Tax Filing

Illustration from Writer Unboxed website

Sadly, if you are like me this year (and for the past four years) you are filing taxes at crunch time. However, this year, thanks to a Small Business Administrative Tax workshop in September 2013, I met a woman who had experience working with freelancers and small business owners and kept in touch with her in hopes that she can do my taxes.

Today I learned (a) physical 1099s  are not always necessary to file taxes, (b)  xerox copies of the checks and actual deposit slips are all that you need.  I waited THIS LATE because two of my 2013 freelance clients have yet to submit their 1099s. I sit there after hearing this, thinking to myself, "damn, I have been filing taxes since I was 16 and NO ONE ever gave me that bit of advice." For the past four years, it's embarrassing enough to be have incomes of 12k, 8k and yes a walloping 3k and I have found myself filing taxes April 14 or April 15 waiting for those damn 1099s.

This woman taught me more in the one hour and half I met with her than all the male accountants I have had and two horrific experiences with H&R Block. The guys I have had were great, but somewhere along the line, they began to just shuffled me along or squeezed me in and by year 5 and 10, they got lazy - that laziness resulted in harassing letters from the IRS. The first failed to put the postage on the envelope and I ended up paying late fees, he did eventually reimburse me because of his error. Once I got that check, I let him know I would not be using him again. I tried H&R Block, out of desperation.  Second after year five, forgot to hit the SEND button, when we filed electronically, sorry Charlie, but I am not using you again. So last year I found myself turning to  H&R Block again. The cost was $80 more than the accountants I used - it took almost eight months to download last years tax forms and the guy today, is no where to be found.

Today this new accountant was informative, helpful, patient, and basically let me know -- contrary to what I heard eons ago, I need only file as a DBA and not a INC company for my freelance editing, marketing, public relations and writing work. Who knew? So I am finally going to officially desolve the already inactive business and hope that 2014 will be my lucky year: either more freelance work or a permanent position.

Oh one last thing, I embarrassingly made $6,000 in 2013 - apparently too much money for tax credit from NY State, so I have to PAY THEM $439. Yet another reason to love NY! The accountant talked about a few other issues with my income being so low - but I glazed over when I found out I had to fork over the bucks. It only takes me freaking THREE to FOUR months to get paid by my last client...and now I have to give it away???