What Freelancers Need to Know About Income, Deductions, and Taxes (1)

I landed my first job as an independent contractor at age 12, although, technically, I was a subcontractor. My older brother mowed lawns in our neighborhood, and whenever he could not do the work, I filled in.

It wasn’t easy. It was hot and humid in the summer, often reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We had a push mower, and since we were too young to drive, that meant pushing the mower to the property—sometimes a mile or so away—with the gas can strapped to the top before the work could even begin.

But I got paid for work on ...