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.
The 25-30% rule everyone repeats, and the math that tells you when it stops working
Every deduction on your 1099 cuts both income tax and self-employment tax, a double savings most guides miss. Here's what qualifies for 2026 and what gets flagged in audits.
Miss one payment and the IRS charges interest from day one. Here's the exact math, the real deadlines, and how to pay — no guessing required.