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One thing nobody's mentioned yet - you need to start keeping your business and personal expenses SEPARATE! Get a dedicated credit card for all your freelance expenses. Trust me, trying to sort through a year's worth of mixed expenses at tax time is a nightmare. Also, look into SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) options. Even with a smaller side income, you can make retirement contributions as both the employee AND employer which gives you a nice tax deduction now and builds retirement savings. It's basically the one silver lining of paying self-employment taxes.
Is there a minimum amount you need to make from self-employment to open a Solo 401k? I'm just starting out with freelance work too.
Make sure you track EVERYTHING for your Schedule C! As someone who's been freelancing for years, here's what you can typically deduct: - Software (like Adobe - you can allocate a % for business use) - Hardware (laptop, etc. - with depreciation) - Internet (% used for business) - Phone (% used for business) - Office supplies - Professional development (courses related to your design work) - Business insurance if you have it - Portion of rent/mortgage for home office (if you have a dedicated space) - Utilities for that same % of your home Just make sure everything you deduct is ORDINARY and NECESSARY for your business. That's the IRS standard. And keep receipts for EVERYTHING!
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Just to add another perspective: I run a TTRPGing business similar to yours, and I did actually set up an LLC taxed as an S-corp because my income got high enough. I pay myself a salary of $3,500/month which is "reasonable" for a TTRPG creator in my area, and then take distributions for the rest. The paperwork is a pain and I pay about $1,200/year for a bookkeeper to handle the quarterly filings, but I'm saving around $7,400/year in self-employment taxes. If you're making under $40k profit, stick with sole proprietor and focus on maximizing your deductions instead.
How did you determine what's a "reasonable" salary for a DM? I didn't think there was enough data for that kind of job to establish market rates.
I researched what other professional DMs and TTRPG content creators charge hourly in my area and nationwide, then calculated what a full-time equivalent would earn. I also looked at similar creative professionals like game designers and tabletop gaming store managers. I documented all this research in case of an audit. The key is having a methodology that shows you didn't just pick a low number to avoid taxes. My CPA helped me gather comparable profession data that would stand up to scrutiny. With niche professions like ours, you need to get creative with finding salary comparisons, but there's actually more data out there than you might think now that professional DMing has grown as a career.
Don't forget about quarterly estimated tax payments if you're self-employed! I learned this the hard way with my editing business last year - got hit with a $420 penalty because I waited until April to pay everything.
How do you even calculate how much to pay quarterly when your income fluctuates month to month? My crafting business is super seasonal and I have no idea what I'll make until I make it.
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Just a tip from someone who works in accounting - ALWAYS make sure to write your SSN and the specific tax year on any check you send to the IRS. This is really important! And keep copies of everything, including the check, coupon, and any correspondence. The IRS is known for misapplying payments and you'll want evidence of your intent. Also, if your existing payment plan doesn't include the new tax year, you technically are in violation of the terms if you incur new tax debt. They can terminate your agreement. You should definitely contact them to modify your existing agreement to include the new tax year.
Is there a specific form to fill out to modify an existing payment plan to include a new tax year? Or do you have to call?
You can use Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) to modify an existing agreement. Check the box that indicates you're revising an existing agreement. Include your current agreement number if you have it. You can also do this online through the IRS payment plan tool if your total debt is under $50,000. Look for the option to revise an existing agreement. It's generally faster than submitting a paper form, and you'll get immediate confirmation when it's processed.
I learned the hard way that sending a payment doesn't automatically add the new tax year to your payment plan!!! Sent in my 2023 payment last year while on a plan for earlier years and got a scary letter about defaulting on my payment agreement even though I paid the new amount. Had to call and fix it. Definitely contact the IRS first to officially add your 2024 tax to your existing plan before sending payment. And when you do send it, write "Apply to 2024 Form 1040" directly on the check.
What tax software do you use? I've found that some have better guidance for people with payment plans than others. I'm using FreeTaxUSA and it barely mentioned anything about my existing payment plan.
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Something nobody mentioned yet - with your income level, you might look into contributing to a Roth IRA instead of a traditional IRA. At $65k, you're probably better off paying taxes now (while your rate is relatively low) than later in retirement when your rate might be higher. Max contribution is $7,000 for 2025 if you're under 50. While it won't reduce your current tax bill, the growth is tax-free when you withdraw in retirement, which is huge!
Wouldn't traditional IRA be better if they're trying to lower their current tax bill though? Roth doesn't help with that at all.
You're right that a traditional IRA would help lower the current tax bill, which is definitely an advantage if immediate cash flow is the primary concern. I suggested Roth because at $65k, OP is probably in the 22% tax bracket now, and many financial planners believe this is a relatively favorable rate to pay taxes at, especially for someone early in their career whose income (and potentially tax bracket) will likely increase. The long-term tax-free growth often outweighs the current tax deduction for younger earners. But it's definitely a personal decision that depends on individual circumstances and priorities.
Anybody have experience with adjusting their W-4 specifically? My pay is similar to OP's and I'm wondering how many allowances I should claim to get a more reasonable withholding without owing a bunch at tax time.
The new W-4 doesn't use allowances anymore (changed in 2020). You now have to specify actual dollar amounts for additional withholding or reduction. Bit more complicated but more accurate.
Thanks for the correction! Shows how long it's been since I updated mine. Guess I need to look at the new form and figure out what numbers to put in there. Appreciate the info!
Freya Pedersen
Former tax preparer here. For amounts this small, it's really not worth amending. The IRS computer systems have tolerance thresholds built in, and a $4 difference won't trigger any action. If you really want to be 100% by the book, you can file a paper amendment for free, but honestly, the postage stamp would cost almost as much as the tax owed. Most practitioners I know wouldn't bother with an amendment for anything under $50 in tax difference.
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Omar Hassan
•If they do have these threshold amounts, why doesn't the IRS just publish them? Seems like it would save everyone a lot of time and stress over tiny amounts.
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Freya Pedersen
•They don't publish the exact thresholds for a strategic reason. If everyone knew precisely what amount they could "get away with" not reporting, many people would deliberately stay just under that threshold, and the cumulative effect across millions of taxpayers would be significant. The IRS wants everyone to report everything accurately, but they have to allocate their limited enforcement resources effectively. They keep these internal tolerance levels confidential and also change them periodically to prevent systematic abuse.
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Chloe Anderson
Quick question - if I'm in a similar situation but I OVERPAID by a small amount ($10-20) because I missed a deduction, is it worth amending to get that money back? Or is the same "too small to bother" rule apply?
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Diego Vargas
•For overpayments, the calculation is different. You're getting YOUR money back, so it depends on how much your time is worth. A refund of $20 might be worth the 30-45 minutes it takes to prepare and mail a paper amendment. Remember though, paper amendments can take 6-12 months to process currently, so you'll be waiting a while for that $20.
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