First time filling out taxes - confused about a section that might apply to me

This sounds like you might be looking at the section that asks whether you want to itemize deductions or take the standard deduction. Since you mentioned getting a contractor job, you'll have some new tax considerations. With contractor income, you'll need to file a Schedule C for self-employment income. This is separate from deciding between standard vs. itemized deductions. The self-employment expenses go on Schedule C, while personal deductions are what you choose between itemizing or taking the standard deduction for. Most people who have contractor income can benefit from tracking business expenses since those reduce your self-employment tax. Things like home office, business mileage, supplies, etc. can be deductible business expenses even if you still take the standard deduction for your personal taxes.

When I switched from just W-2 to having some 1099 income, I was totally confused by all the different forms and sections too. I ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help me figure out exactly what applied to my situation. I uploaded my docs and it helped identify which selections actually mattered for my tax situation and explained why. The tool pointed out deductions I would have completely missed with my side gig income. It was especially helpful with explaining the self-employment tax stuff that was completely new to me. Definitely helped me stop overthinking some sections while paying more attention to others that actually mattered for my situation.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing your comment and it actually saved me a ton of confusion! I was getting hung up on the exact same selection section as the original poster. The tool identified that I needed to fill out Schedule C for my Etsy shop income, but could still take the standard deduction for everything else. It explained each option in simple terms that actually made sense to me. Honestly such a relief after spending hours being confused. It flagged several deductions related to my side business that I had no idea I could claim. Definitely recommend it to anyone dealing with taxes beyond just a single W-2!

If you're really stuck and need to talk to an actual person at the IRS (which I eventually had to do last year with a similar issue), I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this service that gets you connected to an IRS agent without the typical 2+ hour wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first because dealing with the IRS seemed impossible. I tried calling them directly multiple times about my contractor income questions and kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Claimyr got me through to an actual IRS person in about 10 minutes who answered my specific questions about which sections applied to my situation.

I need to apologize for calling Claimyr a scam. I was so frustrated with tax season that I was being cynical about everything. After seeing your response, I decided to try it myself because I had questions about the self-employment expense section. I used their service yesterday and got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent clarified exactly which sections applied to my side income and which ones I could ignore. Saved me hours of researching and second-guessing myself. I would have spent longer just waiting on hold if I had called directly. Sorry for being so dismissive before!

Have you checked if you qualify for free filing? If your income is under $73,000 you might qualify for free tax filing software through the IRS Free File program. Those usually have guided questions that help you figure out which sections apply to your situation. With contractor income though, some free options are limited, so make sure the one you choose supports Schedule C (self-employment) filing. I personally like FreeTaxUSA for situations with both W-2 and contractor income.

When I started getting contractor income, my taxes got way more complicated. That "selecting" section might be about selecting if you had self-employment income. If you're using tax software, just answer honestly about having contractor income and it should guide you through the right sections. The most important thing is keeping good records of any business expenses. Even if you just drive for Uber on weekends or do some freelance work, track your miles, supplies, portion of phone bill, etc. These deductions can significantly reduce what you owe on that income.

just so you know, that contractor income means you'll probably owe more taxes than you're expecting. I made that mistake my first year - didn't set aside enough and got hit with a big bill. selfemployment tax is like 15% on top of regular income tax!! make sure to look into quarterly estimated payments for next year if you're continuing the contractor work. otherwise you might get hit with penalties too. wish someone had told me this my first time!