Start with the flagship guide
Latest from The Gig Ledger
The Freelancer's Tax Playbook: Quarterly Taxes, Deductions, and Retirement in Plain English
Quarterly estimated taxes, Schedule C deductions, Schedule SE math, and retirement accounts — one complete playbook with real numbers.
TaxesQuarterly Estimated Taxes Explained: How to Calculate and Pay Them Without the Panic
The $1,000 rule, this year's four deadlines, the safe-harbor shortcut, and exactly how to send the money — written for first-time quarterly payers.
Taxes21 Tax Deductions Freelancers Miss Every Year (With Real Examples)
Every item includes a dollar example — from the home office to the QBI deduction — plus an audit-proofing record checklist.
Cash flowThe Percentage Budget: How to Budget When Your Income Changes Every Month
Assign every dollar a percentage instead of a fixed amount — with a worked $4,200 month and a worked $9,800 month showing the system flex.
Get paidThe 7 Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers, Compared and Tested
Scored on time-to-first-invoice, late-payment reminders, fees, and tax-time exports — plus a head-to-head of FreshBooks, QuickBooks Solopreneur, and Wave.
RetirementSEP IRA vs. Solo 401(k): The Only Comparison Freelancers Need
Decision-first, with exact maximum contributions at $35k, $75k, and $140k of net profit — plus the Roth question and how to open one this week.
Start here: the freelancer money system
The Gig Ledger exists because most money advice quietly assumes a biweekly paycheck. If your income arrives in clumps, you owe the IRS four times a year instead of through withholding, and nobody opened a 401(k) for you — so we built this site around the four moves that matter most:
- Split every payment. Move 25–30% of each payment into a separate tax savings account the day it arrives, before you spend a dollar.
- Pay quarterly with the safe harbor. Matching 100% of last year's tax (110% above $150k AGI) means underpayment penalties are never a question.
- Track deductions weekly. Fifteen minutes every Friday beats a panicked April weekend — and every $100 deduction saves roughly $37.
- Open a retirement account this month. A Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA shelters far more than a personal IRA. The best account is the one that exists.
Begin with The Freelancer's Tax Playbook for the complete walkthrough, then pick the topic that's stressing you out most.