TaxWave helps makers and repair professionals with Schedule C filing, materials and tool deductions, and IRS resolution for overdue balances. We understand the material-intensive nature of fabrication and repair businesses and the importance of tracking cost of goods sold.
Why Makers & Repair Specialists Professionals Face Self-Employment Tax
Self-employment income differs from W-2 income in one critical way: no employer withholds taxes on your behalf. Every dollar earned as an independent contractor, booth renter, platform worker, or freelancer is subject to the 15.3% self-employment tax in addition to ordinary income tax — and the full obligation is due on a quarterly schedule most new self-employed workers miss the first time.
When quarterly estimates are missed or business deductions go unclaimed, IRS balances compound quickly. TaxWave helps makers & repair specialists professionals stop that cycle: filing any delinquent returns, reclaiming missed deductions, and negotiating directly with the IRS for the best available resolution.
Tax Relief by Role
Makers & Craftspeople
Woodworkers, metalworkers, potters, jewelers, candle makers, and other artisan producers earn self-employment income from handmade goods sold through direct channels, craft fairs, Etsy, and wholesale. The materials are the biggest cost, and tracking them accurately is essential to correct tax reporting.
Learn more →Tailors & Seamstresses
Independent tailors, seamstresses, custom dress designers, and alteration specialists earn self-employment income from precision garment work. The client base grows through referrals, the work is skilled and consistently in demand, and the income it generates requires proactive quarterly tax management.
Learn more →Repair Specialists
Independent appliance repair technicians, electronics repair specialists, phone screen repair professionals, furniture repair craftspeople, and small engine repair technicians earn self-employment income from a skill-based service economy. The tools and parts costs are real, the income is consistent, and the tax obligations follow the net profit.
Learn more →Sign, Print & Fabrication Businesses
Independent sign makers, commercial print shops, vinyl graphics businesses, and custom fabrication shops earn self-employment income from producing physical materials that businesses and individuals need. The equipment investment is significant, the materials are cost of goods, and the income generated by a productive shop creates meaningful tax obligations.
Learn more →Common Questions
Artisan makers, tailors and seamstresses, repair specialists, and sign and print fabrication businesses earn self-employment income from skilled hands-on craftsmanship. The materials, tools, and workspace costs of creating and repairing are real deductible business expenses — and the income generated by consistent skilled work requires consistent tax planning. Because self-employment income arrives without any employer withholding, the full federal income tax and 15.3% self-employment tax obligation accumulates over the year. Without quarterly estimated payments, a single year of solid income can produce a large April bill — and without guidance, that balance compounds through penalties and interest.
Yes. TaxWave works with makers & repair specialists professionals to prepare any unfiled returns, apply every legitimate deduction, and negotiate the best available IRS resolution — whether that's an installment agreement, Offer in Compromise, penalty abatement, or Currently Not Collectible status. The process starts with a free consultation.
Self-employment tax is the Social Security and Medicare tax owed by self-employed workers — replacing the payroll taxes that an employer would otherwise split with a W-2 employee. The rate is 15.3% on net self-employment earnings up to the annual Social Security wage base (set by the SSA each year), and 2.9% above that. You deduct half of SE tax as an above-the-line deduction, which reduces your income tax — but the SE tax itself is owed regardless.