To reiterate:
- I'm truly self-employed. As in, I am not employed by a company. That is my current status. And was in 2020. And the five or six years before.
- I have not been employed by this particular company in years. I contracted minimally with them (and was 1099'd for those years, including a separate 2020 1099 in addition to the W-2 they issued!) in part to keep shares of private equity alive.
- In 2020, they issued me a private NQSO (non qualified stock option) payout.
- This NQSO came via W-2. I have no control over that. It's what they did.
- They paid FICA. I have no control over that. It's what they did.
- Neither of the above made me their employee. The proof? I AM NOT THEIR EMPLOYEE.
- The bulk of my 2020 earnings came in this NQSO issuance
- I also had other earnings as a contractor. Because I'm self-employed. They are dwarfed by this odd one-time NQSO W-2 issuance.
I want to use a self-employed retirement vehicle to save money on taxes and fund my retirement because I am self-employed. Which is the most appropriate one to do so? And how should I account for it?
I can see you're struggling with this. I am too. It doesn't fit in a tidy box. That's why I'm asking for guidance and input there. Accept that what I'm telling you is factual. I know what a W-2 vs 1099 is etc.
Thanks.
