Working for yourself : law & taxes for independent contractors, freelancers & gig workers of all types

Description

Cover Title Page Table of Contents Welcome to the World of Self-Employment: Introduction to Working for Yourself A Golden Age for the Self-Employed Six Things You May Not Know About the Self-Employed 1. Working for Yourself: Working for Yourself: The Good Working for Yourself: The Bad Working for Yourself: The Ugly How This Book Will Help You Succeed at Self-Employment 2. Choosing the Legal Form for Your Business Sole Proprietorships Corporations Partnerships Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) 3. Choosing and Protecting Your Business Name Choosing a Legal Name Choosing a Trade Name Choosing a Trademark Choosing an Internet Domain Name Conducting a Name Search 4. Home Alone or Outside Office Pros and Cons of Working at Home Restrictions on Home-Based Businesses Deducting Your Home Office Expenses Pros and Cons of an Outside Office Leasing a Workplace Deducting Your Outside Office Expenses 5. Obtaining Licenses, Permits, and Identification Numbers Business Licenses Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) Sales Tax Permits 6. Insuring Your Business and Yourself The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) Disability Insurance Business Property Insurance Liability Insurance Car Insurance Workers’ Compensation Insurance Other Types of Insurance Ways to Save on Insurance 7. Pricing Your Services and Getting Paid Pricing Your Services Getting Paid 8. Taxes and the Self-Employed Tax Basics for the Self-Employed IRS Audits Eight Tips to Avoid an Audit 9. Reducing Your Income Taxes Reporting Your Income Income Tax Deduction Basics Business Use of Your Home Cost of Business Assets Car Expenses Travel Expenses Entertainment and Meals Health Insurance Sick and Family Leave Tax Credits for the Self-Employed Retirement Accounts Start-Up Costs 10. The Bane of Self-Employment Taxes Who Must Pay Self-Employment Taxes Earnings Subject to SE Taxes Paying and Reporting SE Taxes Outside Employment 11. Paying Estimated Taxes Who Must Pay Estimated Taxes How Much You Must Pay When to Pay How to Pay Paying the Wrong Amount 12. Rules for Salespeople, Drivers, and Clothing Producers Statutory Employees Statutory Independent Contractors 13. Taxes for Workers You Hire Hiring People to Help You Tax Concerns When Hiring Employees Tax Concerns When Hiring Independent Contractors 14. Record Keeping and Accounting Made Easy Simple Bookkeeping How Long to Keep Records If You Don’t Have Proper Tax Records Accounting Methods Tax Year 15. Safeguarding Your Self-Employed Status Who Decides Your Work Status? What Happens If the Government Reclassifies You? Determining Worker Status The IRS Approach to Worker Status Tips for Preserving Your IC Status 16. Special Concerns for Gig Workers Introduction to the Gig Economy Your Contract With the Hiring Platform Your Worker Status Your Taxes Your Insurance Other Legal Requirements for Gig Workers Where to Find Gigs 17. Copyrights, Patents, and Trade Secrets Intellectual Property Copyright Ownership Patent Ownership Trade Secret Ownership Using Nondisclosure Agreements 18. Using Written Client Agreements Reasons to Use Written Agreements Reviewing a Client’s Agreement Creating Your Own Client Agreement Putting Your Agreement Together Changing the Agreement After It’s Signed 19. Drafting Your Own Client Agreement Essential Provisions Optional Provisions Sample Client Agreement Using Letter Agreements 20. Reviewing a Client’s Agreement Make Sure the Agreement Is Consistent With the Client’s Promises Make Sure the Contract Covers at Least the Basics Provisions to Avoid Provisions to Consider Adding Client Purchase Orders Appendix A: Using the Downloadable Forms on the Nolo Website List of Forms Available on the Nolo Website Editing RTFs Index Book Registration and Updates