Sunlight Tax

Today, I'm continuing my series about year-end tax tips and discussing why it's so important to contribute to tax-advantaged retirement accounts. I'm diving into the differences between 401k's, traditional and Roth IRAs, as well as the SEP IRA option for self-employed individuals.   Join me in this important episode to learn how you can maximize your tax savings and retirement contributions.   Als...

  Today, I'm chatting about healthcare related year-end tax planning strategies that you can use to save money if you are self-employed. I'm diving into the differences between Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts including the benefits and how you can maximize your contributions.   Join me in this episode to learn how you can make sure you're making the most of your healthcare s...

Today, In the wake of the election, I'm sharing my personal recipe for maintaining your mental health during tough political times and emphasizing the importance of taking care of your basic needs. I'm also talking about how you can focus on finding joy in the small moments and connecting with loved ones, rather than getting caught up in the negativity of social media and constant news consumption...

In today's episode, I'm going over the IRS benefits for those affected by federally declared disasters and highlighting the automatic qualification for disaster relief, including filing and payment extensions, and the option to file an amended return.   Join me to learn about the various IRS tax benefits and relief measures available to you if you're ever impacted by a federally declared disaster....

Today, I'm discussing the tax implications of mutual aid funds and how it relates to the context of Hurricane Helene's impact here in Western North Carolina with the creation of paypals and fundraisers for donations.    Join me in this important episode to learn how to handle the tax side of mutual aid and how to make sure you're staying on the right side of the IRS.     Also mentioned in today's...

Today, I'm diving into the topic of Sales Tax vs. Income Tax and emphasizing why it's so important for you to know the difference.    Join me in this episode, to learn more about the differences between sales tax and income tax and how it can affect you as an entrepreneur.     Also mentioned in today's episode:    The main differences between sales tax and income tax 11:13 Registration and filing...

In today's episode, I'm sharing the importance of disaster preparedness, and giving you some of the lessons I learned from living through Hurricane Helene so you can be prepared for your own potential disaster.    Join me in this short and important episode to learn what you need to have and do, to be ready for a natural disaster.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    Over preparation and docum...

Today, I'm sharing an episode of a podcast I recorded for my friend and fellow artist Paddy Johnson's podcast Art Problems, where I talk about the severe impact Hurricane Helene has had on my town of Asheville, North Carolina. I'm also sharing some important information on how you can help.     Also mentioned in today's episode:    Details of the studio flooding 5:19 Initial flood observations 11:...

  Today, I'm giving you a life update from my home in Asheville, North Carolina after suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. In this episode, I'm also providing some different ways that you can help people directly here in Asheville.      Also mentioned in today's episode:    Hurricane Helene and the effects 1:52 Challenges and community spirit 3:10 My gratitude and how you can help 4...

Today, I'm talking about the emotional and psychological challenges of navigating money as a self-employed individual and sharing my own personal experiences with money mindset struggles while giving you some tips on how you can push past these mindset blocks.    Join me in this episode to learn the 3 keys on how to shift your mindset away from thinking negatively about money and gain some practic...

Today, I'm Discussing the balance between passion and monetization in creative work and some of the themes of patriotism and optimism that I identify with in the Harris Walz campaign, including how it relates to civics.     Join me in this episode to learn about some of the benefits of the U.S. tax code for small businesses and why civics is so important.  Also mentioned in today's episode:    Bal...

In today's episode, I'm chatting about the common cycle of pain self-employed individuals face during tax season and how tax preparation services often lack the education necessary to break this cycle.   Join me today to learn how you can implement systems that can help you avoid large, unexpected tax bills and penalties going forward.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    The cycle of pain: th...

Today, I'm giving you a short and sweet episode where I discuss the confusion surrounding the term "corporation" in tax and business contexts and explain how the word can be used differently depending on who is using it.     Join me in this episode to get some clarification on the term "corporation" and how it relates to you as a business owner.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    Understandi...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the importance of understanding investing fees and sharing some of the free resources and tools available that you can use to learn about investing principles and spot potential scams.    Join me to learn more about investing and the long-term impact that fees can have on your investment return.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    The importance of divers...

Today, I'm discussing the benefits of investing for small business owners and historically marginalized groups, highlighting lower tax rates and talking about why it's so important to invest for personal financial growth.   Listen to this value-packed episode to learn the best ways you can start investing today.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    Why investing is advantageous due to tax rate...

Today, I'm sharing my personal experience using a commercial tax software, TaxSlayer, and highlighting some of the limitations and lack of transparency I observed. I'm also chatting about some of my frustrations and the unethical practices I saw while using the program.     Join me in this episode, to hear my tax filing experience and why I think it's so important to have a tax education.    Also...

Today, I'm talking about the importance of a positive mindset and budgeting for financial well-being, including why you should prioritize having a personal finance education.    Join me in this episode to hear more about how you can prepare your finances by cutting your non-essential spending and making your savings a top priority.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    Keeping track of what you...

In today's episode I'm sharing some insights on managing your finances as a creative entrepreneur, and emphasizing the importance of an emergency fund, financial knowledge, and how you can avoid financial disaster.    Join me today to hear some basic steps to control your finances and how you can start investing today.    Also mentioned in today's episode:    Why you need an emergency fund 4:30 Ho...

Today, I'm diving into emergency funds and sharing why it's so important to have an emergency fund as a freelancer or a creative. I'm also giving you some quick tips on how you can prioritize your personal finance so you can start saving money for any unexpected emergencies today.   Join me in this info packed episode to learn how much money you should have saved and the best way to save it.   Als...

Today's episode is the 3rd part of my 3 part series where I'm sharing an article published by ProPublica that exposes some of the unethical practices by Intuit, the maker of TurboTax. The article details how Intuit has waged a 20-year fight against free tax filing through lobbying efforts, internal tactics, and deceptive marketing.    Join me in this 3rd and final part of this series to learn more...

Today's episode is the 2nd part of my 3 part series where I'm sharing an article published by ProPublica that exposes some of the unethical practices by Intuit, the maker of TurboTax. The article details how Intuit has waged a 20-year fight against free tax filing through lobbying efforts, internal tactics, and deceptive marketing.    Join me in the second part of this series to learn more about h...

Today, I'm starting a 3 part series where I'm sharing an article published by ProPublica that exposes some of the unethical practices by Intuit, the maker of TurboTax. The article details how Intuit has waged a 20-year fight against free tax filing through lobbying efforts, internal tactics, and deceptive marketing.    Join me in this 3 part series to learn more about how TurboTax has helped preve...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the importance of voting and my research into tax policy and deficits and how the rising national debt levels could impact you as a younger voter. I'm also providing tips on using templates and maintaining a schedule to maximize your focus and productivity, especially if you're a writer.    Listen to this important episode to learn how to use templates to save...

This week, I'm chatting about a topic that's important to me: how we can create more fairness and equity in our tax system. I'm sharing an op ed written by William Gale, an economist from the Brookings Tax Policy Center that talks more about creating more fairness in tax policy, stopping tax cheats and how we can get there.    Join me in this episode as we head toward the election season to learn...

In this week's episode, I'm giving you some guidance on marketplace health insurance as a self-employed individual and sharing why it's so important to evaluate your income and finances halfway through the year.    Listen to this short and sweet episode to get important information on what you can do on healthcare.gov so you can avoid unexpected high tax bills come filing season.   Also mentioned...