As far as the IRS is concerned there is no difference between being self-employed and being an independent contractor; that is why you will be paying self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare. You do not have an employer withholding it and paying the employer portion--so you pay all of it; you do not have an employer withholding federal tax--so you pay the tax when you file your yearly tax return or sometimes by making quarterly tax payments.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2893577-does-a-1099-misc-mean-i-m-self-employed
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2926899-how-does-my-side-job-affect-my-taxes
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/what-is-the-self-employment-tax/00/25922
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2902389-why-am-i-paying-self-employment-tax
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901110-do-i-need-to-make-estimated-tax-payments-to-the-irs
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2903027-how-do-i-report-income-from-self-employment
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3398950-what-self-employed-expenses-can-i-deduct
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