Whether you drive for a rideshare app, freelance as a designer, consult for multiple clients, or run a one-person service business — the freedom of self-employment is real. So is the tax responsibility that comes with it. Here’s what most 1099 workers don’t find out until it’s too late: the IRS pays close attention to self-employed income. Not because they assume you’re dishonest. Because the absence of automatic withholding means errors happen more often — and the IRS knows it. The good news? With the right habits in place, you can work with confidence and stay well clear of the IRS’s radar.