How to Report and File Your Federal Income Taxes
What is Work Income?
Work income comes from activity you do to earn income, sometimes through an app or website (digital platform), like:
- Drive a car for booked rides or deliveries
- Rent out property or part of it
- Run errands or complete tasks
- Sell goods online
- Rent equipment
- Provide creative or professional services
- Provide other temporary, on-demand or freelance work
Note: This list does not include all types of work income.
If you do work as an independent contractor, you may have to pay estimated taxes. You must file a tax return if you have net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more from gig work, even if it's a side job, part-time or temporary.
Unsure if you are an employee or independent contractor? check your worker status.
Refundable Tax Credits How They Work
You can claim credits and deductions when you file your tax return to lower your tax. Make sure you get all the credits and deductions you qualify for. If you have qualified dependents, you may be eligible for certain credits and deductions.
What Are Credits & How To Claim Them
A credit is an amount you subtract from the tax you owe. This can lower your tax payment or increase your refund. Some credits are refundable — they can give you money back even if you don't owe any tax.
To claim credits, answer questions in your tax filing software. If you file a paper return, you’ll need to complete a form and attach it
Here are credits you can claim:
Earned Income Credit- If you earn under a certain income level you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a refundable credit, so you can get back more than you pay in taxes. If you qualify, you can claim it even if you don’t normally file taxes or aren’t required to file
Child Tax Credit- The Child Tax Credit helps families with qualifying children get a tax break. You may be able to claim the credit even if you don't normally file a tax return.
To be a qualifying child for the 2024 tax year, your dependent generally must:
- Be under 17 at the end of the tax year.
- Be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, or a descendant of one of these (for example, a grandchild, niece or nephew).
- Not provide more than half of his or her own support for the tax year.
- Have lived with you for more than half the tax year.
- Be claimed as a dependent on your return.
- Not file a joint return for the year (or filed the joint return only to claim a refund of taxes withheld or estimated taxes).
- Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National or a U.S. resident alien.
- Must have a Social Security Number that is valid for employment and is issued before the due date of your tax return (including extensions).
You qualify for the full amount of the 2024 Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return).
Parents and guardians with higher incomes may be eligible to claim a partial credit.
Direct File your Federal Income Taxes Free
Benefits of IRS Direct File
When you use IRS Direct File
- You get guided help for every part of your federal tax return
- You can File from your smartphone, tablet, or computer
- You can Access live support from IRS staff, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time
You can use Direct File for your federal taxes if you lived and worked in these states for all of 2024:
Alaska Arizona California Connecticut Florida Idaho Illinois Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Oregon Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Texas Washington State Wisconsin Wyoming
You may also need to file state taxes. After you complete your federal return, Direct File will guide you to your state's free filing tool. In some cases, we can transfer your data to your state's tool.
Direct File can save you time by filling in some of your information, like your employment and wage information from your Form W-2, if it's available.
CHECK YOUR ELIGIBILITY
DIY TAX INSTRUCTIONS
ARE YOU SELF-EMPLOYED?
Income Earned for Gg Work IS TAXABLE
Generally, you are self-employed if any of the following apply to you.
- You carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor.
- You are a member of a partnership that carries on a trade or business.
- You are otherwise in business for yourself (including in a part-time business or as a gig worker.
Trying to keep up with the increasing cost of living, many of us have entered into the gig
economy. A great way to earn income by providing on-demand work, goods or services, some people have taken up gig work not only on a part-time basis, and for others the job is done full-time.
Income from gig work – such as driving a car for booked rides, selling goods online, renting out property or providing other on-demand work – is taxable and must be reported as income on the worker's tax return. Earnings from gig work include payments by credit card, cash, property, goods or virtual currency.
Gig workers may be required to make quarterly estimated tax payments.
Self-employed tax payers, such as gig workers, are required to pay all Social Security and Medicare taxes on the income earned from Self-Employed/ gig activity.
Who is an Independent Worker
It's important that the taxpayer is correctly classified while they provide gig economy services. Gig workers may be classified as independent contractors by digital platforms that match workers' services with customer needs.
This means the business, or the platform, must determine whether the individual providing the services is an employee or independent contractor.
Taxpayers should review the worker classification information on IRS.gov to see how they should be classified.
Independent contractors may be able to deduct business expenses depending on tax limits and rules. It's important for taxpayers to keep records of their business expenses.
What Are Self-Employed Obligations?
As a self-employed individual, generally you are required to file an annual income tax return and pay estimated taxes quarterly.
Self-employed individuals generally must pay Self-Employment (SE) tax as well as income tax.
SE tax is a Social Security and Medicare tax primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners. In general, the wording "self-employment tax" only refers to Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Before you can determine if you are subject to self-employment tax and income tax, you must figure any net profit or net loss from your business.
You do this by subtracting your business expenses from your business income.
If your expenses are less than your income, the difference is net profit and becomes part of your income on page 1 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR .
If your expenses are more than your income, the difference is a net loss. You usually can deduct your loss from gross income on page 1 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR.
But in some situations your loss is limited. See Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business (For Individuals Who Use Schedule C), for more information.
You have to file an income tax return if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more.
If your net earnings from self-employment were less than $400, you still have to file an income tax return if you meet any other filing requirement listed in the Form 1040 and 1040-SR (Instructions ) .
Self Employment Tax Credit?
Beware Of the Self Employment Tax Credit
The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert following bad advice circulatingon social media about a non-existent “Self Employment Tax Credit ” that’s misleading taxpayers into filing false claims. There is inaccurate information suggesting people qualify for payments of up to $32,000 when they actually do not. In reality, the underlying credit being referred to as the “Self Employment Tax Credit it’s a much more limited and technical credit called Credits for Sick Leave and Family Leave.
The IRS is seeing repeated instances where taxpayers are incorrectly using Form 7202 to claim a credit based on income earned as an employee and not as a self-employed individual. The IRS urges people to check with a trusted tax professional before filing for any “Self Employment Tax Credit ” or any other questionable tax claim circulating on social media.
Tax Planning Is For Everyone!
Get ready today to file your federal income tax return. Planning ahead can help you file an
acuurate return and avoid delays that can slow your tax refund. To make it easier make sure your have the information
you need.
Personal information Needed to File
- Your name on record with the Social Security Administration (SSA)
- Your current address
- Social Security number or individual tax ID number (ITIN) for you and anyone else on your return
- If you were a victim of identity theft, your IP PIN
- Bank account and routing numbers to get a refund or pay by direct deposit
Most Common Types of Income
People or organizations that paid you during the year are required to report the payments to the
IRS on an information return. You should get them electronically or by mail in January or February.
- Forms W-2 or a corrected W-2 show your wages from employers. Here's what to do if you didn't get a W-2.
- Form W-2G for lottery and gambling winnings
- Forms 1099 show other types of income. The most common are:
- Form 1099-K for payments from payment cards and online marketplaces
- Form 1099-G for government payments such as unemployment benefits
- Form 1099-INT from banks and brokers showing interest you received
- Form 1099-DIV for dividends and distributions paid to you
- Form 1099-NEC for freelance and independent contractor work in the gig economy
- Form 1099-R for retirement plan distributions or pensions or annuities
- Form SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits
- Form 1099-MISC for other miscellaneous income
- Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, lets you reconcile advance payments or claims
- Records of digital asset transactions
- Unemployment compensation
- Statements from banks, payment apps or online marketplaces
- Checks paid to you
FILE YOUR FEDERAL RETURN FOR FREE
IRS Free File is now open
The IRS Free File lets qualified taxpayers prepare and file federal income tax returns online using guided tax preparation software. It’s safe, easy and no cost to you. Those who don’t qualify can still use Free File Fillable Forms.For Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) $84,000 or less
Let the software do the work
- You choose from IRS partner tax software companies
- Simple questions to guide you
- Accurate math calculations guaranteed
- Some free state tax preparation and filing
- Spanish tax preparation and filing available
Choose a Trusted IRS Partner and GET STARTED
IRS TRUSTED IRS ONLINE FREE FILE PARTNERS
Good News! The Trusted Partner(s) below provide a free federal return for Qualifying Filers.
To view the list of forms and schedules available, customer support, and other services, select a trusted partner and proceed to the partner's website for more information. You are responsible for determining your eligibility to use one of the
IRS Free File Trusted Partners.
State Return is Free in listed states if qualified for the federal return.
1040.COM IRS FREE E- FILE PROVIDER
IRS Free File Program delivered by 1040.com ree Federal Return
- AGI $17,100-$84,000 OR
- AGI $84,000 or less and active military Press enter or space for definition of active military
Free State Return
- Free in some states if you qualify for a free federal returnPress enter or space to expand a list of free states supported by this provider
Same criteria apply when filing with a foreign address.
FREE TAX USA IRS FREE FILE PARTNER
IRS Free File Program delivered by
FreeTaxUSA®
Free Federal Return
- AGI $48,000 or less OR
- AGI $84,000 or less and active military Press enter or space for definition of active military
Free State Return
- Free in all states if you qualify for a free federal return
TAXACT IRS FREE FILE PARTNER
IRS Free File Program delivered by TaxAct
Free Federal Return
- AGI $84,000 or less and age 20-59 OR
- AGI $84,000 or less and active military Press enter or space for definition of active military
Free State Return
- Free in some states if you qualify for a free federal returnPress enter or space to expand a list of free states supported by this provider
Same criteria apply when filing with a foreign address
ONLINE TAXES FREE FILE
IRS Free File Program delivered by
Free Federal Return
- AGI $48,000 or less OR
- AGI $84,000 or less and active military Press enter or space for definition of active military
Free State Return
- Free in all states if you qualify for a free federal return
Same criteria apply when filing with a foreign addressView this trusted part
IRS Free File Program
Free Federal Return
- AGI $48,000 or less OR
- AGI $84,000 or less and active military Press enter or space for definition of active military OR
- EITC EligiblePress enter or space for more information on EITC
Free State Return
- Free in some states if you qualify for a free federal returnPress enter or space to expand a list of free states supported by this provider
Same criteria apply when filing with a foreign address
STAY COMPLIANT PAY UNCLE SAM
Paying the right amount of taxes throughout the year
Good recordkeeping is important to navigate tax rules successfully and avoid mistakes when doing gig work.
An employer typically withholds income taxes from their employees' pay to help cover income taxes their employees owe.
Gig economy workers who aren't considered employees have two ways to cover their income taxes:
If they have another job as an employee, submit a new Form W-4 to their employer to have more income taxes withheld from their paycheck.
Make quarterly estimated tax payments to help pay their income taxes throughout the year, including self-employment tax.
The Gig Economy Tax Center on IRS.gov answers questions and helps gig economy taxpayers understand their tax responsibilities.
Find out More about individual tax obligations in the Gig Economy :
Gig economy and your taxes: things to know, Publication 5369 PDF
Independent Contractor or Employee, Publication 1779 PDF
Is My Residential Rental Income Taxable and/or Are My Expenses Deductible?
Want More Subscribe to IRS Tax Tip