How to fillout Top of IRS Form 1040 Schedule C?

A small Consulting firm got a contract to do work for Marathon Oil. The Consulting firm asked me to work on the project. They paid me by check but did not deduct any $ for SS or Income tax. They sent me a 1099-MIS. The top of 1040 Schedule C asks for a company name. But I'm just an independent person, don't own a company. Should I just put my name in the "Name of proprietor" box and leave the "business name" box and the "business or profession" box blank?

Public Comments

1. Put your name in the company name box. Your business is whatever it is, probably "consultant" but pretty much anything that describes what you do will be fine.
2. Gene - Your name goes in the "Name of Proprietor" box and you can put consulting in the profession box. You may also want to consider eliciting the help of a CPA to make sure you have everything on your return in order. For tax preparation help, there are many CPA’s online that you can use. Plus, CPA's are probably the most knowledgeable in terms of tax law and regulations and during this time of year, many charge extremely competitive rates - sometimes better than HR / JH or the software packages. In fact, the one I use each year only charges around $50 for my return – it’s really a great deals compared to the other guys.