Marketing consultants: plan taxes and retirement like a strategy
See your real profit, estimate quarterly taxes with deadline reminders, and model Solo 401(k), SEP IRA and S-corp scenarios with free calculators.
Where marketing consultants typically get paid
W-2 or 1099?
Independent marketing consultants are usually 1099 contractors or run an LLC or S corporation; in-house and agency marketers are W-2 employees. Consultants pay self-employment tax unless they pay themselves through an S corporation payroll.
Consulting is a specified service
Consulting is a specified service field. If your work counts as consulting, the 20% QBI deduction phases out between $201,750 and $276,750 of 2026 taxable income ($403,500-$553,500 joint). Below that, the full deduction is available.
Business travel and software
Travel to client sites, analytics and CRM tools, and ad-testing spend that is not reimbursed are deductible business costs.
Self-employment tax
If your net earnings from self-employment (92.35% of net profit) are $400 or more, you owe 15.3% self-employment tax on them; the 12.4% Social Security part stops at the $184,500 wage base, counting any W-2 wages first.
Higher-income saving
A Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA can reduce taxable income; both cap total 2026 additions at $72,000 on up to $360,000 of compensation. In a Solo 401(k), people who turn 60-63 in 2026 can add an $11,250 catch-up instead of the $8,000 age-50 catch-up.
Marketing consultant questions, answered
When are quarterly taxes due?+
Quarterly estimated payments for 2026 income are due April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. You generally need to pay if you expect to owe at least $1,000 after withholding.
Should I become an S corp?+
An S corporation can reduce self-employment tax on profit above a reasonable salary, but it adds payroll and filing costs. Run the numbers with a calculator and a tax professional before electing.
Do clients have to send me a 1099?+
Clients only have to send a 1099-NEC for payments of $2,000 or more in 2026, and payment apps send a 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions. All income is taxable either way.
Is there a 0.9% extra tax at high income?+
Yes. A 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to combined wages and self-employment income above $200,000 single or $250,000 married filing jointly.
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