For reasons unknown to me, Google just sent me a $100 Adsense gift card. Would anyone in here like to have it? I really have no use for it at all - I'm guessing they sent it to me because I'm technically an officer on a corporate board, but the corporation is an apartment coop, not the kind of business that markets anything!

Let me know by email and I'll send you the code and URL.

Hi - I am currently being paid as a contractor, not an employee. This means I'm responsible for paying all of FICA, right? Is there a "tax-paying for dummy contractors" web resource or something? Hiring an accountant is right out, I'm barely covering expenses right now.

I think I'll be an employee eventually, but don't know the timetable.

Smonster, don;t say the IRS never gave you anything: [link]

Thanks, flea!! And OY. I guess I need to pay my first round of estimated tax in June.

smonster, your medical insurance can be a tax write off as well. Don't know if you're paying for that out of pocket, but when you're a contractor, many, many things are business expenses that can decrease your "income" as far as paying taxes go.

Start logging any mileage you drive for work, including any commute to and from work. As a contractor you can claim all of those miles.

At this point, smonster, just track your spending, or throw all your receipts in a box, which I fear is my method. You can get away with fairly token tax payments this year, since they don't have a history, and figure it out at the end of the year. Or you can take the advice of less sloppy people.

Tools, work clothes. Expense expense expense!

Expensify. If you do most of your purchases via debit, it can be an easy way to track and categorize your spending. For all reasons, but also for business.

Smonster, your may want to get another account for this. Mic you get a checking account with a debit card, you can track al of your work expenses. keep the receipts, but your statements are an itemized list.