If you’re one of the many freelancers and small-business owners who wait until the last minute to file your taxes, there’s good news in 2011: Tax Day is April 18 this year, which gives you three extra days.

April Dykman, who specializes in writing for online marketing companies, magazines, and blogs, has put together some general tax questions for folks who freelance or run a small business. Use them as a jumping off point to get going on your return.

Do I need to file a Schedule C?

Schedule C is the tax form filed by most sole proprietors to report profit and loss. Freelancers, self-employed taxpayers with small or start-up businesses, and new business owners who made little or no profit might file a Schedule C. There’s also a shorter Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit for Business, for self-employed individuals with less than $5,000 in expenses, no employees, and no net losses.

You can find general instructions for a Schedule C on the IRS website.

If I’m self-employed. Can I deduct my health insurance premiums?

You may be able to deduct medical and dental insurance premiums and long-term care insurance for you, your spouse, and your dependents if you’re reporting a net profit reported on Schedule C, Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040), or Schedule F.

The insurance plan must be established under your business, which can be either the name of your business or your name for self-employed individuals. Refer to Publication 535, Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction for more information.

Can I claim a home-office deduction?

If you use part of your home for business reasons, you may be able to deduct expenses for mortgage interest, insurance, utilities, repairs, and depreciation. This applies to homeowners and renters alike.

Although the home-office deduction is considered one of the common red flags on a tax return, if you’re playing by the IRS’s rules and your space qualifies, don’t be too scared to take a legitimate deduction.

For a full explanation of tax deductions for a home office, including requirements, record-keeping information, and how to calculate your deduction, refer to Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home.

Can I deduct my laptop?

The rule is that business expenses must be both ordinary (common in your line of work) and necessary (meaning helpful and appropriate, not that the expense must be indispensable).

If your laptop is used for your freelance or small business, it can be deducted; however, if you use it partly for conducting business and partly for personal purposes, you can only deduct the percentage of the expense as a percentage of how much it’s used for business. For example, if you bought a laptop that’s used 60% of the time for personal reasons and 40% for work, you can only deduct 40% of the value of the computer. Refer to chapter four of Publication 535, Business Expenses, for more details about deducting interest and allocation rules. Read more.