My suspicion is if you ask around you can get a recommendation for a good CPA that won't break the bank. I've got an awesome one in LA and when I started with my CPA it was $250 if my memory is correct. I'm still only at $700 for the corporate and personal taxes combined, and they are no longer simple.

Even if the cost of the CPA sounds high, a good one will find things that you'd probably miss and pay for themselves that way. Also, it can take a huge amount of stress off of you. Knowing that I've got a CPA that I trust and that can answer my silly questions takes so much stress off of my regarding taxes. I have two theater degrees and no business training. I do well at it, but there are parts that really stress me out and knowing that I have an expert is a HUGE part of being able to do it.

At this point, just know two things:

1) make quarterly estimates

2) if you buy/do something that is in any way related to income coming in, keep the receipt

This is basically what I do, and it's all good. Possibly not having an accountant will come back to bite me in the ass t marks this post for reference when the audit hammer comes down but I honestly don't feel too fussed about not having one. I've been freelancing for almost 3 years now, and it's been fine. The first year was the hardest because it was all unknown and weird, but with the first year of tax returns under my belt, doing my returns this year was a piece of cake. The only annoying part was remembering to do a return for the city of Cincinnati (when you work for The Man, if 2.1% is deducted from your paycheck for city taxes, you don't have to file a city return, so I was long in the habit of not doing a city return).

Looks like you live in an inexpensive area, tax-prep-wise, so that's good: [link]

And I bet that link that Dana posted probably has info re free or low-cost advice for those just starting out. As Teppy points out, the key is to get a good set up the first year and then replicate after that.

On a related note, Teppy are you interested in DE or CE work on science textbooks (college)? My main client of late does a lot of math & science (which I try to stay far away from!) and they are always looking for good editors. I imagine medical style guide knowledge would be an added plus.

We have a CPA, and he charges us $300, which is not bad for SF. He's worth it, though, just for dealing with M's permanent resident status & contracting & our home office.

Teppy are you interested in DE or CE work on science textbooks (college)?

I just saw this post this morning, but -- I might be, depending on the timeline and number of hours. My main client keeps adding journals, and my workload keeps increasing, which is fine, but it does cut down on the hours I have available for other projects.

Is anyone able to advise me on creating a social media presence & editorial calendar for my stepfather? He's a jazz musician, and he wants to have more of a social media profile, so he wants to hire me to manage that. Which is great, except that I'm not there, so I need him (or my mom) to take pics, record video of gigs, etc.

I'm thinking a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, and an Instagram, along with a blog on his website (which I also need to revamp). Does anyone have any other ideas or advice for content?

Thanks!

Would Twitter be worthwhile? Or maybe evaluate the need for it/usefulness of it later, after the initial social media accounts have been launched?

I find all of that pretty easy with Wordpress, if you're going to be redoing the website. You can tie in a YouTube channel, a Google calendar, FB, and presumably all kinds of other social media.

The new website will definitely be via WordPress, just so he can manage the content if he wants to instead of sending it over to me.

If I can get him on to Twitter, yes, but I think that would have to be after the initial launch. He doesn't even update his current FB profile with gig info, so that's the first habit I need him to start. (Or just keeping me updated with that info so I can post it. I'm not picky.)