Free legal & tax check · 60 seconds

Check your hustle — free

8 quick questions. Plain-English results. No sign-up needed.

Step 1 of 8
Question 1
What kind of side hustle is this?
Digital products
Physical products
Freelance / services
Content creation
Coaching / teaching
Reselling / flipping
Renting out
Other
Question 2
Describe it briefly
Question 3
What state are you in?
Question 4
How much are you making (or expect to make)?
Under $600/yr
$600–$5k/yr
$5k–$20k/yr
Over $20k/yr
Question 5
Anything else that applies? (pick all that fit)
Have a day job
Work from home
Have helpers
Multi-state sales
Not a US citizen
Using my own name
Question 6
How do you get paid? (pick all that apply)
Etsy
PayPal
Venmo / Cash App
Direct invoice
Cash
Stripe / own site
Question 7
Do you have a separate business bank account?
Yes
No, using personal
Not sure
Question 8
Have you registered your business?
Nothing yet
Sole proprietor
I have an LLC
S/C-Corp
Not sure
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What does the free side hustle checker cover?

Answer 8 questions about your hustle — income, type, state, and structure — and the checker evaluates six compliance areas instantly.

01 · Tax obligations
SE tax & quarterly payments

Freelancers and side hustlers owe 15.3% SE tax on net profit above $400/year, plus federal income tax. The checker calculates your estimated liability and tells you whether quarterly estimated payments apply to you.

02 · Business structure
Sole proprietor, LLC, or S-corp?

Most side hustlers are automatically sole proprietors — no paperwork needed. The checker tells you whether your income level and liability risk warrant forming an LLC, and at what point an S-corp election saves meaningful taxes.

03 · Licenses & permits
State and local requirements

Some states require a business license even for Etsy shops and digital product sellers. The checker evaluates your state and hustle type to flag any license or permit requirements you might not know about.

04 · Sales tax
What Etsy collects vs. what you owe

Marketplace facilitator laws mean Etsy, Amazon, and eBay collect and remit sales tax in most states — but not all situations are covered. The checker flags whether you have any remaining sales tax obligations.

05 · Deductions
What you can write off

Home office, equipment, supplies, software subscriptions, shipping, and mileage are all potentially deductible — but most side hustlers miss at least a few. The paid report gives you a personalized deduction checklist based on your hustle type.

06 · Deadlines
Quarterly & annual due dates

Quarterly estimated tax is due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Miss one and you'll owe an underpayment penalty. The checker surfaces which deadlines apply to you so you're never caught off guard.

Who is this tool for?

SideHustleGuard is built for US-based side hustlers who want straight answers without paying a lawyer or accountant. It covers Etsy sellers, Shopify store owners, freelancers, DoorDash and Uber Eats drivers, Airbnb hosts, resellers on eBay and Poshmark, YouTube and TikTok creators, Substack writers, coaches, tutors, and Amazon FBA sellers — across all 50 states.

If you earn money outside a W-2 job and you're not 100% sure you're handling the taxes and legal side correctly, this tool is for you. The check is free and takes about 60 seconds. No account, no email, no lawyer required.