Income without an employer withholding tax changes the rules: you are generally responsible for paying as you earn, and you can deduct certain business costs. This category is for freelancers, gig workers and anyone with side income, including people who also hold a regular job and are unsure how the two fit on one return.
Where to start
- How do quarterly estimated taxes work? The best first read on paying tax during the year.
- When should you make an estimated tax payment even if income is uneven? For irregular earnings and deciding what to pay and when.
- How do you file taxes if you have side income and a regular job? Useful if you earn both wages and side income.
Write-offs get their own treatment in deductions, and one guide here on write-offs for side income bridges the two.