A freelancer is a self-employed person who: Pays their own income tax, known as self-employment tax. Doesn't usually have employees, but may outsource work for specific projects. Freelancers are not permanently employed by one person or company. Another benefit of freelancing is the ability to choose your workload. You can work as much or as little as you want, and you can choose projects that are meaningful to you. You get to focus on the work you love without the distractions of a full-time job like meetings, office politics, office distractions, etc.