the IRS control tests, which 1099s and W-9s each side owes, and the account structure that keeps a chair rental defensible in an audit.
How personal chefs and private caterers separate client grocery COGS from household spending, claim the home-kitchen deduction under the exclusive-use test, and job-cost every booking — with target food-cost ranges of 28–38% for weekly meal prep and 25–35% for private dinners.
The enhanced ACA subsidies expired December 31, 2025, so in 2026 a single filer one dollar above roughly $63,840 in MAGI loses the entire premium tax credit while Marketplace rates rise a median 18%. Deductible SEP IRA, solo 401(k), traditional IRA and HSA contributions are above-the-line, so they lower the MAGI the credit uses — and the repayment cap on excess advance credits is gone for tax years after 2025, making every dollar of the excess repayable.
AI coding stacks now cost freelance developers $150–$600 a month across Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code — and every dollar is deductible, but only the portion you can document. A practical guide to tracking per-vendor spend, splitting business from personal use, allocating tool cost by client, and trimming the bill without losing the leverage.
Only about 437,000 of the 864,000 UK sole traders and landlords in scope filed their first Making Tax Digital quarterly update by 7 August 2026 — close to half missed it. No penalty points apply this tax year, but HMRC begins forced enrolment in September 2026 and the next quarterly update is due 7 November 2026.
The enhanced ACA subsidies expired after 2025 — the 400% FPL cliff is back. Learn why $1 over 400% FPL wipes the credit, and how the §162(l) self-employed health insurance deduction can lower MAGI back under the threshold.
PP 20/2026 took effect April 22, 2026. The 0.5% final tax on turnover remains for true MSMEs but is now explicitly denied to freelancers — consultants, influencers, lawyers, architects, doctors, accountants — plus anti-fragmentation rules.
MTD for Income Tax starts 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords over £50k. Learn the £30k/£20k thresholds, quarterly updates, and digital records requirements.
Act 872 took effect March 2026. Platforms must register gig workers for SOCSO, deduct 1.25% per task, and face RM50,000 fines. Coverage starts at first task and lasts a year even if bookings pause.
Pakistan extended the 0.25% final tax for PSEB-registered IT exporters to June 30, 2029. Learn the 1% vs 0.25% vs 0% tiers, the 80% remittance rule, and why PSEB registration is the gateway.
Peru's 18% IGV on foreign digital services took effect Dec 1, 2024 via Legislative Decree 1623. Learn when Upwork and Fiverr must withhold, how SUNAT's Supreme Decree 157-2024 works, and what Peruvian freelancers must still file.
The BIR now requires freelancers, influencers, and online sellers to register, display a Registration Seal Badge, and choose between 8% gross or graduated + percentage/VAT. RMC 97-2021 and 500 influencers probed are the backdrop.
