Freelance Corner: Taxes, Trademarks, and Buying a Home

Written by Kristen Hicks.

The professional communications field lends itself well to freelancing. Since many WCA members enjoy the flexibility and freedom of the freelance life (if not always the lack of stability in paychecks and higher tax burden), we want to make sure this blog provides them with plenty of relevant information and insights.

With that in mind, we offer the first installment of the Freelance Corner, which highlights some of the helpful information being shared over on the blog of WCA’s special interest group, Freelance Austin.

Freelance Taxes 101: Everything You Need to Know for Tax Time

No one likes taxes, but freelancers have an even bigger burden to bear come tax time – both in terms of the amount of work involved in filing our taxes, and in terms of the money we can expect to pay. With the help of Parkhurst Consulting, Kamila Forson breaks down the main tips and tricks freelancers need to be aware of come April 15.

The No. 1 Key to Conquering Procrastination

You don’t have to be a freelancer for this post to pay off. If you have ever struggled with procrastination (in other words, if you happen to be a human being), then Karen Aroian’s interview of Sherry Lowry can help you out. Sherry challenges entrepreneurs and other professionals to question whether or not their tendency toward procrastination could actually be telling them something important.

Buying a House as a Freelancer

If you live in Austin, then you know real estate is one of the most common topics of conversation. If you don’t own a house yet, it’s a good time to be thinking about it. The process of getting approved for a mortgage is a little more complicated for the self-employed, but ultimately manageable. Here’s what you need to know.

Tips for Trademarks and a Little Extra

Do you need to trademark your business name and logo? Or is a d/b/a good enough? Attorney Emily Morris tackles the question and the legal realities behind it. When you’re a one-person business, it’s easier to ignore legal business processes rather than tackle them, but Morris explains why you do so at your own risk.