About
Why this site exists
Nobody hands you a manual when you start working for yourself.
You get the work, and then you get everything that comes with it. What to charge. How to invoice someone who hasn’t paid in 45 days. Whether you owe taxes quarterly, and how much to hold back so April isn’t a disaster. Which software actually helps and which just adds another subscription.
Most of that information exists somewhere. It’s just scattered across IRS pages written for accountants, forum threads from 2019, and blog posts published by the companies trying to sell you something.
The Owner’s Handbook is an attempt to put it in one place, in order, in plain language.
Who writes it
Sammy Eom
I build financial software for freelancers — invoicing, contracts, getting paid. That work put me in front of the same questions over and over: what should I charge, why is this client 45 days late, and what am I supposed to do at tax time.
This site is where I write the answers down.
What I’m not
I’m not a CPA or a tax attorney. Nothing on this site is professional tax, legal, or financial advice. Your situation has details I don’t know about, and for anything consequential you should talk to someone licensed who can look at your actual numbers.
I’m telling you this up front because it changes how you should read everything else here. This is reporting, not advice.
How I work instead
- I pay for every tool I review. No free accounts from vendors, no exceptions. You’ll see the receipts.
- Every tax figure links to its source. If I say the self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, there’s a link to the IRS page that says so. You should be able to check my work.
- I show the math. Real numbers, not “it depends.”
- I write what a tool is bad at. Every review has a section on who shouldn’t buy it.
- Affiliate commissions don’t affect rankings. A product that pays us nothing can beat one that pays well, and sometimes does. The reasoning is always in the write-up.
- When I’m wrong, I fix it and date the correction. Every article shows when it was last reviewed.
Who this is for
Anyone in the US whose income doesn’t come with an employer quietly handling the paperwork:
- Freelancers and independent contractors
- Gig workers and drivers
- Online sellers on Etsy, eBay, Amazon
- Creators earning across multiple platforms
- Consultants and one-person agencies
- Small business owners with a handful of employees
- People with a full-time job and income on the side
If you’ve ever received a 1099 and wondered what you were supposed to do with it, this site is for you.
Get in touch
Corrections, questions, and “you got this wrong” messages are all welcome — especially the last one. Use the contact page.