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MyFreeTaxes Self-Employed Tax Guide

For Gig Economy Entrepreneurs

Gig economy entrepreneur in read shirt and blue pants sitting at a table using their laptop for their business

Small business and self-employment play a critical role in our economy, generating income and wealth that supports the financial needs of entrepreneurs, employees, and their families. However, the costs and stress associated with filing business-related taxes limit the positive financial impacts of self-employment for many entrepreneurs.

In 2021, the gig economy included over 59 million workers in the US. The gig economy includes a variety of independent contractors, typically taking on short-term assignments such as Lyft or Uber drivers, DoorDash and other food app delivery drivers, Instacart workers, promoters, brand ambassadors, graphic designers, freelance writers, and more. Often, gig economy entrepreneurs have other full or part-time “regular” jobs where they work as employees, but increasing numbers are making their self-employment gigs their only jobs.

United Way created this guide to help more self-employed people, including small business owners engaged in the gig economy, easily and accurately file their taxes for free. Designed for both full-time and part-time entrepreneurs, this guide will help you self-prepare your taxes for free using MyFreeTaxes

This guide has two parts.

Part I: Getting Ready for Tax Season focuses on what you need to know about taxes and how to prepare for tax season.

Part II: Filing Your Return Online offers step-by-step instructions on how to use MyFreeTaxes to complete your return online.

This guide will help you take each step in your tax-filing journey. The layout is in a simple question-and-answer format based on the questions frequently posed by other entrepreneurs. To answer the questions, we drew upon official US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance as well as other nationally recognized sources.

Review the guide below in PDF and video formats below. If you have questions while preparing your return, please contact our Support team.

Review Guide as a PDF

Click here to view in full-screen mode

Review Guide Videos

Part I: Getting Ready for Tax Season

Part II: Filing Your Return Online