So, Kyle and I started this site for a lot of reasons. What it came down to is that we believe in engineers, engineering and technical professionals. The goal is to support engineers and technical professionals directing their own work and setting fair wages. Technical development takes a backseat to management tracks in many workplaces. We wanted to emphasize the value of technical skill. So where did we start? We began with an idea, lets build a marketplace and provide the tools/knowhow to build your own consulting firm. Then Kyle set up our LLC and our EIN.
What you need to ask yourself is, am I interested in working independently either part or full time? Then you need to consider if you need to use any of the services we plan on providing and what kind of account you will need to support that. We will be providing accounts for both marketplace access and for access to free services and PDH. It’s okay to access our blog and the information provided by Enggigma even if you don’t plan on using any of our official services. So to truly begin, you need to identify what you plan on doing or if you even need the services Enggigma can provide.
Firstly, you do not need an LLC or EIN to work independently. To file your taxes you can use your SSN, TIN, or EIN. We do not recommend using your SSN for personal security reasons. The good news is that you can apply for your TIN or EIN depending on which one works for you on the IRS website for free. There are a lot of services that offer to file for a small fee. This is a scam, go directly to the source and file for free.
IRS Links:
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-7 The linked page will walk you through the ITIN application process.
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online The linked page will walk you through the EIN application process
While both are free, I suggest using the EIN link as that form can be completed online. The EIN in our research holds the most value as it costs the same as ITIN and allows you/your company to hire additional employees if you wish.