Freelancer finance guides
Plain-English answers to the money questions that come with working for yourself — then the calculators to run your own numbers. Free, no signup, no advice you didn't ask for.
How much should I set aside for taxes?
The honest answer to the most-Googled freelancer tax question — why "30%" is a starting point, not a rule, and how to find your real number.
Read the guide → 1099 vs W-21099 vs W-2: which is actually better?
What you really trade when you give up a salary for contract work — taxes, benefits, time off — and the rate that makes you whole.
Read the guide → Side hustleIs my side hustle actually profitable?
How to find your true hourly wage after expenses, taxes, and the unpaid hours your side gig really costs you.
Read the guide → RentalsIs a rental property worth it?
Reading real cash flow — cap rate, cash-on-cash, and DSCR — past the rosy numbers most listings and calculators show.
Read the guide → DeductionsThe freelancer tax-deduction checklist
The write-offs self-employed people most often miss, what actually qualifies, and how to keep records the IRS will accept.
Read the guide →Why we wrote these
When you work for yourself, no employer withholds your taxes, explains your benefits, or tells you what a number means. These guides fill that gap in plain language and link to primary sources — the IRS and state tax authorities — so you can check the math yourself. Each one pairs with a free calculator on this site, because the right answer almost always depends on your numbers, not a rule of thumb.