My son is a newspaper carrier. I would like to know if this income is subject to Social Security and Medicare tax and if I must file a Schedule C for him?

Your son may be liable to pay into the Social Security and Medicare system by paying self-employment tax. However, if your son is under the age of 18, he is exempt from self-employment tax. His employer should complete box 3, other income, on Form 1099-MISC (PDF) , Miscellaneous Income. Persons engaged in the trade or business of delivering or distributing newspapers or shopping news (including any services directly related to such delivery or distribution) are considered by statute as nonemployees and are treated as self-employed for all Federal tax purposes, including income and employment taxes. Only if they receive income based on number of sales or distribution volume and work under a written contract that says the carrier will not be treated as an employee for federal employment tax purposes.

Independent contractors report their income on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship) , or you may qualify to use Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business . See Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax , which must be filed if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more.

I received a Form 1099-MISC with an amount in box 7, (nonemployee compensation). What forms and schedules should be used to report income earned as an independent contractor?

Independent contractors report their income on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or you may qualify to use Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship). You should also be aware of Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax, which must be filed if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. This form is used to figure your social security and Medicare tax which is based on your net self-employment income. You may also need to file Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates & Trusts, if you do not make estimated tax payments.

Are all ministers treated as self-employed for social security purposes?

Services that a duly ordained, commissioned or licensed minister performs in the exercise of his or her ministry are covered under the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). That means they are exempt from Social Security and Medicare withholding, but they are responsible for paying self-employment tax on their net earnings from self-employment.

There are some members of religious orders, ministers, and Christian Science practitioners who have requested and been granted exemption from self-employment tax. There are also members of religious orders who have taken a vow of poverty and ministers who are covered solely by the social security laws of another country under a social security agreement between the United States and that other country.

Can a husband and wife run a business as a sole proprietor or do they need to be a partnership?

It is possible for either the husband or the wife to be the owner of the sole proprietor business. When only one spouse is the owner, the other spouse can work in the business as an employee. If the spouses intend to carry on the business together and share in the profits and losses, then they have formed a partnership. See Rev. Proc. 2002-69 for Special Rules for Spouses in Community States.

Are partners considered employees of a partnership or are they self-employed?

Partners are considered to be self-employed. If you are a member of a partnership that carries on a trade or business, your distributive share of its income or loss from that trade or business is net earnings from self-employment. Limited partners are subject to self-employment tax only on guaranteed payments, such as salary and professional fees for services rendered.

What is the difference between a Form W-2 and a Form 1099-MISC?

Both of these forms are called information returns. The Form W-2 is used by employers to report wages, tips and other compensation paid to an employee. The form also reports the employee's income tax and Social Security taxes withheld and any advanced earned income credit payments. The Form W-2 is provided by the employer to the employee and the Social Security Administration. A Form 1099-MISC is used to report payments made in the course of a trade or business to another person or business who is not an employee. The form is required among other things, when payments of $10 or more in gross royalties or $600 or more in rents or compensation are paid. The form is provided by the payor to the IRS and the person or business that received the payment.

How do you determine if a person is an employee or an independent contractor?

The determination is complex, but is essentially made by examining the right to control how, when, and where the person performs services. It is not based on how the person is paid, how often the person is paid, nor whether the person works part-time or full-time. There are three basic areas which determine employment status:

For more information on employer-employee relationships, refer to Chapter 2 of Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide and Chapter 2 of Publication 15-A (PDF), Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide. If you would like the IRS to determine whether services are performed as an employee or independent contractor, you may submit Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding.

Unless you think you were an employee, you should report your nonemployee compensation on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit From Business. You also need to complete Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self Employment Tax, and pay self employment tax on your net earnings from self employment, if you had net earnings from self employment of $400 or more. This is the method by which self employed persons pay into the social security and Medicare trust funds.

Generally, there are no tax withholdings on this income. Thus, you may have been subject to the requirement to make quarterly estimated tax payments. If you did not make timely estimated tax payments, you may be assessed a penalty for an underpayment of estimated tax. Employees pay into the social security and Medicare trust funds, as well as income tax withholding, through payroll deductions.

If you are not sure whether you are an independent contractor or an employee, complete Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Employee Work Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding. For more information on employer-employee relationships, refer to Chapter 2 of Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide and Chapter 2 of Publication 15-A, Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide and Publication 1779 (PDF), Employee Independent Contractor Brochure. For information on the tax responsibilities of self-employed persons, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, and Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax.

I made some money repairing radios and television sets last year. How do I report this income?

This is self employment income. A person with income from Self-Employment files Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business, or in some cases, files Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business to report the profit or loss from the business, and files Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax to figure Social Security and Medicare Tax. Refer to Tax Topic 407, Business Income, Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax, and Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business, for additional information. Since there is no withholding on your self-employment income, you may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. This is done using a Form 1040-ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals.

Does a small company need a tax ID number?

A sole proprietor who does not have any employees and who does not file any excise or pension plan tax returns is the only business person who does not need an employer identification number. In this instance, the sole proprietor uses his or her social security number as the taxpayer identification number.

Under what circumstances am I required to change my employer identification number (EIN)?

If you already have an EIN, and the organization or ownership of your business changes, you may need to apply for a new number. Some of the circumstances under which a new number is required are as follows:

This list is not all inclusive. Please refer to the website www.irs.gov under Business, then Employer ID Numbers.

I am self-employed. How do I report my income and how do I pay Medicare and social security taxes?

Your self-employment income is reported on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business, or on Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business.

Your Medicare and social security taxes are reported on Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax.

As a self-employed person, you pay your Medicare and social security taxes the same way you pay your income taxes. If you expect to owe less than $1,000 in total taxes, you can pay them when you file your income tax return. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more in total taxes, you will need to make estimated tax payments. These payments are made quarterly using Form 1040-ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals. You will need to figure these taxes at the beginning of the year. To learn about figuring and making estimated tax payments, please refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

I just started a small business and want to know if I have to file my income taxes quarterly or at the end of the year?

The Federal Income Tax return is filed annually. As a self-employed individual, if after deducting withholding and credits you expect to owe $1,000.00 at the end of the year, you should make estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis. Form 1040-ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals, will assist you in determining if estimated tax payments are due and how they are paid.

When you file the income tax return at the end of the year, you include the income from the business on the return. The forms to be filed are Form 1040 (PDF), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax. If estimated tax payments where made during the year, they will be claimed on the individual income tax return as payments. See Form 1040, Line 57.