Freelance Tax Deduction Guide (2026) - Self-Employment Write-Offs
Freelance tax deduction guide: self-employment deductions, Schedule C, home office, equipment, and gig economy tax optimization.
Summary
Freelance deductions: Schedule C expenses. Home office ($5/sq ft simplified), equipment depreciation, software subscriptions, professional development, marketing, travel, health insurance (self-employed deduction). Self-employment tax 15.3%.
Key Steps
- 1Schedule C: report all income and expenses, net profit flows to 1040.
- 2Home office: simplified $5/sq ft or actual expenses (mortgage, utilities proportionally).
- 3Equipment: computers, cameras, tools - depreciate over useful life or Section 179.
- 4Software: subscriptions, cloud services, design tools fully deductible.
- 5Health insurance: self-employed health insurance deduction reduces SE tax.
- 6Self-employment tax: 15.3% (12.4% Social Security, 2.9% Medicare), deduct half.