I’ve had a mix of self-employment activities, and I’m wondering how I should list them. The service is related to software engineering and includes a mix of regular and self-employment activities, for a similar set of clients (and the nature of the work is basically the same throughout). Something like this, simplifying to make matters easier:
- 2012–2015: employee at a regular company, but periodically also do side gigs as a sole proprietor with a 1099 for Company A that turns into Company B at some point (but for the same contact at that company)
- 2015–October 2020: employee at a new (small) company that does work for Company B and other clients. Small side gig as sole proprietor for Company C.
- November 2020–June 2021: new (small) company dissolves, I take over existing projects for Company B as a full-time sole proprietor, and also do work for other clients, including Company C.
- July 2021–2025: register a S-corp, but otherwise continue doing work for Company B and other clients like Company C.
(In other words, from November 2020 to 2025 full-time self-employed, but for a few months as sole proprietor and later S-corp.)
Main client and source of revenue was Company B, working with the same contact at that company that I plan to list as reference. But significant income from other clients as well, not like I was a quasi-employee-as-contractor.
- How should I list this? If I split this out by every company I ever did work with (aside from when I had the S-corp) x every employment type (employee, part-time sole proprietor, full-time sole proprietor, S-corp), I’d end up with something like 10+ employment records. Even more if splitting the side gigs by specific project/contract. And the nature of the work is basically the same through all of this.
- Can I consolidate the self-employment from November 2020–2025 into one record and clarify in the comments when the sole proprietor ended and S-corp started?
- Do I need to separately list all side gigs prior to November 2020 broken down by client and specific contract period (I know there’s a way to break down periods for same employer in one record)? Or can I consolidate this into one record and mention the periods and main clients in the comments?
It just seems to me that splitting everything up into 10 or more separate employment records, when a lot of those would have the same verifying person, is excessive. Or creating a separate record for a client I billed like $1,000 for a small project. But on the other hand, not sure how much consolidation and simplification is ok. Thanks!