THE SUNLIGHT TAX BLOG:
Tax and Money Education for Creative People, Freelancers and Solopreneurs
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How Taxes Can Unlock Your Financial Health
LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE
How Taxes Can Unlock Your Financial Health
Today, I’m giving some guidance on how you can use tax time as an opportunity to improve your finances and set yourself up for retirement. I’m diving into the importance of getting organized with systems to track tax documents, receipts, and bookkeeping so you can prevent stress and surprises during tax season.
Join me in this episode as I outline the steps you need to take to improve your financial security as a creative entrepreneur.
LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE
Today, I’m giving some guidance on how you can use tax time as an opportunity to improve your finances and set yourself up for retirement. I’m diving into the importance of getting organized with systems to track tax documents, receipts, and bookkeeping so you can prevent stress and surprises during tax season.
Join me in this episode as I outline the steps you need to take to improve your financial security as a creative entrepreneur.
Also mentioned in today’s episode:
Why tax time is a key time to assess your financial situation 2:42
Why being organized with your finances is so important 7:24
High-level steps you can take to prevent stress and surprises at tax time 12:35
How you can easily calculate profit as a self-employed person 14:40
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it!
Links:
The De-Stress Your Taxes Checklist Episode
Sign up for the free class: Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $130k in your Savings.
Your Complete Guide to the New Student Loan Forgiveness
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Your Complete Guide to the New Student Loan Forgiveness
In today’s timely bonus episode, I am sharing some information on student loans, the new SAVE program and how this new program can help lower your payments and still lead to student loan forgiveness.
Join me as I give you all the nitty-gritty details about your student loans including who qualifies for the SAVE program and how you can make sure you sign up for it to take advantage.
LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE
In today’s timely bonus episode, I am sharing some information on student loans, the new SAVE program and how this new program can help lower your payments and still lead to student loan forgiveness.
Join me as I give you all the nitty-gritty details about your student loans including who qualifies for the SAVE program and how you can make sure you sign up for it to take advantage.
Also mentioned in today’s episode:
What’s different about the SAVE program and what does it include? 3:33
Forgiveness of your loan 8:00
Who qualifies for the SAVE program 10:12
What is the Fresh Start program? 18:00
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it!
Links:
How to Stash More FU Money: The SECURE 2.0 Act Expands Your Retirement-Funding Options
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How to Stash More FU Money: The SECURE 2.0 Act Expands Your Retirement-Funding Options
Today, I’m sharing with you some information about the recently passed Secure 2.0 Act and how it can help you stash more FU money and expand your retirement funding.
Listen to this episode to hear all of the details about the Secure 2.0 Act, how you can take advantage of it with your retirement plan and why it’s so helpful for every tax payer.
Today, I’m sharing with you some information about the recently passed Secure 2.0 Act and how it can help you stash more FU money and expand your retirement funding.
Listen to this episode to hear all of the details about the Secure 2.0 Act, how you can take advantage of it with your retirement plan and why it’s so helpful for every tax payer.
Also mentioned in today’s episode:
What is the Secure 2.0 Act? 8:28
How the Secure 2.0 Act helps with retirement funding 12:15
How you can take advantage of this act with your retirement 18:45
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it!
Links:
https://www.sunlighttax.com/moneybootcamp2023
I use a service (Guideline) that plugs into my payroll software (Gusto - this is my referral link, and it will save you $100. I *highly* recommend Gusto for running payroll and paying contractors/complying with 1099s/W2s). Guideline is so affordable and streamlined that even as a small employer, I have no trouble maintaining my 401k.
Recession is a Golden Opportunity
“Should I be freaking out about the economy?”
You’re getting the message that there's bad stuff happening in the economy right now. Inflation. Gas prices. Groceries. Stocks tumbling. Crypto cratering. But how these things touch your life can vary. You’re self-employed, and so you want to be sure that your business stays strong and you are managing your money well through potential choppy waters.
Do you need to freak out?
Hell no. In fact, you might even celebrate.
If you know what to do, recessions present some of the best opportunities for you to maximize your money and stand out in your business.
“Should I be freaking out about the economy?”
You’re getting the message that there's bad stuff happening in the economy right now. Inflation. Gas prices. Groceries. Stocks tumbling. Crypto cratering. But how these things touch your life can vary. You’re self-employed, and so you want to be sure that your business stays strong and you are managing your money well through potential choppy waters.
Do you need to freak out?
Hell no. In fact, you might even celebrate.
If you know what to do, recessions present some of the best opportunities for you to maximize your money and stand out in your business.
Wait, is that really true?
Absolutely.
Ad costs drop. That’s a chance for you to get out in front of more potential clients.
Stock prices drop. That’s a chance for you to “buy low.” It’s a sale on the stock market. I don’t know about you, but I love a sale.
Small creative businesses like yours get distracted and lose their nerve. That’s a chance for you to hone your message, focus on your clients’ needs, invest in some new skills, and become the go-to business in your niche.
But of course if you have no savings, no cushion in your business, and no plan, you cannot optimize your business for a recession. This is the time for a financial plan.
Good news: I’m here to help you with this.
I just hosted a training about managing the scary parts of a recession and optimizing your opportunities. And I’ve decided to make it available to you, dear reader, so you can feel more calm and in control.
WATCH: How to Thrive in a Recession
[NOTE ABOUT THE BONUS offer: in the Recession video, I mention a bonus 1:1 consult with me. That offer is no longer available as stated in the video. BUT, if you’re interested in it, you can still get a session with me by watching this class on How to Put Your Taxes on Autopilot and Grow Your “Freedom Fund” and joining the program using the fast-action bonus link. The 1:1 sessions with me, Hannah, are available so long as you join by August 15]
Startist Interview: Profit Motive, Marketing, and Tax Tips for Artists
Hannah talks with Laura Griffin and Nikki May of Startist Society about her roots as an artist and about establishing a profit motive for your art business. She chats about empowerment for artists and how she got started in accounting after some bad experiences she had as an artist.
What should you use to track expenses? How and what expenses are deductible? Can donated artwork be deducted? Do I need to collect sales tax?
Is your art a business or a hobby?
Hannah talks with Laura Griffin and Nikki May of Startist Society about her roots as an artist and about establishing a profit motive for your art business. She chats about empowerment for artists and how she got started in accounting after some bad experiences she had as an artist.
What should you use to track expenses? How and what expenses are deductible? Can donated artwork be deducted? Do I need to collect sales tax? Find out the answers in this podcast interview relevant to creative freelancers in the US.
Hannah discusses what things in nature and the outside world inspire her as an artist and how to slow down to look at things that most people don’t notice. How does she choose what she paints in her art practice?
They talk about using your left brain vs. right brain and balancing art and your business practice. Hannah goes into depth about how to show the IRS that your art is a business and not a hobby. They discuss how to show a profit motive through your activities and record-keeping—even if your business is not yet generating a profit.
Hannah gives specific information about tracking business expenses and receipts with examples that pertain to creative people. She also discusses how LLCs are legal and not a tax entities. They explore how to prevent tax audits and common deductible expenses, including details about mileage, business meals, donations, etc.
Money Bootcamp is an annual membership for creators to get you set up right and tracking all the right things without wasting your time. You'll have more time for creative pursuits when you stop worrying about your finances and money.
What are your money concerns?
Suggest a blog topic for Hannah here.