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Send last year's return, 1099s, platform statements and a rough picture of this year.
Freelancer & 1099 accountant
Accountant for freelancers, 1099 contractors and solo LLC owners in Jersey City
When no one withholds tax for you, the plan has to come from somewhere. We prepare your self-employment return, set a realistic quarterly payment schedule and tell you when an S-corp election might actually save money, not just sound smart.
Last reviewed October 3, 2026
Self-Employed Tax Help, At A Glance
Best forFreelancers, gig workers, solo LLCs
CoversSchedule C, SE tax, estimates
PlanningEntity & S-corp timing
PricingFixed quote, in writing
The Self-Employed Tax Picture
No withholding means you are your own payroll department
If you are a freelancer, creative, consultant or gig worker, income reaches you gross. You report it on Schedule C, you owe self-employment tax on top of income tax to cover Social Security and Medicare, and you generally pay as you go through quarterly estimates to the IRS and to New Jersey. Underpay and penalties can follow. Overpay and you are lending the government money all year.
Good self-employed tax work is mostly timing and records. We build a payment schedule from your actual income rather than last year's guess, keep your deductions documented so they survive a question, and look at the structure of the business before the year gets away from you.
The mechanics are laid out in our guide to quarterly estimated taxes for NJ freelancers. This page is for getting someone to do it with you.
What We Handle
Self-employed tax work we do for Jersey City clients
01
Schedule C and self-employment tax
Income from 1099-NEC, 1099-K and direct clients reported cleanly, with deductions supported by your records.
02
Quarterly estimated payments
A schedule for the IRS and New Jersey based on your real income, adjusted if your year changes.
03
Deductions that hold up
Home office, equipment, software, mileage, health insurance and retirement contributions, documented properly.
04
Sole proprietor, LLC or S-corp
When an S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax, and when the added payroll cost cancels the benefit.
05
Two-state freelancers
Clients in New York or elsewhere can mean filing in more than one state. See our page on New York nonresident returns for NJ residents.
06
Books that match the return
Clean separation of business and personal spending, supported by bookkeepers in Jersey City if you want it.
Choosing a Structure
LLC, S-corp and what a defensible salary looks like
A single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship by default. An S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax on profit above a reasonable salary, but it adds payroll, a separate return and, in New Jersey, state-level elections to get right. Whether it pays depends on profit, not on how established you feel.
Start with our comparison of LLC vs. S-corp in New Jersey, then read how to think about S-corp reasonable compensation in New Jersey. If your profit is climbing and you are not sure whether to elect, that is a planning conversation we have through tax planning and consulting.
If you are running a team, a storefront or a larger operation, our small business tax accountant in New Jersey page is the better fit.
How It Works
From a look at your income to a year you can plan around
Fixed quote
You get one price based on your documents, however many income sources or states are involved.
Return and estimates together
We prepare the return and set next year's payment schedule in the same conversation.
Check-ins that matter
We revisit your estimates and structure when your income changes, not just in April.
Related Services
Related help for self-employed owners
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to make quarterly estimated payments as a freelancer?+
If you expect to owe tax after withholding, generally yes, to both the IRS and New Jersey. The usual due dates are mid-April, mid-June, mid-September and mid-January. We set a schedule based on your actual income.
What can a freelancer deduct?+
Ordinary and necessary business costs such as software, equipment, a qualifying home office, mileage and professional fees, plus items like self-employed health insurance and retirement contributions. The key is documentation, which is where we help.
When does an S-corp make sense for a freelancer?+
Usually when profit is high enough that the self-employment tax saved on income above a reasonable salary outweighs the added payroll and filing costs. We run the numbers on your actual profit.
I get paid through platforms. Do I still report that income?+
Yes. Income reported on a 1099-K, 1099-NEC or not reported at all is taxable, and mismatches are a common source of notices. We reconcile your platform statements to your return.
How much does an accountant for freelancers cost?+
We quote a fixed price from your documents, not by the hour. See what tax preparation costs in Jersey City for what moves the number.
Get a plan for your self-employed income
Send us last year's return and this year's income and we will tell you what your estimates should look like and what the work costs, in writing, first.