Every year, freelancers get blindsided by the same trap: the IRS wants its money as you earn it — not next April. Five questions. Think you can dodge it?
Your score
The lesson: the IRS charges you interest on what you should've paid quarterly — pay-as-you-go isn't optional. The safe harbor is your escape hatch: pay 100% of last year's tax (110% if your AGI topped $150K) and the penalty can't touch you.