Starting a second job online - how should I fill out my W-4 for multiple income sources?

It sounds like the online company is treating you as an independent contractor, not an employee. That means you wouldn't fill out a W-4 at all - W-4 forms are only for employees. Instead, you'll likely receive a 1099-NEC form from them at tax time showing your earnings. As an independent contractor, you're responsible for paying your own taxes on that income. The company won't withhold anything. You'll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS if you expect to owe $1,000+ in taxes from this income. The good news is you can deduct business expenses related to this teaching work - things like portion of internet costs, any teaching supplies, etc. Just keep good records!

I was in the same boat last year - had my full-time job and then started teaching English online on the side. I was totally confused about the tax situation until I found this service called https://taxr.ai that helped me figure out my contractor status and estimated payments. It analyzed my situation and showed me exactly what I needed to do - no W-4 needed since I was a contractor, but I did need to make quarterly payments. The tool calculated exactly how much I should set aside from each paycheck to avoid surprises at tax time. Super helpful for figuring out the whole multi-income situation!

I actually tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here! Super helpful for my DoorDash side gig. It confirmed I was definitely a contractor and showed me that I needed to track my mileage (which adds up to a huge deduction!). The best part was it calculated how much to set aside from each payment so I wouldn't be shocked at tax time. I was seriously underpaying before! Now I make my quarterly payments on time and I'm tracking all my deductions properly. Wish I'd found it sooner - would have saved me from owing so much last April!

If you're having trouble getting answers from the company about your tax status, I highly recommend using Claimyr https://claimyr.com to get through to the IRS. I spent HOURS on hold trying to clarify my contractor vs. employee status last year before I found them. They have this system that holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you back when an agent is ready. Saved me literally 3+ hours of hold time! There's a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with explained exactly what my rights were and how to properly report my income. Turns out some companies misclassify employees as contractors to avoid paying their share of taxes. Getting official guidance directly from the IRS was super helpful.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried Claimyr after seeing it mentioned here and IT ACTUALLY WORKED. After being super skeptical, I was desperate enough to try anything. Got a call back from the IRS in about 2 hours! The agent confirmed that based on my situation, I'm definitely an independent contractor and explained exactly how to handle my quarterly payments. She even walked me through how to check if I should adjust my W-4 at my main job to account for the extra income. This saved me so much stress and probably prevented me from making expensive mistakes on my taxes. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong... this service is legit!

If they're paying you commission, you're almost certainly a contractor not an employee. My advice: put aside about 25-30% of whatever you make from this gig for taxes. Better to have too much saved than not enough! Also, get a separate credit card just for any expenses related to this teaching job. Makes it WAY easier to track deductions at tax time. I learned this the hard way after my first year of freelancing!

Just double checking... if they're treating you as a contractor, you need to report this on Schedule C, not as regular W-2 wages, right? I made this mistake my first year with a side gig and had to file an amended return.