Dec 23, 2025
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Estimated Read Time : 5 MIN
Being a solopreneur means juggling everything—tracking income, managing projects, and keeping up with tax deadlines. It’s a lot to handle, right?
That’s where QuickBooks Self-Employed steps in. Tailored for solopreneurs, freelancers, and gig workers, this all-in-one solution simplifies your accounting and financial management. With features like automated expense categorization, GPS mileage tracking, custom invoices, and built-in tax support, QuickBooks lets you focus on what matters most—serving your clients.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how the software works, explore its plans and pricing, and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you.
Table of Contents
ToggleQuickBooks Self-Employed is a centralized accounting and tax software that lets solopreneurs and independent contractors do their accounting and taxes in one place. Enjoy the minimal tax deductions and get help from tax experts for better insight.
The robust features of QuickBooks Solopreneur make it stand out in the crowd, letting you track your income and expenses.
Do you identify yourself as a solopreneur or independent contractor? QuickBooks Self-Employed/Solopreneur is the perfect accounting solution for you.
Before you start using the software, you need to understand a little about it and how it works. The steps below explain how you can manage your taxes and finances using the software:
Generally, you are self-employed or a solopreneur if any of the following apply:
For more details on self-employment obligations, visit the IRS website.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is for solopreneurs, helping them track income, expenses, mileage, and tax information. You might be accessing your QB Self-Employed account from a web browser or the mobile app; your data automatically syncs across both.
Generally, your mobile phone is better suited for running tasks on the go, such as tracking mileage and running a one-person business.
Important Note: QuickBooks Self-Employed isn’t designed to manage non-profit or charitable organizations.
Below are the main features of QuickBooks Self-Employed:
Connect your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Self-Employed. This will automatically download all the latest transactions each day. To manage them, all you need to do is categorize those transactions so they can appear in the correct Schedule C category and on your financial reports.
In case transactions fail to go through your bank, you can always consider manually entering them.
All the transactions you record and categorize will be included as part of your federal estimated quarterly tax payments automatically by QuickBooks. This gives you an estimate of the amount you will pay the IRS for each quarter.
QuickBooks also categorizes your transactions for the Schedule C and annual tax return. When you’re all set to file, QuickBooks also has all of your tax information ready to go. For the latest self-employment tax info, refer to the IRS Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center. Remember to check these topics:
In QuickBooks Self-Employed, the expense categories match specific lines on your Schedule C. Below is a list of all the categories:
Note: QuickBooks Self-Employed is designed to work with specific tax categories, like your Schedule C. It also uses these categories to calculate your federal estimated quarterly tax payments. Currently, you can’t create custom categories.
There are various tools to help you monitor deductions, such as mileage, healthcare, home office costs, and more. Refer to the official guides for instructions on how to input and track your deductions.
As a self-employed person, you’re obligated to pay estimated taxes to the federal government on a quarterly basis. Additionally, you need to file an annual tax return.
Self-employed individuals are responsible for paying both self-employment taxes and income taxes on their earnings.
When you register for QuickBooks Self-Employed, you’ll create a tax profile. This allows QuickBooks to calculate your taxes accurately.
You can make your payments by mail, directly on the IRS website, or through QuickBooks Self-Employed. Check Intuit on how to submit your federal estimated quarterly tax payments.
Be sure to visit the IRS website for the most up-to-date tax payment schedules. Payments are typically due on the 15th of the month, but keep in mind that the tax periods aren’t always evenly spaced throughout the year.
No longer an independent business owner or no longer using QuickBooks Solopreneur? Let’s see how you can cancel your free trial or paid subscription:
Your 30-day QuickBooks Self-Employed trial expires automatically. Since you didn’t give us any billing info, we won’t bill you.
If you want to end your subscription right now:
Follow these steps if you bought QuickBooks Self-Employed directly from QuickBooks or Intuit. This means you didn’t buy it from a mobile app store or on your mobile device.
a. On an iPhone or iPad (iOS)
b. On an Android phone or tablet
If you are a growing business, you should reconsider your accounting software requirements. Keeping that in mind, QuickBooks Simple Start can be your first choice for more complex needs, as it supports double-entry accounting.
Here’s a complete overview of the plans & pricing of QuickBooks Solopreneur and Simple Start, with a detailed comparison between both:
| QuickBooks Solopreneur | QuickBooks Simple Start |
| Bookkeeping for self-employed individuals.$10/moSave 50% for 3 months* | Accounting for registered businesses.$19/moSave 50% for 3 months* |
| Manage moneyBusiness bank accountEarn 3.00% APYAccept paymentsPayment transaction ratesInvoicesSame-day depositCash flow historyEstimates | Manage moneyBusiness bank accountEarn 3.00% APYAccept paymentsPayment transaction ratesInvoicesInstant depositCash flow historyEstimatesIn-person paymentsBusiness NetworkRecurring paymentsLine of CreditBusiness loanManage bills |
| Manage your solo business Separate business and personal expensesSet and track growth goals | |
| Manage accounting Access expert tax helpTax deductionsBasic reportsMileage trackingTrack salesGeneral reportsReceipt capture | Manage accounting Access expert tax helpTax deductionsGeneral reportsMileage trackingTrack salesIncome and expensesReceipt captureContractorsConnect 1 sales channeltitleImageExpert Assisted |
To meet the needs of QuickBooks Solopreneur and TurboTax users, Intuit has introduced the QuickBooks Self-Employed + TurboTax Self-Employed Bundle for individual contractors and freelancers, as well as Pro Tax bundles for accounting professionals.
From record-keeping to tax calculation and filing on time – the tax bundle helps in the entire tax process! Let’s see how you can upgrade QuickBooks Solopreneur to the Tax Bundle, or you can downgrade the subscription:
To get started with Tax Bundle, consider upgrading the current QuickBooks Self-Employed subscription once it ends. This will also avoid overlapping payments.
Important: If you subscribed to QuickBooks from the mobile app, follow the steps to upgrade from the app.
On an iPhone or iPad (iOS)
Note: If this option isn’t available, you might need to wait until the new subscription renewal date. Then, cancel the current QuickBooks Self-Employed subscription and resubscribe to the Tax Bundle.
Important: Upgrading before your renewal date will charge you for the Tax Bundle immediately. Apple doesn’t automatically refund the price difference. Contact Apple directly for refunds.
On a phone or tablet with Android
On a web browser
If you consider changing the plan before the billing cycle ends, Intuit will send you a prorated refund for your bundled price. This shall happen automatically. If it doesn’t, contact the QuickBooks support team.
On a web browser
On an iPhone or iPad (iOS)
Important: The older Apple subscribers might not have the downgrade option. Apple billing can only be changed in recent iOS versions. If you don’t see the option to downgrade the subscription, you should consider canceling it. When done, resubscribe to only QuickBooks Self-Employed on the next renewal date.
On an Android phone or tablet
QuickBooks Self-Employed, now called QuickBooks Solopreneur, is the best tool for managing accounting and finances as a sole proprietor, freelancer, or gig worker. Explore features, plans & pricing, how it works, and more about the software in this detailed guide. You will also learn how to upgrade or downgrade the current subscription to the Tax Bundle.
Take control of your freelance finances with QuickBooks Self-Employed—reach out to QuickBookSupportNet on Call Us : +1(866)500-0076 for assistance!
What is QuickBooks Self-Employed for?
QuickBooks Self-Employed (QBSE) is for freelancers, gig workers, and sole proprietors to separate business/personal finances, estimate quarterly taxes, and simplify Schedule C tax filing with features like bank linking, categorization, and TurboTax integration.
How much does QuickBooks cost for self-employed?
QuickBooks for self-employed individuals, often called QuickBooks Solopreneur, typically costs around $20 per month. Still, you can often find introductory discounts, like 50% off for the first few months, bringing the price down to about $10/month.
What replaced QuickBooks Self-Employed?
QuickBooks Self-Employed was replaced by QuickBooks Solopreneur, a more robust platform for one-person businesses that offers an easier setup, better transaction management, growth tools, and seamless Schedule C tax filing via TurboTax, evolving from the older, simpler version to better meet freelancers’ and gig workers’ needs.
Can QuickBooks be used for self-employed?
Yes, QuickBooks is excellent for the self-employed, with specific versions like QuickBooks Self-Employed designed for freelancers and sole proprietors to track income/expenses, manage mileage, send invoices, and simplify Schedule C tax prep.
What is the difference between QuickBooks solopreneur and QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Solopreneur is a streamlined version of QuickBooks Online, built for one-person businesses needing simple income/expense tracking & taxes, while QuickBooks Online is for growing small businesses needing full accounting (payroll, inventory, complex reports, multiple users).
Can a solopreneur file a tax return with QuickBooks Online?
Yes, a solopreneur can file a tax return using QuickBooks Online, specifically through the QuickBooks Solopreneur plan, which includes an integrated tax filing feature powered by TurboTax. This feature allows for the direct e-filing of Schedule C (Form 1040) federal and state taxes.
Lana Creston is an experienced technical and accounting writer with a total of 9 years of experience. She currently works on QuickBooks accounting and technical guides at QuickBookSupportNet. Lana has a passion for reading and writing about various technical topics, especially exploring new accounting methods and software, while continuously expanding her expertise in the ever-evolving field of finance and technology.
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