Simple explanations of personal finance, investing, and money.
Taxes are one of the few certainties in life, and when you work for yourself the tax landscape can feel especially complex. This article breaks down the essential concepts every freelancer, independent contractor, and...
Understanding taxes in the United States means seeing two overlapping systems at work: the federal layer and the state layer. They share some logic but diverge in rates, rules, and the way they affect...
If you earn money from a W-2 job and also pick up freelance work, gig income, or investment payouts, you’re in a common—and potentially tricky—tax situation. Your employer withholds taxes from your paycheck, but...
Taxes feel like a maze because multiple layers of rules, rates, and definitions all apply to the income you earn. Two of the most important layers for most Americans are federal and state income...
Understanding the standard deduction is one of the fastest ways to simplify your taxes and, in many cases, reduce what you owe. Whether you’re a wage earner who takes the easy route each year...
Working for yourself brings independence, flexibility, and the responsibility to manage taxes that used to be handled by an employer. Whether you’re a freelancer, gig worker, independent contractor, or small-business owner, understanding how self-employed...
Taxes in the United States operate on multiple levels: federal, state, and often local. That layered structure creates complexity but also opportunities for planning, compliance, and better financial decisions. This guide walks through how...
Saving for retirement has immediate tax benefits and long-term financial upside. One often-overlooked immediate benefit for low- and moderate-income savers is the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit — commonly called the Savers Credit. It’s a...
Being self-employed is liberating, but it also brings a unique set of tax responsibilities. This guide walks through how self-employment taxes work, how to estimate and pay quarterly taxes, what business income is taxable,...
Each spring the calendar and your mailbox start to look a little different: W-2s arrive, tax software prompts appear, and suddenly the idea of filing taxes moves from background worry to a concrete task....