Sunlight Tax

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I talk with Shannan Hsiao, a career, leadership, and transition coach with more than 20 years of experience in corporate design and tech. We explore what it takes to move from corporate work toward a more self-directed career, including navigating identity shifts, building confidence, embracing creative work, and creating more inclusive leadership. We also ta...

In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m talking with Robin Mehler, an Asheville-based real estate agent who made the transition from teaching and nonprofit work to entrepreneurship. Robin shares how she navigated the identity shift of becoming a business owner, learned to manage the financial and tax side of running a business, and found ways to bring her values into a more profit-driven...

Moving from employment to full-time self-employment comes with new tax responsibilities. Tax questions, bookkeeping, and business setup can keep you from making sales and growing your business. In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m breaking down the tax basics every new self-employed business owner needs to understand, including business deductions, self-employment tax, bookkeeping syst...

Have you ever been ghosted by your accountant? You’re not alone! In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m talking about why accountants sometimes disappear, how to find the right tax professional for your business, and why having your financial systems properly set up can make all the difference. I’ll share why getting your tax, bookkeeping, and business systems in order is essential for s...

This week on the Sunlight Tax podcast, I’m chatting about another commonly missed tax deduction for self-employed individuals: parking and tolls. I’m diving into how tolls and parking should be tracked separately and added to the car expense category on tax schedules so you can get the deduction you deserve. Join me in this episode to get some practical tips on how to easily track your parking and...

Today, I’m chatting about a commonly missed tax deduction for entrepreneurs: cell phone and internet expenses. I’m going over why these deductions are missed and how you can utilize them to get the most out of your tax return this year. Join me in this episode to learn how to calculate a reasonable business percentage for these mixed-use expenses so you can maximize your allowable deductions and k...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m discussing how recent interest rate hikes are affecting personal finance and the broader economy. I’ll share practical advice for managing debt, building savings, and navigating investments in a changing economic landscape. Also mentioned in today’s episode: 00:10 Introduction to Market News and Interest Rates 02:07 The Power of Small Cohorts in Business...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m diving into tax deductions for freelancers and small business owners. I’ll walk through the IRS rules you need to understand, plus how setting up simple automated systems can help you capture more legitimate deductions, save time, and take some of the stress out of tax season. Also mentioned in today’s episode: 00:10 Introduction to Business Deductions an...

“The question is, how do you… retain a sense of core self? What are the immutable qualities about yourself… that are going to stabilize you throughout all of the motion and the change?” - Melissa Wong This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m joined by Melissa Wong, career coach and author of The Fluid Career , to explore how creatives, freelancers, and knowledge workers can navigate today’s chan...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I talk about why expert guidance and community support can make it easier to navigate business structure, tax compliance, and the behind-the-scenes systems that keep a small business running smoothly. I’m also introducing my new business program designed to help self-employed business owners get the tax, bookkeeping, and legal side of their business properly...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m breaking down estimated quarterly taxes for self-employed people, freelancers, creatives, and small business owners. I’ll explain how bookkeeping helps you calculate your tax payments more accurately, avoid surprises, and stay on top of your federal and state tax obligations throughout the year. I’m also introducing my new intensive program for self-emplo...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m sharing personal lessons from running a small business and exploring what it means to build a business that supports your life. I talk about aligning business goals with your values, protecting your mental health, practicing ethical accountability, and embracing the spiritual side of entrepreneurship while giving practical insights on negotiation, feedbac...

“You want that power. You want to feel empowered in that way. But you also just want to get it done, right? You're not there to like, okay, I don't need a degree in this. I just want to be following the law.” - Hannah Cole In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I explain how self-employed people, including freelancers, creatives, consultants, and small business owners—can build simple, effec...

“If you really focus on the reader and creating something meaningful and impactful and excellent... it has longevity and shelf life and continued work to do out in the world well beyond you.” — Stacy Ennis In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I sit down with Stacy Ennis to explore what it really takes to write and publish a nonfiction book that grows your business, strengthens your brand,...

This week on the Sunlight Tax Podcast, we go behind the scenes with writer Tessa Fontaine as we explore the realities of building a fiction writing career. We talk about money, publishing, creative community, balancing art with financial stability, and why most authors rely on multiple income streams to keep writing. We also discuss the deeper purpose of writing—how stories help us make sense of t...

“One of the most advantageous things that exists in the U.S. tax code is a Roth IRA for a minor.” In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m discussing the benefits of tax-advantaged savings for children, specifically focusing on a Roth IRA for kids. I explain how parents can open a custodial Roth IRA for their kids, the advantages of a Roth IRA, and the importance of teaching children about...

In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I explain the key differences between Trump Accounts and 529 Plans, two tax-advantaged savings options designed to help families invest in their children’s futures. You’ll learn who qualifies for a Trump Account, how these new custodial investment accounts work, contribution limits, tax considerations, and how they compare to traditional 529 college sav...

In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I break down the new Trump Accounts, a custodial savings program for children introduced in 2026. I walk through who qualifies, how these accounts work, how to open one, contribution limits, and the tax rules you need to know. I also explore the potential advantages and drawbacks of using a Trump Account as part of a long-term savings strategy, how it c...

"It may not be what you want to hear, but it's better to know it before you sink an enormous amount of time and energy and then realize that that's only one third of the project." In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I break down the 7 stages of writing a nonfiction book and share what I’ve learned from my own publishing journey. From developing a compelling book proposal and securing a pu...

Why do billionaires often pay lower tax rates than working Americans? In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I sit down with tax policy expert and professor, Ray Madoff, to explore how income, wealth, and inheritance are taxed in the United States, and why the current system often favors the ultra-wealthy. We discuss wealth inequality, estate taxes, billionaire tax strategies, and the most p...

“If there is one single habit you can have in your life to build financial security for yourself, and frankly, to get free money that’s on the table, it is to max out your tax-advantaged accounts every single year.” In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I revisit why tax-advantaged accounts are one of the most powerful tools for self-employed individuals. I break down how these accounts can...

“It’s stressful to work for an employer and it’s stressful to work for yourself. It’s just like ‘choose your stress.’” – Anna Burgess Yang In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I sit down with Anna Burgess Yang to discuss her journey from corporate banking to solopreneurship. We explore the skills that helped her make the leap, how she approaches business decisions and financial management,...

In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I break down some of the biggest misconceptions about wealth taxes, estate taxes, and tax fairness in the United States. We’ll explore how the tax system works for the wealthiest Americans, why so many myths persist around taxing wealth, and what these policies mean for everyday people, small business owners, and future generations. I also share the sto...

"Everyone should feel that their taxes are fair." This week on the Sunlight Tax podcast, I share why tax fairness matters and how current tax policies disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans while placing a greater burden on working people and small business owners. I break down the growing gap between wealth and taxation, explain how these policies affect everyday life, and discuss wh...

This week, I’m sharing my personal journey of resetting my mind and business, and the three simple brain shifts that have helped me expand my attention and handle stress in a more sustainable way. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, I walk you through grounded tools you can start using right away to feel more focused and in control. In this episode, I explore how I’m learning to manage overwhelm a...