#self-employment-tax
Self-employment tax rules, calculations, and strategies for business owners
An accountable plan lets an S corporation reimburse owners and employees for mileage, home office, and supplies tax-free under Treasury Regulation 1.62-2. It requires three things—business connection, substantiation within 60 days, and return of excess within 120 days—and replaces the employee expense deduction the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated.
A working guide to the 2026 quarterly estimated tax rules for freelancers and self-employed earners — the two IRS safe harbors (90% current year, 100%/110% prior year), the four uneven due dates, Form 1040-ES, the annualized income method for lumpy earners, EFTPS vs Direct Pay, and the mistakes that trigger penalties at the 6–7% federal rate.
How Airbnb and Vrbo hosts classify income on Schedule E vs. Schedule C, calculate the 7-day average stay, and document material participation to unlock non-passive losses against W-2 wages.
How NIL endorsements, collective payouts, and House v. NCAA revenue sharing are taxed in 2026—Schedule C mechanics, the 15.3% self-employment tax, multi-state jock-tax filings, and the planning moves that keep April manageable for college athletes and their families.
Schedule F farm tax elections explained — crop insurance deferral under Section 451(f), weather-forced livestock replacement under Section 1033(e), Section 175 conservation deductions, the Section 464 prepaid-supply cap, the March 1 estimated-tax rule, and Schedule J three-year income averaging — with rules, deadlines, and worked examples.
A practical walkthrough of Schedule F for farmers and ranchers, covering crop insurance deferral under Section 451, weather-related livestock relief (Section 451(g) and 1033(e)), Section 175 soil and water conservation deductions capped at 25% of farm gross income, Section 179 and bonus depreciation, and Schedule J income averaging using elected farm income across three base years.
A 0.9% surtax applies to earned income above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint), but employers withhold using a flat $200,000 per-job trigger. Form 8959 reconciles the two rules — generating a balance due for most dual-income couples and a credit for over-withheld single earners.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act creates an above-the-line deduction of up to $25,000 in qualified tips for tax years 2025 through 2028, available only to workers in IRS-listed tipped occupations and phased out above $150,000 MAGI ($300,000 joint).
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act repealed the $600 1099-K threshold in July 2025 and restored the original $20,000-and-200-transaction federal rule, easing paperwork for casual sellers and gig workers — but every dollar of business income remains taxable.
Profits interests let LLCs grant equity to service providers tax-free under IRS Rev Proc 93-27.
A 2026 walkthrough of every small business tax obligation—federal income, self-employment, payroll, sales, and excise—with the full filing calendar, quarterly estimated tax safe harbors, OBBBA-era changes (permanent QBI, $1.21M Section 179, restored 100% bonus depreciation), and the recordkeeping habits that prevent penalties.
The 2026 Foreign Earned Income Exclusion lets qualifying Americans abroad exclude up to $132,900 of foreign-earned income on Form 2555. This guide details the physical presence and bona fide residence tests, the housing exclusion, FEIE vs. Foreign Tax Credit tradeoffs, and audit-ready documentation for expats and digital nomads.
