If payment for services you provided is listed in box 7 of Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, the payer is treating you as a self-employed worker, also referred to as an independent contractor.

As long as your “net earnings from self-employment” are $400 or more, you will be responsible for paying the self-employment tax — calculated as 15.3% of your net earnings from self-employment.

To calculate your net earnings from self-employment, subtract your business expenses from your business revenues, then multiply the difference by 92.35%. (This odd multiplication figure is the result of the fact that you’re allowed to deduct 50% of your self-employment tax when calculating the income upon which the tax will be charged.)

How do I report income from self-employment?