Marcus started his career as a CPA at a mid-size firm in Chicago,
where most of his clients were contractors, consultants, and
freelancers navigating the 1099 system for the first time.
After a decade of watching the same mistakes repeat — missed quarterly
payments, unclaimed home office deductions, retirement accounts that
never got opened — he left practice to write the guides he wished
existed when his clients were starting out.
At Selfpaid, Marcus covers federal taxes, IRS compliance, deductions,
and everything a self-employed worker needs to know before April 15
becomes a problem. He writes with real numbers, real deadlines, and
zero tolerance for vague advice.
He does not accept sponsored content. Every tool he mentions is one
he's evaluated on its own merits.
I spent 12 years watching freelancers pay penalties they didn't owe because nobody explained the math clearly. My job is simple: give you the exact numbers, the real deadlines, and the consequences — before April 15 makes them unavoidable. No motivational framing. Just the IRS rules, explained like a human.