Tax comparisons
Six decisions that come up repeatedly for self-employed people, each one worked through with the actual arithmetic rather than a rule of thumb. Most of them turn on a threshold — an income level, a deduction total, a break-even — and the useful part is knowing where that threshold sits for you.
Where a comparison depends on your own numbers, it links to the calculator that runs them.
Self-Employed vs W-2 Employee
How much more do I need to earn as a contractor to break even?
The payroll tax gap, the benefits a salary quietly includes, and why the honest multiplier is 1.25×–1.4× rather than the 1.0× most people assume.
LLC vs Sole Proprietorship
Does forming an LLC lower my tax bill?
No — a single-member LLC is taxed identically to a sole proprietorship. What it does change, and what people confuse it with.
S-Corp vs C-Corp
Which corporate form costs less in tax?
Pass-through versus double taxation, the 21% corporate rate, and the narrow set of circumstances where a C-corp genuinely wins.
SEP IRA vs Solo 401(k)
Which retirement plan lets me contribute more?
Contribution limits compared at several income levels, and why the Solo 401(k) usually wins below roughly $150,000 of net earnings.
Standard vs Itemized Deductions
Should I itemize?
The $16,100 threshold you have to clear, what still counts after the SALT cap, and why business expenses are a separate question entirely.
Remote Work Across State Lines
Which state taxes me if I work remotely?
Residency versus source rules, the convenience-of-the-employer doctrine, and how credits stop the same income being taxed twice.