Self employed

Hi talia119,

Congratulations on finding a good job!  Since your question is twofold, let me address each one separately.

QUARTERLY TAXES: 

Regarding the quarterly estimated taxes, the general rule is that you must pay as you go. Meaning that when you file your tax return, if you haven't paid enough taxes through withholdings or estimated tax payments then you might owe an underpayment penalty. 

To determine whether you need to make quarterly estimates, answer these questions:

• Do you expect to owe less than $1,000 in taxes for the tax year after subtracting your federal income tax withholding from the total amount of tax you expect to owe this year? If so, you're safe—you don't need to make estimated tax payments.

• Do you expect your federal income tax withholding (plus any estimated taxes paid on time) to amount to at least 90 percent of the total tax that you will owe for this tax year? If so, then you're in the clear, and you don't need to make estimated tax payments.

• Do you expect that your income tax withholding will be at least 100 percent of the total tax on your previous year's return? Or, if your adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 8b) on your tax return was over $150,000 ($75,000 if you're married and file separately), do you expect that your income tax withholding will be at least 110 percent of the total tax you owed for the previous year? If so, then you're not required to make estimated tax payments.

If you answered "no" to all of these questions, you must make estimated tax payments using Form 1040-ES. To avoid a penalty, your total tax payments (estimated taxes plus withholding) during the year must satisfy one of the requirements above.

HOME OFFICE (apartment as a deduction):

I am unclear if you are asking about your apartment as a deduction for working from home entirely with your W-2 job or with the self-employment freelancer business. 

First, if you are working from home as an employee, you can not take the home office deduction, even if it is entirely remote.

Second, if you are referring to your freelancing self-employment situation, you may be able to claim a portion of your apartment if it is used regularly and exclusively for your freelance business and is also your principal place of business.    Please note that if you have a home office in your apartment and you use it for both your W-2 job and your freelancing side hustle, it is NOT a home office deduction because it is not exclusive to your business.

Here are two additional links that provides some additional information regarding the home office deduction. 

Can I take a home office deduction?   https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/credits-and-deductions/help/can-i-take-the-home-office-deduction/0...

and

What does regular and exclusive use mean?   https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/business-expenses/help/what-does-regular-and-exclusive-use-mean/00...