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How do I file self employment taxes for the first time?

 
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How do I file self employment taxes for the first time?

If you have Self Employment income you have to file a schedule C in your personal 1040 return. You may get a 1099Misc for some of your income but you need  report all your income.  So you need to keep your own good records. Here is some reading material……

IRS information on Self Employment….
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Self-Employed-Individuals-Tax-Center

Pulication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p334.pdf

Publication 535 Business Expenses
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p535.pdf

Self Employment tax (Scheduled SE) is generated if a person has $400 or more of net profit from self-employment on Schedule C.  You pay 15.3% for SE tax on 92.35% of your Net Profit greater than $400.  The 15.3% self employed SE Tax is to pay both the employer part and employee part of Social Security and Medicare.  So you get social security credit for it when you retire.  You do get to take off the 50% ER portion of the SE tax as an adjustment on line 27 of the 1040.  The SE tax is already included in your tax due or reduced your refund.  It is on the 1040 line 57.  The SE tax is in addition to your regular income tax on the net profit.

There is also QuickBooks Self Employment bundle you can check out which includes one Turbo Tax Home & Business return....
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/self-employed

Fill out Schedule C here
The Business Tab - Continue
I'll choose what I work on
Business Income and Expenses
Then….
Profit or Loss from Business, click Start or Update

You use your own name and ssn or business name and EIN if you have one.   You should say you use the Cash Accounting Method and all  income is at risk.  After you put in your income and expenses  if your net profit is $400 or more you will pay 15.3%  Self Employment tax in addition to your regular income tax.  The Schedule SE will be automatically filled out for it.

After it asks if you received any 1099Misc it will ask if you had any income not reported on a 1099Misc. You should be keeping your own records.  Just go through the interview and answer the questions.   Then you will enter your expenses.
Kat
Level 15
Level 15

How do I file self employment taxes for the first time?

Using the Home & Business program (which it appears you are using), will generate Schedule SE once you enter all your information.  If you have self-employment income, TurboTax will automatically prepare the form and calculate the taxes owed.

If you continue with self-employment income for this year, you definitely should be making estimated tax payments quarterly to the IRS.  See the information below for more:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901110-do-i-need-to-make-estimated-tax-payments-to-the-irs

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900810-what-are-estimated-taxes

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899662-form-1040-es-estimated-tax-for-individuals

*** I am NOT a tax expert. I am a seasoned TurboTax user, and volunteer to provide assistance to TT users. Nothing I post is to be considered TAX ADVICE; I bear no legal liability for responses.***
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