Freelancers and Contractors

Hi, I am an independent contractor that needs to file taxes quarterly. Is it possible to do this on my own, right? If so, what forms do I need to fill out?

Also, is there a form similar to the W-2 that I should receive from my employers?

I make estimated tax payments and want to know when the installments should be made?

I’m a contractor who travels frequently for work. I normally take the standard mileage deduction. I know that you cannot mix/match between the standard deduction and using actual costs. Due to some problems with my vehicle, I had to rent a car for a month-long work trip. How do I determine the expenses for this trip? Do I just deduct mileage like I normally do? Can I deduct the cost of the rental? (It’s about $1000). Thanks for you help!

I recently started working for myself and will need to file my own taxes. It was suggested to me that I file for a small business license in my state (WA) when filing my own taxes, but I wasn’t told what the benefits of this are. Can’t I simply file my self-employed income tax with my SSN? Is creating a small business for my self somehow beneficial?

I recently accepted a position as a contractor for a company and they are not deducting any of the taxes. What kinds of taxes am I now responsible for and how much should I expect to have to pay in taxes from my paychecks? Thank you!

Trying to figure this out online hasn’t given me any concrete answers. My tax advisor once told me I could only use the voice portion of the cell phone plan to deduct against for my business. However, I am frequently using the data plan in this capacity, and as a software engineer in particular, it exceeds just checking email. I am quite literally doing actual work at times on my cell phone. Will the IRS accept this justification?

I am a software engineer and occassionally take on side projects, what kind of expenses can I deduct? Can I deduct things like my computer, software and even travel??