Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure
The Gig Ledger is free to read. Here's exactly how we keep the lights on — in plain English, no legalese.
What an affiliate link is
An affiliate link is a normal link with a tracking tag. If you click it and sign up for (or buy) the product, the company pays us a commission — usually a flat fee per signup ($30–$150 for software and brokerage accounts) or a percentage of the sale. It costs you nothing extra. You pay the same price whether you use our link or go directly.
Where affiliate links appear
You'll find them in our software comparisons, tool recommendations, and resource lists — for example, invoicing apps (FreshBooks, QuickBooks Solopreneur, Xero), tax software and estimated-tax tools, bookkeeping services, brokerage accounts (Solo 401(k)/SEP IRA providers), and books or office gear via Amazon Associates. We join these programs through standard affiliate networks (such as Impact.com, CJ Affiliate, and PartnerStack).
What affiliate links don't change
Commissions don't buy rankings. Our comparisons score products on criteria we define and test ourselves — time to first invoice, fees, tax-time exports — and a product doesn't get recommended because it pays well. If a free tool (like Wave or Zoho Invoice) beats a paid one for a given use case, we say so. We'll also tell you when the honest answer is "it depends" or when you'd be better off with a spreadsheet.
Display advertising
This site may show display ads served by an ad network (currently planned via Mediavine Journey). Ad slots are marked as advertising, and advertisers don't influence our editorial content. Ad revenue helps us keep every guide free.
Digital products
We also sell our own digital products (spreadsheets, template packs, workbooks) directly. When we recommend one of our own products in an article, that's our product — we'll say so, and the same "it has to be genuinely useful" bar applies.
Sponsored content (future)
If we ever publish a sponsored article or accept a paid placement, it will be clearly labeled as sponsored at the top of the page. As of this writing, we haven't published any sponsored content.
Not financial advice
Everything on The Gig Ledger is educational content for freelancers and gig workers. It isn't tax, legal, or investment advice. Tax rules change yearly — verify current-year figures on IRS.gov or with a CPA, enrolled agent, or fiduciary advisor before acting.
Questions?
If you ever wonder whether a specific link is an affiliate link, or have questions about how we make money, contact us through the newsletter signup on our homepage.