Freelancer-Tax-GuideIf you are doing freelance work, act as a contractor, or hire freelancers, I have a few cool resources for you to check out.

Plus, I wanted to help a guy who reached out to me to share this. Thought this would be fun! [THIS IS A GUEST POST]

I was impressed by the outreach email I received from this guy, Jackson, who opened with a compliment about the site and offered to share a few resources. I took a look at their new site, FormSwift, and it was quite good. If you want to simplify your document creation, check them out…(Keep in mind their site caters just to the US for now).

I liked what he sent, so I suggested he write a blog post. He rocked it out pretty quickly, which made me want to help more, and you can read what they wrote below.

The Freelance Economy is on the Rise (or Gig Economy)

Below are the two guides you can access. I have to say they look pretty solid. And as someone who has done quite a bit of freelance work in the past, these are definitely important resources. And kudos to these guys for starting a new company.

Link to the Guides:

  1. The Freelancer’s Essential Guide to Business and Taxes
  2. A Tax Guide for Independent Contractors: And the Companies Who Hire Them

Here’s their post:

“Freelance Economy” is quickly becoming a household term thanks to the constant development of tech enterprises and the increasing prevalence of mobile apps. For some of us, being a freelance worker is the only available option, and to others, it’s a career we’ve endeavored for many years. More and more individuals are partaking in this shift in labor, whether it’s for convenience or an extra source of income. For instance, Uber currently has upwards of one million contracted drivers, a number that is continuously rising. That being said, there are numerous questions people have in regards to how to become successful as an independent contractor. Basic inquiries, such as where to find freelance jobs, to financial concerns, such as how to file taxes, are common questions left vaguely answered.

As a startup that extensively employs independent contractors, we noticed there was no comprehensive guide on the web that answered questions like the ones above. A majority of the population are salary employees who receive company benefits; how does one maintain all of those functions on their own? That’s when we decided to compile these guides as a useful resource for individuals and companies looking to enter the Gig Economy.

Moreover, a key component we wanted to integrate into our guides was content that was easy to convey, as well as examples that were relatable to readers. There are so many niches within the Freelance Economy that we wanted to create something that could be used by everybody. We also strived to make the guides relevant to all levels of experience, so that rookies and veterans alike could learn something beneficial. The guides are easily navigable for this reason, and essentially, the reader can determine what they stand to gain from the information contained in them.

Since initially publishing our Freelancer’s Guide, we then published a standalone tax guide for freelancers and their employers to reflect the concurring tax season.

Filing taxes can be incredibly stressful and often confusing for individuals new to freelance work because there is extra paperwork involved. We wanted to help elucidate this uncertainty and demonstrate how to benefit from tax deductions available specifically for independent contractors. We hope that readers can learn something new and maximize their potential as an independent contractor. Our guides are by no means an absolute authority, and we are always open to feedback that will help these and future guides become even more effective for future users. Alas, give these guides a spin and hopefully you will gain something in the process!

Authors:

Jackson - Author PicJackson Hille: I am the Content Associate for FormSwift. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he is shamelessly picking the Bears to win the NCAA tournament.

 

 

 

Kyungduk - Author PicKyungduk Rho: I am the Digital Marketing Analyst for FormSwift. A graduate of Cornell University with a degree in biological sciences, he is a recent San Francisco transplant. Kyungduk is an avid golfer, dog lover, and shameless Warriors bandwagoner.

Anyways, check these guys out. Thought it would be nice to share what they are up to. You never know who will help you unless you try!

-Joe Girard

 

Oh, and here’s Jackson’s original outreach email that caught my attention:

First off, I wanted to compliment you on the page you have created at https://joegirard.ca/best-career-websites/. While I was on the page for work, I noticed you featured Work Awesome’s website:

http://workawesome.com/

Work Awesome offers a great collection of business tips and resources, but what if you needed a comprehensive guide to business and taxes as a independent contractor or as an employer of independent contractors? Well, my startup, FormSwift, has a solution.

After conducting a comprehensive search for independent contractor business and tax tips, I still didn’t find any comprehensive, up to date guides, so I actually called up my college mentor, Justin Gomer, a Lecturer at UC Berkeley, and we developed two guides to help out independent contractors and their employers during tax season. Here is our finished work:

http://formswift.com/independent-contractor-guide

http://formswift.com/1099-form-guide

All in all, considering you previously shared Work Awesome’s website, I think it would be great if you could share our guides as companion resources for your readers.

I hope to hear from you soon, and thank you for your time and consideration.

Cheers,

Jackson

Joe Girard
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