How Self-Employment Taxes Work and How to Avoid Them

TLDRLearn how self-employment taxes work and discover strategies to avoid paying them. Self-employed individuals can reduce their self-employment tax by maximizing tax deductions and changing their business entity.

Key insights

💼Self-employment tax is a significant tax that most people can reduce.

💰Small business owners pay twice as much self-employment tax as employees.

📝Maximizing tax deductions is key to reducing self-employment tax.

🤝Changing your business entity can help avoid self-employment tax.

🏢S Corporations do not pay self-employment tax, making them a favorable entity for small business owners.

Q&A

Do I have to pay self-employment tax?

If you earn any amount of money that is not taxed before it hits your bank account, there is a 99% chance that you have to pay self-employment tax.

What can I do to reduce my self-employment tax?

You can maximize tax deductions and consider changing your business entity to reduce your self-employment tax.

How much self-employment tax do small business owners pay?

Small business owners pay twice as much self-employment tax as employees on the same amount of income.

Can I deduct self-employment tax?

No, self-employment tax itself cannot be deducted. However, maximizing tax deductions can reduce the overall taxable income.

What is the advantage of an S Corporation?

S Corporations do not pay self-employment tax and offer potential tax savings for small business owners.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Most people are concerned about how much money they will owe or get back as a tax refund, but they often overlook the various types of taxes they are paying.

02:15Self-employment tax is a significant tax that most people can reduce. Small business owners pay twice as much self-employment tax as employees on the same income.

08:24Maximizing tax deductions and changing your business entity are two primary strategies to reduce self-employment tax.

09:53S Corporations do not pay self-employment tax, making them a favorable option for small business owners.