Tax help

I do part-time freelance work. I don't really pursue it much, I just seem to get work every now and then when I need the extra money. All the work before has been "under the table" because I was doing work for friends for fairly cheap.

Lately I've been getting a lot more, and I need to start doing tax work.

I've heard 349732 different ways that I need to do my taxes, ranging from as simple as just getting a 1099 at the end of the year for my taxes, clear up to shelling out $125 to get a LLC license (starting a *real* business, which is not what I want to do).

What do I do? I just want to be able to do what I love (web design), make some extra money, and be legal with this all.

Can someone help a freelance tax idiot out?

ha, I am acually in the process of doing the same thing, but well an LLC would be better, because then your properties and such are not liable if you get sued, and I think LLCs have a bit better tax break then the tax as just a person doing work. I know you can register your self as a Doing Business As in michigan which is basically saying your name is doing business as blah blah

Surely there is a designated place to obtain such information, where are you from?

Ok, a 1099 is for single employees. You can't do this unless the company did it for you. They would send you a form, just like your W2's and such.

All you need to do (granted your living in the us) is file the income you made with your regular taxes from your regular job. As long as the payments are under massive amounts, the government doesn't care if you get a seperate standpoint for your taxes.

They just want their money, so as long as you file it with your normal taxes your ok.