Should You Connect Your Bank Account to a Finance App? A 1099 Worker's Guide
Should you connect your bank account to a finance app? What the aggregator really sees, when linking is worth the tradeoff, and the on-device alternative.
Read the guide →“connect your bank account to a finance app”
FreshBooks vs Keel: flat price, no client cap
A head-to-head on pricing mechanics: FreshBooks caps billable clients and meters your growth, while Keel charges one flat price and never locks your books.
Read →How much should I set aside for taxes?
A practical rule for freelancers: set aside 25–30% of every payment for tax, then refine it to your real rate. Why, and how to do it automatically.
Read →Invoicing & getting paid
See all →-
Do Sole Proprietors Need Receipts?
Do sole proprietors need receipts? Usually yes when a customer asks, and always for your own records. What a receipt must show and how long to keep it.
-
How to Make an Invoice for Freelance Work (With Example)
How to make an invoice for freelance work: a worked example to copy, the numbering scheme, the wording for each line, and the format that gets you paid faster.
-
How to Get Clients to Pay Invoices on Time
How to get clients to pay invoices on time: clear terms, deposits, shorter Net terms, polite reminders, and a follow-up sequence for late payers.
-
How to Invoice a Company for Freelance Work
How to invoice a company for freelance work: PO numbers, W-9s, net terms, AP portals and the details that stop your invoice being rejected or ignored.
-
How to Invoice as a Freelancer: The Complete Guide
The full freelance invoicing process: payment terms compared, VAT and 1099 rules, how to send, and a five-step routine for chasing late payers. Worked example linked.
-
Invoice vs Receipt: What's the Difference (and When to Use Each)?
Invoice vs receipt explained: an invoice requests payment, a receipt confirms it. See a side-by-side comparison table and when to use each as a freelancer.
-
What Is a Receipt? And What Counts as One at Tax Time
What is a receipt? Proof a payment was made. What has to be on one, why a card statement is not a substitute, and when a photo of a receipt is enough.
-
What to Include on an Invoice (Free Checklist)
What to include on an invoice: a free checklist covering business details, invoice number, itemized services, totals, taxes, and payment terms for freelancers.
1099 & self-employment tax
See all →-
1099 Taxes: The Complete Guide for the Self-Employed (2026)
A plain-English 2026 guide to 1099 taxes: self-employment tax, quarterly payments, Schedule C, deductions, and how to stay organized all year.
-
How Much Tax Will I Pay Self-Employed? A Worked Example
How much tax will I pay self-employed? On $65,000 of net profit, roughly $13,200 — the full calculation of SE tax, the QBI deduction and your effective rate.
-
How Much to Set Aside for 1099 Taxes?
How much to set aside for 1099 taxes: start at 25%–35% of net income. A table by income level, dollar examples, and the safe harbor rule.
-
How to Fill Out a Schedule C, Step by Step
How to fill out a Schedule C: where the form comes from, the order to work the parts in, what Line 31 feeds, and how to find it on a filed return.
-
Quarterly Estimated Taxes, Explained (2026 Dates + How to Pay)
Quarterly estimated taxes for 1099 workers: the 2026 due dates, who has to pay, the safe harbor rule, and step-by-step ways to pay the IRS online.
-
Schedule C Explained, Line by Line
Schedule C explained line by line for 1099 and self-employed filers: what each part asks for, from gross receipts on Line 1 to net profit on Line 31.
-
Schedule C Line Items Explained, Term by Term
Schedule C line items explained: what returns and allowances, commissions and fees, accounting method, vehicle basis, recovery period and Line 31 mean.
-
27 Self-Employed Tax Deductions Every 1099 Worker Should Know
A scannable 2026 list of 27 self-employed tax deductions for 1099 workers, plus how to keep receipts and mileage records that survive an IRS audit.
Mileage & deductions
See all →-
How to Track Mileage for Taxes — Without Draining Your Battery or Your Privacy
How to track mileage for taxes in 2026 without an always-on GPS or a bank connection. Methods, what to record, and a private on-device option.
-
The Independent Contractor Mileage Log That Holds Up
An independent contractor mileage log, done right: which job-site trips count, how supply runs work, the fields on every line, and the split 2026 IRS rate.
-
IRS Mileage Log Requirements: What a Compliant Log Looks Like (Free Template)
IRS mileage log requirements explained: the exact fields you must record, what makes a log compliant, common mistakes, and a free template.
-
The 2026 IRS Mileage Rate (72.5¢): What It Means for You
The 2026 IRS mileage rate is 72.5 cents per business mile. Here's what the standard rate covers, who can use it, and how to calculate your deduction.
-
Is Your Commute Tax Deductible? The Rules for 1099 Workers
Is your commute tax deductible? Usually no — but 1099 workers have key exceptions like a home office. Here are the IRS commuting rules for 2026.
-
The Self-Employed Mileage Deduction: A Complete 2026 Guide
How the self-employed mileage deduction works in 2026: the 72.5¢ IRS rate, what miles qualify, methods, logs, and how to claim it. US-focused.
-
Standard Mileage vs Actual Expenses: Which Method Saves You More?
Standard mileage vs actual expenses: how each method works, a side-by-side comparison, and which car deduction saves 1099 workers more in 2026.
Freelance basics
See all →-
Business Bank Account for Freelancers: Do You Need One?
A business bank account for freelancers is not always required. Compare business vs personal accounts, when to open one, and what banks ask for.
-
Contractor Receipt Organizer: A System That Survives the Truck
A contractor receipt organizer that works from the truck: code every slip by job at the register, photograph it before the paper fades, and keep what counts.
-
Do I Need an LLC to Freelance?
Do I need an LLC to freelance? No — you can freelance as a sole proprietor. Learn when an LLC makes sense, its pros and cons, and how it affects taxes.
-
How Long to Keep Tax Records: A Freelancer's Guide
How long to keep tax records: IRS retention periods, what documents freelancers must save, and how to store receipts and invoices safely.
-
How to Start Freelancing: A Financial Setup Checklist
How to start freelancing: a step-by-step financial setup checklist covering business structure, bank accounts, taxes, invoicing, and recordkeeping.
App alternatives
See all →-
The Best Apps for 1099 Workers in 2026 (Invoice + Receipts + Mileage)
The best apps for 1099 workers in 2026 for invoices, receipts, and mileage, including private on-device Keel plus Hurdlr, Everlance, and more.
-
Everlance Alternative: Track Mileage Without Connecting Your Bank
Looking for an Everlance alternative? Keel tracks mileage at the IRS rate plus invoices and receipts, with no bank connection and no cloud.
-
Keel vs Expensify: Expense Reports or a Solo Ledger?
Keel vs Expensify compared: mature expense reporting with card feeds and approval chains, or on-device receipts and invoices for a one-person business.
-
Keel vs FreshBooks: Subscription Books or One-Time App?
Keel vs FreshBooks compared: cloud bookkeeping with time tracking, projects, and client caps, or an on-device iPhone app with no account or subscription.
-
Keel vs Housecall Pro: Different Tools, Different Jobs
Housecall Pro runs a service business: scheduling, dispatch, booking, marketing. Keel keeps one person's books on an iPhone. Which problem do you have?
-
Keel vs Hurdlr: Automatic Tracking or No Bank Link?
Keel vs Hurdlr for solo businesses: automatic mileage and bank-fed tax estimates versus an on-device ledger with no bank connection at all.
-
Keel vs Invoice Simple: Which Invoicing App Fits You?
Invoice Simple is fast to learn and works on web and Android. Keel keeps everything on your iPhone for a one-time price. An honest look at which one fits.
-
Keel vs Invoice2go: On-Device Invoicing or Cloud Subscription?
Keel vs Invoice2go compared: cloud invoicing with web access and card payments, or on-device invoicing with no account and a one-time price.
Privacy & your data
See all →-
Should You Connect Your Bank Account to a Finance App? A 1099 Worker's Guide
Should you connect your bank account to a finance app? What the aggregator really sees, when linking is worth the tradeoff, and the on-device alternative.
-
Data Privacy for Freelancers: Protecting Your Financial Records
Data privacy for freelancers: who really sees your financial records, which risks are real, and how to shrink the number of companies holding your books.
-
Is Plaid Safe? What Really Happens When You Link Your Bank
Is Plaid safe? Here's what actually happens when you link your bank, what data Plaid collects, and the on-device alternative for privacy-first bookkeeping.
-
Is Plaid Safe to Transfer Money? ACH, Verification and Who Moves It
Is Plaid safe to transfer money? Usually Plaid only verifies the account while a processor runs the ACH transfer. What that means for your money and data.
-
On-Device vs Cloud Bookkeeping: Where Does Your Financial Data Live?
On-device vs cloud bookkeeping compared: where your financial data lives, who can access it, and the privacy tradeoffs for self-employed and 1099 workers.
Two apps on the App Store today.
A company of oneKeel
The on-device financial brain — invoices, receipts, mileage, and the one number that's actually yours after tax.
ILURA
Train private personal agents for the messages you write every day — your tone, your rules, invoked by name.