Foldmark
Accountant carefully reviewing annual tax documents at a tidy desk

Annual Tax Return · Self-Employed & Freelancers

Your annual return,
prepared thoroughly
and filed carefully.

Complete tax return preparation for self-employed individuals — all applicable schedules, a document checklist before filing, a pre-filing review, and a plain-language summary of the key figures once it's done.

What this service provides

A complete annual filing handled with care — from document collection to the post-filing summary

Filing taxes as a self-employed individual involves more moving parts than a standard return. Business income, deductible expenses, home office treatment, self-employment tax — each piece requires its own schedule and its own attention. This service covers the full preparation: the schedules, the review, and the explanation of what was filed and why it looks the way it does.

The process begins before the filing with a document checklist so nothing arrives missing at the last moment. It ends after the filing with a written summary of the key figures — not just a confirmation that the return was submitted.

All applicable schedules included

Business income, home office deductions, self-employment tax — every schedule that applies to your situation is prepared and included in the return.

Pre-filing review before submission

The completed return is reviewed before filing to confirm that figures are accurate, schedules are complete, and nothing is missing.

Post-filing summary of key figures

After the return is filed, a written summary explains the key figures — total income reported, deductions applied, and what the final tax position looks like.

Where self-employed filing gets complicated

A self-employed return involves more than a standard filing — and the gaps are easy to miss

For an employee, tax filing is largely a matter of entering what the employer already reported. For a self-employed individual, the starting point is different: income from multiple sources needs to be consolidated, business expenses need to be categorized correctly, and several additional schedules need to be attached before the return is complete.

Each of those steps involves decisions — which expenses qualify, how to handle home office use, how self-employment tax interacts with the overall figure. Getting them right requires more than filling in numbers. It requires understanding which numbers go where and why.

Missing schedules or incomplete schedules

A return that's filed without all applicable schedules may omit deductions or misreport income — both of which create problems that surface later.

Deductions missed entirely

Business expenses that were paid but not documented properly during the year are difficult to claim at filing time — even when they were legitimate.

Self-employment tax not anticipated

The self-employment tax — separate from income tax — catches many independent professionals off guard when they file for the first time or after a notably strong year.

No summary of what was actually filed

A filed return tells you the outcome. It doesn't always explain how the figures were reached or what the numbers mean in practical terms for the year ahead.

How this works

A thorough preparation process — from the document checklist through to the post-filing summary

This service covers the full arc of annual tax return preparation for self-employed individuals. It begins with a document checklist provided before anything is filed, continues through the preparation of all applicable schedules, includes a pre-filing review to confirm completeness, and concludes with a written summary explaining the key figures from the return.

Document checklist

Collect the right things before work begins

A checklist is provided at the outset that itemizes exactly what documentation is needed — income records, expense receipts, prior returns if relevant, any 1099s or equivalent income statements. The checklist is specific to your situation, not a generic list of every possible document.

Having complete documentation from the start means the preparation proceeds without interruptions and the return reflects everything it should.

Schedule preparation

Business income, deductions, and SE tax — all covered

The return is prepared with all applicable schedules for self-employed income: business income and loss, home office deductions where they apply, and self-employment tax calculated separately from the income tax figure. Each schedule is prepared with care, not populated automatically from prior-year figures.

Deductible expenses identified during the year are applied correctly — categorized and documented rather than entered as a single undifferentiated line.

Pre-filing review

Confirmed complete before it's submitted

Before the return is filed, a review confirms that figures are accurate, all applicable schedules are attached, and nothing was missed in the preparation. If anything is found during the review that requires clarification or an additional document, it's raised before submission — not after.

Filing a return that has been reviewed is a different experience than filing one that hasn't. The pre-filing step exists specifically to catch what preparation alone might not surface.

Post-filing summary

What was filed — explained clearly

After the return is submitted, a written summary is provided covering the key figures: total income reported, deductions applied, resulting taxable income, and the final tax position. If estimated payments were made during the year, those are reflected in the summary as well.

The summary is written in plain language and is worth keeping — it's a useful reference point when planning estimated payments for the following year.

What working through this looks like

A clear sequence from your documents to a filed return and a summary you can keep

The engagement starts when you reach out — either early in the year to plan ahead, or closer to the filing deadline. A document checklist is sent promptly so you know exactly what to gather. Once the documents are in, the preparation begins and proceeds without requiring much additional back-and-forth unless something specific comes up.

Before the return is filed, a pre-filing review gives you the opportunity to look over the prepared figures and ask any questions. The return is submitted once you've had that chance. After it's filed, the post-filing summary arrives as a written explanation of what the return contains and what the numbers mean.

Questions are welcomed at any point in the process — during document collection, during preparation, or after the summary arrives. Responses use the same plain language throughout.

01

Document checklist provided

A specific checklist of what you need to gather — income records, expense documentation, and any supporting materials.

02

Return prepared with all schedules

Business income, deductions, home office, and self-employment tax — every applicable schedule prepared carefully from your documents.

03

Pre-filing review and your questions

You review the prepared return before it's submitted. Any questions about the figures are answered before filing.

04

Return filed and summary delivered

The return is submitted and a post-filing summary arrives explaining the key figures in plain language.

Pricing

A single flat fee for complete annual return preparation

Annual Tax Return Preparation

$500

per filing

Start a Conversation

One flat fee. No billing surprises.

What's included in every filing:

Document checklist before preparation begins

Specific to your situation — so you gather exactly what's needed, nothing more or less.

All applicable schedules for self-employed income

Business income, home office deductions, and self-employment tax — every schedule that applies, prepared completely.

Deductible expense categorization and application

Expenses are categorized properly and applied to the correct lines — not entered as a single undifferentiated total.

Pre-filing review before submission

The completed return is reviewed and you have the opportunity to ask questions before it's filed.

Post-filing summary of key figures

A written explanation of the filed return — income reported, deductions applied, and the final tax position, in plain language.

What careful preparation produces

A return prepared from complete documentation — not assembled from memory at deadline

The quality of a tax return is largely determined by the quality of the process behind it. A return prepared from organized, complete documentation — with all applicable schedules reviewed before filing — is a different product from one assembled quickly from whatever records were on hand.

This service is designed specifically for self-employed individuals whose returns are more involved than a standard filing. The preparation reflects that — not as a general accounting service with a freelancer product attached, but as a focused process for independent professionals.

100%

Pre-filing reviewed

Every return reviewed before submission — no filing without a completeness check.

All

Applicable schedules

Business income, home office, SE tax — every schedule that applies to your return is prepared and included.

Written

Post-filing summary

After filing, a plain-language summary explains what was filed and what the figures mean.

Flat

Single fee

One price covers the full preparation — document checklist, schedules, review, filing, and post-filing summary.

Our commitment

Thorough preparation, reviewed before filing, explained after

The return is prepared carefully from the documentation provided. The pre-filing review is a genuine step — not a formality — and the post-filing summary is written with enough detail to be genuinely useful, not just a confirmation of receipt.

If something in the prepared return raises a question, that question is answered before the return is filed. If the post-filing summary prompts a question about how a figure was reached, that's addressed as well. The process is meant to be transparent at each stage.

A conversation about whether this service fits your situation is available before any commitment. Sharing a few details about your self-employment work and what your filing typically involves will produce a straightforward response about whether Foldmark's annual return preparation is the right arrangement.

Prepared from complete documentation

The document checklist ensures the return is prepared from everything it needs — not from whatever arrived most recently.

Reviewed before it's submitted

Every return passes through a pre-filing review — and you have the opportunity to ask questions before it's filed.

Explained after it's filed

The post-filing summary gives you a clear picture of what was filed and what the figures mean — written to be kept and referenced.

Conversation before any commitment

Whether this service fits your situation is worth discussing first. No arrangement is made without a prior exchange.

Getting started

From first message to a filed return with a summary

The process starts with a brief description of your situation — the nature of your self-employment work, roughly what your income and expense situation looks like, and what your prior filings have involved. A response will explain what the annual return preparation would entail for your specific circumstances and what the next step looks like.

01

Describe your situation

A few sentences about your self-employment work and what your filing typically involves.

02

Receive a plain-language response

An explanation of what the preparation would involve for your return and what to expect through the process.

03

Gather documents with the checklist

A specific checklist is provided so you collect what's needed without guessing what matters.

04

Return prepared, reviewed, and filed

Preparation, pre-filing review, submission, and post-filing summary — the full process, completed.

Ready to talk

Get your annual return handled thoroughly

Send a note describing your self-employment work and what your annual filing typically involves. A straightforward response will explain what the preparation would look like for your situation.

Send a Note

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