104. From W-2 to 1099: Everything You Need to Know About Self-Employment Taxes

30/07/2025 29 min Episodio 104
104. From W-2 to 1099: Everything You Need to Know About Self-Employment Taxes

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Episode Synopsis

Send us a textTransitioning from W-2 employment to receiving 1099 income fundamentally changes your tax situation and officially makes you a business owner, even if you're doing the same work as before.• Self-employment tax means paying both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare (15.3%) on top of income tax• Business expenses can be deducted against your 1099 income, reducing your taxable income significantly• Opening a separate business bank account is crucial for tracking income and expenses correctly• You can simply transfer money from your business account to your personal account as needed• Estimated quarterly tax payments are required to avoid penalties from the IRS• Consider setting aside 25-40% of income for taxes depending on your tax bracket• Health insurance and retirement planning now fall entirely on your shoulders• Once netting over $50,000 in profit, consider forming an LLC and electing S-Corporation status• S-Corps require more complex paperwork but can save significant money in self-employment taxes• Higher-earning contractors should work with a CPA rather than trying to handle everything themselvesCheck out our guides for new businesses and S-Corp owners in the show notes if you need step-by-step assistance navigating your new tax situation.Support the showCreate a STAN Store - Click here to try it out!Here's where you can find us! Shop our business guides!Our Instagram PageOur family page

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