Guides for the moment you need them.

By FreelanceCFO. Reviewed 24 September 2026.

Short answer

Each guide answers one specific moment in freelance money, gives the exact numbers or wording, and links to the official source and to a free calculator where one helps.

Written for solo US freelancers with income that arrives in lumps. General information, not tax advice.

Client hasn't paid in 60 days

The three messages to send, word for word, and your options after that.

Read the guide

I missed a quarterly payment

Why paying today is cheaper, and the rules that can remove the penalty.

Read the guide

How much to set aside from each invoice

The share of each payment to move to a tax account, by income, for 2026.

Read the guide

First year tax calendar

Every federal date for 2026 and the safe harbor that makes year one easy.

Read the guide

Runway for freelancers

How long your cash lasts if work stopped today, with a worked example.

Read the guide

1099 vs W-2 salary equivalent

What a salary is worth as a contract rate once tax and benefits are counted.

Read the guide

Comparing apps?

Best apps for irregular income

Keeper, QuickBooks Solopreneur, YNAB, FreelanceCFO and a spreadsheet, sorted by the job each does.

Read the comparison