Taxes, mortgages, banking, retirement and irregular income explained for freelancers, 1099 workers and self-employed Americans.
Featured Guides
Quarterly Estimated Taxes
Learn who needs to pay, how estimated payments work, and the key 2026 deadlines.
Read the guide →Self-Employment Tax
Understand the 15.3% tax, the 92.35% calculation rule, and how to estimate what you owe.
Read the guide →1099 vs W-2
Compare taxes, withholding, worker classification, benefits, and the financial differences.
Read the guide →Explore by Topic
Find practical guides built around the financial decisions freelancers and self-employed workers deal with every day.
Built for people whose finances don’t fit a traditional paycheck.
EarnerLedger is an independent financial education publication focused on freelancers, 1099 workers and self-employed Americans.
We break down taxes, mortgages, banking, retirement and irregular income without stripping away the details that actually matter. Whenever possible, our guides are researched using primary and authoritative sources including the IRS, Fannie Mae, HUD and other official U.S. institutions.
Latest Guides
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Freelancer Tax Tracker: A Free Income, Expense and Mileage Ledger for 2026
This 1099-K calculator turns the gross amount on your form into the income you actually report. A Form 1099-K shows gross payments, not profit, so it does not subtract fees, refunds, or personal items sold at a loss. Add your numbers below, and the results update as you type. 1099-K Reconciliation Calculator Turn the gross…
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1099-K Calculator: Reconcile Your Gross Payments to Taxable Income
This 1099-K calculator turns the gross amount on your form into the income you actually report. A Form 1099-K shows gross payments, not profit. It does not subtract fees, refunds, or personal items sold at a loss. Enter your numbers below, and the results update as you type. 1099-K Reconciliation Calculator Turn the gross amount…
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ACA Subsidy Cliff Calculator for the Self-Employed
This ACA subsidy cliff calculator estimates your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) as a freelancer. It then shows how close you are to the 400% federal poverty line. For 2027 coverage, that line is $63,840 for a single person. Go above it, and you get no premium tax credit. Enter your numbers below, and the…
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The Self-Employed ACA Subsidy Cliff: How to Estimate Your 2027 Income
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1, and the self-employed ACA subsidy cliff looks very different from the 2021–2025 years. Your household income might land above 400% of the federal poverty line, which is $63,840 for a single person. In that case, you get no premium tax credit at all. Take advance credits on…
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Does Mercari Send a 1099? The Real 2026 Threshold (Not $2,500)
Yes, but only above a specific threshold, and that threshold is higher than a lot of current content claims. For 2026, Mercari issues a Form 1099-K once your gross sales exceed $20,000 and your transaction count exceeds 200. Both conditions are required. Some recent articles still cite $2,500 as the current figure. That number describes…
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Does Fiverr Send a 1099? The Real Form and the Real 2026 Threshold
Yes, but the details matter more than most content online gets right. Fiverr issues a Form 1099-K, not a 1099-NEC. Fiverr processes client payments as a platform rather than paying you directly. The 2026 threshold is more than $20,000 in gross payments and more than 200 transactions — not $600. That figure appears across a…