Tax Resources
Filing Form W4
The tax withholding tables are designed to work with Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, which you give your employer. Consider using this estimator if you have a more complicated tax situation, such as if you have a working spouse, more than one job, or a large amount of nonwage income.
Self-Employment Tax
You must pay self-employment tax if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. You are considered self-employed if you run a trade or business as a sole proprietor, farmer, or general partner in a partnership. Whether an activity counts as a trade or business depends on the facts and circumstances, but it generally must be done for income or profit.
Mileage & Expense Log
In order to be deductible, business expenses for travel, lodging, and meals must be ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your business. An expense does not have to be required to be considered necessary.
Filing Status
You can file as Single if, on December 31, 2025, you were never married, were legally separated under a final divorce or separate maintenance decree, or your spouse died before January 1, 2025, and you did not remarry that year. If you qualify as unmarried, you must file as Single unless you meet the requirements for Head of Household or Qualifying Surviving Spouse.
Families with Children
The Child Tax Credit provides up to $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17. Up to $1,700 of this can be refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit. However, the credit is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 of modified AGI above $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, or $200,000 for all other filing statuses.