A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

tax debt related to independenct contractor status - sm

Posted: Jan 02, 2014

I wonder if anyone else has gotten her/himself into a predicament like mine. Instead of paying estimated quarterly taxes, I've been trying to pay a lump sum when tax time comes on Apr. 15 each year. It's a bad situation because I never have the amount that's due to pay. I've been on an monthly installment plan for 3 years, and I never miss a payment or pay late. At this point, I still owe for most of 2011 and all of 2012.

I also have a full time employee-status job with a different company. I should have been taking extra taxes out of this job to pay for the taxes owed on my IC income. But I need every penny I can get from each paycheck. It's a vicious cycle. I'm not a good money manager (obviously) and now I'm worried the IRS is going to garnish my wages from the employee-status full time job to pay for the IC income tax.

Does anyone have advice? I know the best advice is to take a lot more taxes out of the full time job paycheck, but, like I said, I need as much as possible from the paycheck to pay bills.

ic taxes - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Your excuse doesn't cut it. We ALL need every penny. But we live in a country where we owe taxes. If you don't pay the taxes you have consequences. If you don't want the consequences, pay the taxes.

I know that sounds harsh but it's the reality of living in the United States.

Yes, take more taxes out of your full time gig. Yes, it hurts and you'll miss the money but it sure beats the penalties, fines, etc that get added when you don't pay what's owed.

If you stay in good standing with the IRS and keep paying, you should be fine but you have it within your ability to correct the situation.

Sure, I'd love it if I could have my entire paycheck. Unfortunately, that's not the way life works.

As an IC you're a business person- be a responsible one.

Who does your taxes? Are you taking advantage of every deduction you can to lower your tax burden?

You must not be 100% self-supporting (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
Those of us who are self-supporting do not always have the option to save a percentage of our checks to pay taxes because we have to eat, pay for electricity to work, gas for heat, mortgages or rent pay. That is just NOT possible on such measly wages.

So if you are receiving child support, alimony or simply money from a working husband, I'm very happy for you, but I would not judge others when you don't know what their living and financial situation is.

So what is your solution? - xx

[ In Reply To ..]
Just don't pay the taxes?

The taxes have to be paid. You can either discipline yourself to set aside the necessary amount from each check, or you can find yourself at the end of the year like the OP with a big tax bill you have no way to pay.

There is no magic spell that will suddenly make the taxes go away or the money to pay the taxes appear at the end of the year if you don't make the effort to save. To believe otherwise is delusional.

CORRECT, simply and concicely stated SM - Kitty

[ In Reply To ..]
without some of the rhetorical BS in this thread, insulting posters who are simply asking questions or advice.

taxes - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Nope, I'm 100% self-supporting and have been for years. I don't put money away to pay my taxes :) I keep an employee position where I allow extra taxes to be taken out and I keep an IC position where I keep every penny. I have no dependents, get no child support or help in any way. I normally get at least $1000 refund.

To simply say, I'm not paying taxes because I want the money is simply not realistic. Our society is a tax-based society, or you get to be the 1% who just laughs off taxes, which I'm thinking the OP doesn't fall into that category.

If your wages are so measly, then you should fall into the category of not owing ANY taxes.

If you are owing taxes, you're doing something that needs adjusting whether you want to pay or not. My post wasn'ta judgment, it was stating facts. You earn money, you either get enough deductions to off-set it, or you pay what you owe. It really is that simple.

Everybody isn't like you and you are coming - off a bit harsh.

[ In Reply To ..]
Nm

Exactly! She is fortunate enough to still have a F/T in-house job, but just wait... (nm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Im self supporting and you have to do it - please see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
When you get your paycheck, the first thing you HAVE to do is take whatever percentage out of it and put it in a savings. You HAVE to. It is not yours to spend on food or bills or whatever. It's very tempting to use it, but you have to think of it this way. If you were getting paid by an employer the money would not be there, they would have taken it out and you would not have it. This has to be treated the same way otherwise we'll find ourselves in the predicament the OP is in. I know what you mean though and I can tell you this. I don't have enough money for food, bills, etc. I'd love to dive into the tax money, but OMG if I do that I'm sunk.

I'm not the person you replied to, but I just wanted to say that no matter how tough it is you absolutely can't touch that money.

Think of it this way...what if the IRS was "the mob" and you were suppose to pay "the mob" taxes each time you got paid, would you not do it and spend the money?

All I'm saying is when you make money and you have to pay your own taxes no matter how tough it is you have to put the money aside and not spend it. It is not ours to spend on our living. It's really tough with such measly wages, but it has to be done.

You are right. But if you had to choose between losing your children because you can't feed the - What would you do?

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Nt that poster, but I would - work more or get a better job

[ In Reply To ..]
Or check into food stamps, public assistance, etc.

Feeding children - logic

[ In Reply To ..]
So let me follow your logic. Because you have children to feed, you can ignore laws to get it done. So shoplifting would also be an option?

My heart aches that ANY MT would be in the position of having to make that choice, I've been where I relied on the mercy of my friends to buy food when I went through some changes. But I still paid my taxes (or arranged a payment plan) because it's the law. You earn the money, you owe tax on it.

The OP seems to have already figured out she wasn't being a savvy business person and treating her IC funds as business income and hopefully now that she sees that, she will be able to make significant changes that benefit her.

Too many MT work as IC and have no clue, which is not an excuse.

I think this point has been made a 1000 times - already.

[ In Reply To ..]

If that income came from - an employee job

[ In Reply To ..]
where the taxes came out before she got the net, she would have to learn to deal with it. Being disciplined about setting aside the necessary amount to pay the taxes each quarter is no different. It is not necessary to spend every penny that hits your bank account, especially if some of that money will be needed to pay taxes or other expenses later on. Postponing the inevitable does not make the inevitable go away, it just makes it harder to deal with.

It's not necessary? You dont live in these people's - homes, you have no idea what

[ In Reply To ..]
Their needs or circumstances are. The original post asked for advice. How about posting suggestions to help? It doesn't take 10 people to keep reiterating how wrong it is to spend the tax money.

To the person who posted about feeding their child: Have you checked into your local food pantries? A lot of churches have them and even the Salvation Army usually have them. My church has one. They offer meat, potatoes, boxed dinners, bread, canned goods, condiments,dried beans, toiletries, laundry soap and dish liquid. They also have a variety of cereal, bagels and some dessert foods.

Something like that would help save at the grocery store and you can take and apply that money to your taxes. I know if it came down to me feeding my child or paying my taxes, my taxes would have to wait because I'm not about to let my kid go hungry for nobody.

I think a lot of us are in the same place (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
Are you taking all the deductions you can? Off the top of my head: computer, software, ISP, phone, fax, professional subscriptions or fees, a portion of your house used for your business, Tax prep software or accountant, office supplies, advertising, mileage (if any). I'm not familiar with 2014 tax laws but I used to come out alot better claiming two rooms used to the job, one to work in and one for storage of supplies, back computer, files, etc.

I honestly do not know how I can pay taxes on the measily amount we take in sa it is a struggle to even get groceries and pay utilities. If you forsee things improving for you before October, you could file for a 6 mo extension on taxes to buy more time.

IC isn't what it use to be. - Sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It use to be when you think of IC you figure no less than 10 cpl, but now a days it's the same pay as employee status and in some cases less. I worked briefly as an IC for a somewhat small company ~ Not mom & pop, but not huge. I only made 8 cpl and as employee at MM I made 10/6 cpl. The money was okay since it was all straight typing, but so glad I didn't do it full time or for a length of time or I would probably owe taxes myself.

Ideally, IC is suppose to make more because they cost the employer less, I.e no health insurance, PTO etc. But thats changed dramatically.

IDEALLY, IC SHOULD BE PAID MORE BY VIRTUE OF - Kitty

[ In Reply To ..]
the independent contractor having to pay what is ordinarily the employer's deduction, i.e., state, city & local taxes, social security and unemployment taxes... which they have conveniently passed on to the IC, like everything else.

Better said, the 3/4 or 7/8 cents per line is actually costing the MTSO a percentage MORE in the above-mentioned deductions for an employee, but costing them zilch for an IC. In all fairness, the MTSO should pass those few pennies per line on to the MT, but we know that the purpose of the IC status in the first place is to save those few pennies for their own pockets.

I don't think that bennies such as PTO, dental, medial insurance are considered as monetary income for IRS purposes. (Can you imagine the confusion on either end ... lol ... although I'm sure the IRS would love it.)

Agree, you said it better than I did. I knew it was - something to that effect.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I"d sure try to get EVERY POSSIBLE DEDUCTION sm - Kitty

[ In Reply To ..]
LEGALLY available to me ... by any/every stretch of the imagination. Suits, MTSOs, big biz do it ... and we, who are paid virtual slave wages, should have the same advantage.

What I understand re. deduction for a home office is that IT HAS TO BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE JOB/BUSINESS. Try to take a picture of it. No TV, no exercise equipment in view, no kids, no playpens, no 2nd computer with your teenager playing games or doing homework, no dining room table with place mats ... lol .. you get my drift.

keep a line of communication open - office girl

[ In Reply To ..]
I am in the same boat as you, only I quit MT and have a job now that takes taxes out of my check and I have them take extra out for the tax man. This is one of the main reasons I quit (besides the fact my MTSO wanted me to pay a fee each year to cover her expenses). If you're making payments and communicating with them, I do not think they will try to garnish your wages, just my two cents. One day, I will have them paid off because I am no longer adding to the problem. And I now have a retirement account. Having a "regular" job helps with the discipline of paying the money, like our other friend so kindly offered advice about on here. And kindness to others is my resolution for 2014. Try it, you might like it! :) No need to be harsh.

Hate, hate, hate this problem. - Had it for years.

[ In Reply To ..]
The only advice I can give is to make payments. Honestly, I dealt with this issue for a decade and never fully caught up until I got married. Now I also have an MTSO job and take extra taxes out through that, and my husband takes extra out of his checks. Before then, it was payments, payments, payments. I always owed taxes, and I had made peace with the fact that I would owe them until I DIED.

Thank you, everyone - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I appreciate ALL the advice. I'm a part-time MT, making about $100 a week. I've never deducted anything, but I guess I could deduct my office, which is the spare room in my apartment. I bought a new PC, but I use it for other purposes in addition to MT work, so I really can't deduct that. Guess I could deduce a portion of the electric bill for lights.

Yes, I'm self-supporting, and I do my own taxes or, if I'm lucky, sometimes there's a free tax service offered in our town. I should have tightened my belt when I became an IC, and paid quarterly estimated taxes. I'm in good standing with the IRS because I always pay my installment payments on time and usually pay more than what I'm required to. I'm just going to have to sit down a calculator and a vow to get myself out of debt this year.

I don't see a reason for anyone to be so angry and snotty in their posts, but I know they're right in what they're saying.

you can deduct your internet too I think - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

MTSOs used to pay around $50/mo. for internet - SM

[ In Reply To ..]
for employee status. Actually, the company should pay for the use of our computer and pay toward our electricity (within reason) as well as our internet. This is the employer's responsibility in virtually every other work situation except MT.

Not necessarily - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Employers outside MT do not necessarily provide a computer or pay for internet and utilities.

I work for a large organization that may provide a computer, but the employee provides everything else...furniture, electricity, internet, telephone, fax, printer, and whatever else they require.

I had this problem as well for years - and it only intensified

[ In Reply To ..]
When we paid off our home. We have no minor/dependent children, not deduction for our home and just kept owing each year. This January I started have an additional $125/pay period taken out of Federal and State and maxed out the Flexible Spending Account to $2500. Finally when we file for 2014 we should be entitled to a refund which we will use to pay the balance we will owe for 2013. It hurts to have so much taken out but really it is the only way.

thats why i would never, ever accept an IC position - no PTO, no taxes paid

[ In Reply To ..]
never understood the allure of IC status. most places still want somewhat of a schedule

Well, the pay is twice as much - and no actual schedule.

[ In Reply To ..]
I have a 48-hour turnaround time. I guess that could be considered a schedule, but I can work whenever I want.

Another perk is that I work for local clinics, so I know all the doctors that are referrenced, I have massive templates because I have been transcribing for these doctors for 8 years...it takes half the time to do the work and the pay is twice as much. If I didn't have IC work, there's no way I could survive.

But no, there is no PTO, and you have to take your taxes out separately. That's the downside. Still, I would much rather do all IC work than have to work for Nuance part-time.

Not in my experience!! I make 9/4 at MModal, got tested and offered a position - for 7/4 IC . NO THANK YOU!!

[ In Reply To ..]
x

I would never do IC, either - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
IC sounds nice (independent), but really, you're just as much of a slave to the work as we who have worked for the big MTSOs, perhaps more of a slave. If you get sick, too bad--you have to find someone else to do your work.

I never saw the benefit in IC. For one thing, the more you write off, the more likely you are to get audited. Even if it's all legit and you have all receipts, etc., getting audited is the last thing I would want. I have much better things to do.

If you do choose to write your office off or anything, be very careful to investigate so that it's totally legit--what you don't know could hurt you. For instance, if there's a TV in your office, it may not be considered an office. Stuff like that.

Good luck, and in my head, if you can't afford to pay your taxes, you can't afford to have the job.

Other option? Move to a state where there's no State income tax. Better yet, get out of the biz.

Most of us have been there, done that - Kitty

[ In Reply To ..]
so please don't do this to yourself & reproach yourself for having to put food on the table, gas in the car, clothe the kids, pay mortgage/rent ... on the measly chump change we get for MT.

I know that under those circumstances it's difficult to budget, having to live paycheck to paycheck, so it's easy to dip into money you've set aside for taxes, savings, etc. for ordinary, every-day necessities that are REAL at the time ... the tax burden is a distant reality.

Having been one with similar circumstances, even having had a tax lien over my head in the past due to a dead-beat ex-hubby with whom I filed jointly, the best advice I can give is to get the advice of a knowledgeable tax professional. It may not even have to be a high-priced lawyer if that's not in your budget... maybe a friend who does taxes for a living, a budget counselor who can be hired for a sliding fee, etc. There's also a wealth of info on the internet. Having said all that, each case is different in a tax situation. Good luck.

this is what I did - MTMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I set up a separate checking account. Since I also pay for my own health insurance, I calculated 30% of my pay to set aside for taxes and insurance. Your figures might be different, so you would want to figure that out. Anyway, on payday I would calculate that percentage, then do an online transfer to the other checking account. My insurance premium was set up as auto-pay, so I didn't have to worry about writing a check for that. When it came time to make my quarterly tax payments, I wrote the check from that second account. I didn't use that account for anything else, and never had to worry about any big surprises.

You don't have to take extra from your employee-status job; your taxes on that job have already been deducted for you. But do make sure to set aside enough from the IC job to pay the taxes on THAT money. Don't forget, as an IC, you are responsible for ALL of the taxes, which I think is about 7% more than your employee-status job, since they pay that portion.

Actually, since you are trying to pay back taxes, if you can I would suggest putting ALL of the money from your part-time job towards paying that money back. Just budget your bills from your full time job. Then when those taxes are all caught up, you can adjust the amount you are setting aside to just the amount you need to cover the current taxes.

As long as you have a dedicated area (preferably a separate room) where you work, you can use that as a tax deduction. Figure out the square footage of your home office space, and calculate what percentage that is of your entire home. For example, I have a spare bedroom that is set up as my home office. The square footage of that room is 13% of my home's total square footage. So I'm able to deduct 13% of my mortgage, utilities, cable, etc.

It would be a good idea to talk to an accountant to make sure you are deducting everything you can. My husband owns his own business, so we have an accountant who does our taxes every year. At the end of the year, I make a list of our home expenses, with a second column showing the 13% deduction. I give this list to the accountant with all of our other tax paperwork. If you can't afford an accountant every year, at least talk to one once to get all the info you need, and then keep track of your expenses and save them in a filing cabinet, just in case.

Also, don't forget about things like paper and printer ink if you print things out for work. If you buy a new computer or an office chair, anything you have to buy in order to do your job can be deducted, even child care if you need to hire a sitter to watch the kids while you're working.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

These are not "DEDUCTIONS" in the usual sense and you are - paying more than you owe.

[ In Reply To ..]
Business use of your home is not "a deduction" in the "itemized deduction" sense. It is a business expense on a Schedule C form. Business expenses come off the top of your income. If you made 400 a month, but had 100 in business expenses, your income is 300.

If your office area is 25% of the square footage of your home, you calculate and remove 25% of your rent, utilities, repairs, upkeep or maintenance, homeowner or renter insurance, etc. Or, you can use a new, easier way to do this, but the point is to get the expense off your income.

You also claim your computer and internet access, which is required for and primarily used for work and work-related activities, like visiting MTStars, and the software on it like Word, IE, expanders, accounting packages, dictionary files, antivirus, etc. Also furniture and furnishings, equipment like telephones, Dictaphones, recorders, transcribers, foot pedals, office supplies, books, references, subscriptions, postage and shipping, etc.

If you use your car to go to the office or computer store or to pick up work, you can claim that mileage. Just keep a record of it. If you take a cab or bus or pay someone to drive you, you can claim that.

If you did your taxes correctly for what you are, an IC of statutory employee, that would solve a lot of your tax problem because you would be paying a lot less in taxes.

You are doing yourself a disservice by doing your own taxes because you don't know how. I suggest that you find an accountant familiar with business taxes, not Joe Schmoe who doesn't, or learn how to file a correctly. The accountant is easier, safer, and the cost of tax prep ALSO comes off your taxes.

At this point, you need to (1) file amended returns for as many past years as possible to recoup the money you overpaid by not filing as a business, (2) set up an estimated tax plan to pay on a quarterly basis, complete with envelopes and payment vouchers, and (3) start paying when the law requires it, which is quarterly.

Since you are apparently living hand to mouth with no cushion at all, I would recommend getting more hours of MT or some type of other income. Enough to cover your taxes.

See the link. It is to the IRS self-employed website.

Just a note about who pays your taxes...YOU do whether you are employed by another or self-employed. Employers just withhold your taxes from what they pay you and submit them for you. The employer does not pay them with his own money--he pays them with YOURS. In that area, it does not cost you any more to be self-employed.

If you are self-employed, you have to pay the employer portion of the SE tax yourself, but -- this is important -- if you file correctly, you can deduct the employer-equivalent portion of your SE tax in figuring your adjusted gross income on a Schedule C.

http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-%26-Self-Employed/Self-Employed-Individuals-Tax-Center

Wow! I feel hopeful again! - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
Gosh, I feel like a complete idiot for not looking into how I could have saved probably hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in taxes the past few years. Better late than never, though. I'm taking all of this fabulous advice to heart and will file amended returns and ask a tax pro for help, even if I have to pay him/her. If I can deduct the cost of tax preparation, that'll help immensely. Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and your willingness to share your expertise.

yay to those who are nice - office girl being good

[ In Reply To ..]
and to those of us who may be fat as well. :) No offense intended.

How could anyone dislike this??? - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
.

not a perfect world - office girl

[ In Reply To ..]
my original post was removed, which mentioned some thoughts I had on this. I am not intending to make fun of fat folks, just in case you missed my original post (which was removed). Sometimes we do not live in a purrfect world is what I really meant. That is why I have cats. :)

I had a professional do my first IC return (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
Then I saved money by using Turbo Tax for Home and Business (about $120), using the accountant's return for reference.

I was amazed at how much was deductible!

Good luck to you, OP! :o)

Great Advice! Thanks. (nm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Don't know what to say except what you - sm - XXX

[ In Reply To ..]
already know....have more taken from your full-time job paycheck. I have extra taken from my PT outside job (my FT is IC) and for once had extra taken from my husband's check...so glad I did though as I made more than I expected at my outside job and it will push us into a higher tax bracket which happened to me in 2011 too (actually a very sucky position to be in when it is a big surprise like it was in 2011) and my taxes will go from 10% to 33% for 2013....but I believe I had enough taken out to cover it. Won't get the $1K or so refund I had been expecting unfortunately, will get back maybe $200 or owe $200, will figure it out in a few weeks when I do the taxes. Definitely not looking forward to it though.

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I mean this post in all ernest, I am genuinely interested in hearing about those things that you might do differently next year to make things better than this year. I'll go first. 1. I plan to stay more focused on my work instead of checking in here, so much. I plan to accomplish this by removing my MTStars icon from my toolbar, thus removing my temptation to click on it and navigate here so many times during the day. I sat down the other day and analyzed how ...

Aug 10, 2012

I've noticed that we need some sort of standard reference or metric to use when we talk about income-related issues, and this metric should not merely reference dollars (or cents), but should relate this to <i>a unit of time</i>. At the end of the day, it's how much you earned per unit of time that really matters, and this the only sort of metric that takes into account all of the variables that a mere monetary reference such as "line rate" does not. The line rate pa ...

Jun 01, 2014

early onset of s/l Telarkey. ...

May 20, 2015

to your desktop, save any old performance reports to show changes that happen before and after, anything showing changes in pay before and after, before you get locked out of email. This "Grid Scandal" has Class Action Suit written all over it. When you are finally forced out for "nonperformance" then you have a paper trail. Nuance is going to unleash the full fury of QA upon us to catch every misplaced comma in order to dock our pay as much as they can, and when you are finall ...

May 22, 2010

nm ...

Mar 07, 2014

I'm thinking no but wondering for sure if anyone knows or has tried to get unemployment insurance as a contractor when our work dries up? Not getting any work with OTI, have already gone through this with other companies - just does not seem worth it any more. Thought I would see if anyone has tried. Thanks. ...

Mar 10, 2010

Would a few independent contractors mind sharing your CPL rate? I currently work as an employee and have three years experience. I am looking into IC jobs, but I am having difficulty finding information easily on the difference in rates between IC jobs and employee jobs. Thank you! ...

Jul 11, 2010

How does anyone become an IC (independent contractor)? What is the process exactly? Any help would be appreciated. ...

Aug 19, 2011

I recently got a reply on a job as an IC for a company but in order to work for them I have to have an EIN. How do I get one and how do I figure out my taxes and all the stuff that goes with it? ...

Jun 13, 2013

I was thinking of applying for an IC job until I saw this (and much more, but this did it for me). If you have been offered an independent contractor position it is very important that you calculate the ultimate cost to you as a taxpayer to see if the salary being offered is worth the time and effort. For example, if you are being offered $15 an hour as an independent contractor and $12 an hour as a payroll employee, you may initially be tempted by the fact that your "take home" pay will be ...

May 05, 2010

A company is looking for ICs and says you must fill out pre-qualifying form. In it they ask for specific time of each day you can work. As I understand independent contracting, you get job, are given TAT and determine when you will do it. Can a company ask for set hours and still be calling their people independent contractors? Thanks for any answers. ...

May 21, 2010

I would like to know what all is involved with being an independent contractor. I have been toying with the idea a lot lately but have no clue what needs to be done or what is required of me. If anyone could give me some insight into this, I would so truly appreciate it. Thanks... PS: I have been an MT for over 20 years so not new to the scene but always figured employee status was better. ...