8 Best Accounting Software for Independent Contractors in 2023

These are your only jobs and you’re not an employee anywhere else. You should receive a 1099-MISC from each company confirming how much they paid you during the year. Instead of a W-2, as an independent contractor, you’ll receive a 1099-MISC. You can use that information to double-check that you’re reporting all of your income earned through the year.

Rather than a payroll expense, independent contractors should be treated like any contract work. Your business likely hires other service professionals like lawyers and accountants on a contract basis. And, as such, the work they perform should be treated as a tax-deductible expense. In most cases, the independent contractor is responsible for paying all employment taxes and must make sure that the employer has filed the Form 1099 with the IRS to account for compensation earned.

State tax deadline

But it also features everything an independent contractor will likely need, including live bank connections, invoicing, payment processing, and mobile apps. Although the terms accounting and bookkeeping are often used interchangeably, they are actually two very different processes. Accounting examines the broader picture of a business’s finances, performing such functions as tax preparation and filing, applying for loans and helping to create a business plan.

There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Yes, you can invite an accountant to collaborate with you for free. QuickBooks Self-Employed gives self starters and small businesses the features they need to get ahead. Jeremy leads the Construction Service Team and is a member of the Healthcare Services Team at James Moore & Co. He also regularly holds office hours at UF Innovate to help guide area startup businesses as they grow.

Best Full-Service App

The current self-employment tax rate is 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare — a total of 15.3% just in self-employment tax. The good news is that while you need to pay the entire 15.3% tax, you can take half of what you pay as a deduction from your income. Several customers on third-party review sites report problems reaching customer service or receiving a response to their problems.

• As a self-employed person, you’re required to pay the entire tax yourself.
• We chose QuickBooks because we believe it has the most features, ease-of-use, and pricing that most independent contractors will need.
• Our construction CPAs can help paint your financial story in the best light and make sure there are no misunderstandings.
• Our accounting services are designed and centered around your type of business.
• Note that depending on the type of business you run, you might file an alternate form.

In general, an individual or business is considered an independent contractor if they provide products or services under either a written contract or verbal agreement. You can also call them freelancers as they are not paid on a regular basis unlike full time employees. And while most of the independent contractors choose sole-proprietorship, others opt to establish their own LLC or S-Corp. This service is designed to help independent contractors predict their customer demand and be prepared for it.

What Independent Contractor-Related Documents Do I Need to Retain For Tax Preparation?

Kelly is an SMB Editor specializing in starting and marketing new ventures. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and she holds an MSc in International Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University.

• There are a number of business deductions you can take as an independent contractor, including health insurance, home office deductions, mileage and deductions for your phone bill.
• Like many aspects of construction itself, precision and expertise are essential when it comes to budgeting and accounting.
• And, as such, the work they perform should be treated as a tax-deductible expense.
• Depending on your company’s needs, we can grow or shrink the scope of our services to provide the targeted solutions you’re looking for.
• When you’re an independent contractor, paying the government regularly throughout the year is your responsibility.
• When you hire an employee for your business, you request that they fill out a Form W-4.

As you’ve probably learned by now, taxes are an inevitable part of doing business in the United States. While most focus generally lies on federal and state income taxes, there’s also a third aspect—payroll taxes. That’s why in order to leverage these expenses on a tax return, proper records and receipts must be kept up with.

Flexible plans for independent contractors and freelancers

QuickBooks Online is an accounting software that is well-suited for self-employed individuals and independent contractors. It offers scalable pricing plans and includes features such as income and expense tracking, invoicing, payment acceptance, and mobile apps. This software allows users to customize invoices, track mileage automatically, and estimate taxes. It may be a bit accountants for independent contractors more expensive compared to other options, but it is a reliable choice for independent contractors. The best accounting software programs all provide similar features, so when considering which one is best for your business, you need to consider which features are the most important to your situation. This will help you decide which accounting software meets your needs best.