Just want to throw out there that if you're making decent money as a freelancer (sounds like you are), it might be worth hiring a CPA who specializes in self-employment. I tried all the apps and still ended up with tax issues. I now pay my CPA about $1200/year and she handles EVERYTHING - quarterly estimates, annual filing, business expense tracking, and tax planning. She's actually saved me more than her fee by finding deductions and helping me set up a Solo 401k that reduced my tax liability by thousands. The peace of mind is worth it, and I can focus on my actual work instead of stressing about tax calculations. Sometimes the best app is no app!

Great thread! I've been using a hybrid approach that might work for you. I use Wave Accounting (free) to track income and expenses throughout the year, then export everything to TaxAct Self-Employed for actual filing. Wave automatically categorizes most transactions and has a solid mobile app for receipt scanning. It doesn't handle quarterly payments directly, but it gives you really accurate profit/loss reports that make calculating quarterlies super easy. I just use the IRS safe harbor rule (pay 100% of last year's tax liability divided by 4) to avoid underpayment penalties. The combo costs me about $50/year total vs. hundreds for the all-in-one solutions, and I've never had issues with accuracy. Plus Wave's customer support is actually responsive when you need help, unlike some of the bigger names. For your multi-state situation, TaxAct handles that well and walks you through the allocations step by step. Might be worth trying since both have free tiers you can test out first.

Don't forget to check if your city offers any voluntary disclosure programs before filing all those back taxes! Many cities have amnesty programs where they'll waive penalties (and sometimes interest) if you voluntarily file past-due returns. Might save you a lot of money compared to just filing and accepting all penalties.

Great advice about voluntary disclosure programs! I'd also suggest contacting your city's tax department directly to ask about payment plan options. When I finally dealt with my back taxes, the city was surprisingly willing to work with me on a reasonable payment schedule since I was being proactive about fixing the situation. They'd much rather have you come forward voluntarily than have to track you down later. Many cities will even negotiate reduced penalties if you can pay a lump sum upfront. Just be honest about your situation - they deal with this more often than you'd think!

Has anyone used TaxBandits for 1099-NEC filing? My accountant recommended it but I wanted to get some real-world feedback before committing.

For your first time filing, I'd actually recommend starting with the direct IRS IRIS portal that Ravi mentioned. It's free and you'll get familiar with the official process, which is valuable knowledge for future years. With only 8 contractors, it shouldn't take more than an hour once you get your account set up. The key things you'll need ready: - Your business EIN - Each contractor's legal name (exactly as it appears on their W-9) - Their TIN/SSN - Their addresses - Total amount paid to each in 2024 Make sure you've already sent Copy B to your contractors by January 31st - that's actually a separate requirement from filing with the IRS. You can email them PDFs of their forms if they agreed to electronic delivery. Once you get comfortable with the process this year, you can always explore third-party solutions for future years if your contractor count grows significantly.

This happened to me last semester! I saw my gig earnings on SSA in early February but my actual tax return wasn't fully processed until March 12th. I remember being super confused because I thought they were the same thing. Called the IRS after waiting on hold for like 2 hours and they explained that SSA just gets notified about your earnings for Social Security purposes, but that's just one piece of your tax return. The rest was still going through their system. Got my refund about a week after my transcript updated with the 846 code.

Hey Andre! As someone who also filed SE taxes for the first time recently, I totally get the stress! What everyone's saying here is spot on - the SSA update is actually a good sign that your SE tax info was processed correctly, but it doesn't mean your whole return is done. I made the same mistake thinking they were connected. The key thing is to check your IRS transcript like others mentioned - look for those processing codes they talked about (especially the 150 and 846 codes). If you're still within that 24-35 day processing window Isabella mentioned, you're probably fine. Just keep checking Where's My Refund every few days. The waiting is the worst part but it sounds like you did everything right if SSA already has your earnings posted!

Pro tip from someone who's been thru this many times: next yr just pay the TT fees upfront w/ a CC and avoid SBTPG completely. The $39 or whatever for deluxe isn't worth the extra wait IMO. Also check out the SBTPG FB group - ppl post when deposits start hitting and you can get a better idea of timing. GL w/ your biz inventory!

This is so frustrating but helpful to know! I'm in a similar boat - filed through TurboTax and had the fees deducted from my refund. My transcript updated yesterday with a DDD of 2/28 but I was wondering why SBTPG's website still shows "processing." Now I understand they're just holding it until the 27th. I needed the money for some unexpected car repairs but I guess I'll have to wait a couple more days. At least knowing what's happening makes it less stressful than wondering if something went wrong with my return. Thanks for the heads up about checking the SBTPG website directly - I didn't even know that was an option! Definitely paying the fees upfront next year to avoid this whole middleman situation.