Sunlight Tax

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...

This week on the podcast, I'm sharing some of the invisible aspects of running my tax business and some of the hard stuff that I've had to overcome while running my business and podcast.    Join me in this episode to learn more about my entrepreneurial journey and what I've learned along the way.      Also mentioned in today's episode:    My struggle with perfectionism 2:05 My superpower when it c...

The Sunlight Podcast has made it to 100 episodes and for this special episode I'm celebrating by sharing what I truly believe in and my biggest motivators in this life. I want to give you a little bit of an inside look at what inspires some of the podcasts episode topics and what I am hoping to put back into the world.    Join me in this very special episode to hear what truly matters to me and wh...

This week, I'm chatting about the new ban on non-compete agreements by the Federal Trade Commission and how it could impact you as a creative professional. I highlight studies showing how non-compete agreements suppress wages, worker mobility, and innovation.   Join me in this episode to learn more about this ban and how it could benefit you as an entrepreneur.       Also mentioned in today's epis...

Today, I'm sharing one of my best tips for providing great work and the importance of setting clear expectations and an open line of communication when working with clients.    Join me in this episode as I go over how you can create a great working relationship for both you and your clients and how you can set clear expectations and boundaries with your clients.      Also mentioned in today's epis...

In today's episode, I'm sharing how you can deduct business meals on your taxes as a self-employed individual including what you need for your tax documentation and what's allowable for deduction.    Join me to learn the rules and guidelines for deducting business meals, the per diem meals allowance for business travel and the benefits business meals for entrepreneurs.      Also mentioned in today...

Today, I'm talking about an important topic for entrepreneurs: business travel and deducting business travel on your taxes. I'm highlighting the importance of understanding the rules for deducting transportation costs, accommodations, and meals, and sharing how you can properly document your travel so you can avoid getting audited by the IRS.   Join me in this important episode to learn how you ca...

In today's episode, I'm diving into the topic of startup expenses, the deductions available for new businesses and some of the benefits the tax code provides to new businesses. I give examples of qualifying startup expenses and sharing some information on when you can deduct these expenses on your taxes.    Listen to this episode to get helpful guidance on taking advantage of tax deductions availa...

Today, I'm talking about the tax laws related to distinguishing between a hobby and a legitimate business when you're a creative professional. I'm also explaining the IRS's view of profit motive as the key factor and discussing how you can determine whether you have a business or hobby.   Join me in this episode to get some advice and tips on how you can prove profit motive and avoid being wrongly...

In today's episode, I'm revisiting an important topic and giving you an update about the Corporate Transparency Act, which aims to identify owners of LLCs and prevent financial crimes.    I'm providing an update on information about the requirements of filing a Beneficial Ownership Information report, including the deadlines and penalties and how you can file.    Join me in this episode to get all...

Today, I want to talk about why it's so important who you take advice from when you're an entrepreneur. I share some of my experiences and some of the advice I was given that didn't account for my unique responsibilities and constraints as a new entrepreneur and mother.    Listen to this episode to get some guidance on how you can make decisions based on your own values and needs and not someone e...

In today's episode, I'm sharing my story of struggling with perfectionism and how I was able to overcome that and embrace imperfection and how I came to aim for quality over perfection.   Join me as I share some of my story along with some tips on how you can embrace and live the motto "Done is better than perfect" when you're just starting out as a business new owner.      Also mentioned in today...

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 fina...

Today, I'm sharing some thoughts I've struggled with when it comes to my finances, taxes, and financial knowledge so I can motivate anyone who may be experiencing similar challenges with money mindset in your business.    Join me in this personal episode as I talk about how I've been able to move past fears and feelings of inadequacy when it comes to my finances and to hear some tips on how you ca...

Today on the podcast, I'm going over the key differences between 1099 freelance income and W-2 employee income when filing taxes and how you can simplify your taxes as a self-employed individual.    Join me in this episode to learn how to file your taxes correctly to avoid penalties and keep your finances simple.      Also mentioned in today's episode:    The main differences between 1099 and W2 i...

Today, I'm giving you some insight into deductions and details on categories when it comes to your schedule C deductions. I talk about key categories for deductions like advertising and supplies and why it's so important to keep proper documentation when it comes to deductions on your taxes.    Join me this week, to get some strategic guidance on maximizing your deductions and avoiding audits by p...

Today, I'm talking about deducting education expenses and explaining how fees and reimbursement works when it comes to reporting your income on your taxes.    Listen to this episode to get some insight on tax implications and how you can properly track income to meet the reporting requirements.   Also mentioned in today's episode:    Reporting gallery commissions on your taxes 12:54 How income and...

In this week's episode, I'm giving you some of my best tips when it comes to tax preparation and financial planning if you're self-employed or a small business owner. I'm giving advice on completing bookkeeping, issuing 1099 forms, and why you need to schedule an early tax appointment with accountants.   Join me in this informative episode as I try to make your taxes as easy as possible so you can...

Have you ever wondered what you can deduct when it comes to business expenses?   Today, I'm deep diving into education expenses and what you can and cannot deduct on your taxes as a business owner. I'm clarifying what you can deduct for continuing education, like seminars on new techniques, and what counts as leisure.    Listen to this important episode to learn how you can maximize your deduction...