<prompt> Human: This is my first time working as a contractor in NY.I live in ny and work on a 1099 and my accountant says I have to pay quarterly taxes. Why cant I pay it all at the end of the year? Is my tax bill going to be lower because I have been paying taxes quarterly when I file it next year?  <response>: The other comments nail it, and I think it helps to realize is one answer is: because it would be too burdensome to collect taxes from you every two weeks.Because if you were an employee, you would pay taxes every payday. The IRS wants taxes as you earn them, not on April 15th - thats just when you settle up any difference between the thousands of dollars you paid during the year, and the thousands of dollars of tax liability you have.So by paying quarterly, youre paying as you earn, but actually paying less frequently, not more, then your W-2 brethren. 