Prefer to listen? Hit play below — then scroll to finally understand tax strategy for small businesses (even if you hate spreadsheets).
I’m about to give you a loving money mom butt kick, so buckle in:
Stop saying you hate taxes.
Not because taxes are fun (they’re not). Not because you should pretend the IRS is your bestie (absolutely not). But because the phrase “I hate taxes” usually comes bundled with something way more expensive:
- avoidance
- guessing
- panic in April
- and a weird, constant low-level dread that the IRS is going to kick down your door because you forgot a form
For a lot of creative entrepreneurs, taxes feel like this big ominous cloud that follows you around all year. You can feel it in the back of your mind when you’re booking clients, launching an offer, or having a great revenue month:
“This is amazing… but how much of this do I need to save for taxes?”
And when you don’t know the answer, your brain fills in the blanks with worst-case scenarios.
But here’s the shift I want you to make:
When you actually open your eyes and look at your numbers, taxes stop being a monster.
They become a strategy.
A tactical, practical part of running a business that can support your wealth, your goals, and your future without you living in fear every April.
Let’s talk about what to do instead of “I hate taxes.”
Why “I Hate Taxes” Keeps You Stuck
Most creatives hate taxes for understandable reasons:
- They feel expensive
- They feel confusing
- They feel intimidating
- They feel like a test you didn’t study for
But what I see over and over again is this:
When you don’t have a clear tax plan, taxes become emotional.
When you do have a clear tax plan, taxes become logistical.
Because the anxiety isn’t usually about taxes themselves, it’s about not knowing what you owe, why you owe it, and what options you have.
Step 1: Know Your Options (You Have More Than You Think)
One of the fastest ways to feel powerless around taxes is to get advice from someone who doesn’t understand your business, or doesn’t explain anything beyond:
“Yep, you owe $30,000. Nothing you can do. Here’s my invoice.”
That experience can make you feel like taxes are something that happen to you—like you’re just waiting for a number to be handed down from on high.
But creative entrepreneurs have options. A lot of them.
Small business is a huge part of the U.S. economy, and the tax code has plenty of legal ways for business owners to be strategic, especially when you understand how your revenue, expenses, and profit work together.
You are not a victim to taxes.
You’re a business owner.
And business owners get to plan.
Step 2: Get the Write-Offs You Actually Deserve (Stop Guessing)
Before we go any further, let’s get super clear on what a write-off actually is.
A write-off is a business expense that helps reduce your taxable income.
Here’s the simplest version:
- Revenue = all money coming in
- Expenses (write-offs) = money spent to run your business
- Profit = revenue minus expenses
- Taxes are paid on profit, not total revenue
So if you bring in $100,000 in revenue, you’re not automatically taxed on $100,000. You’re taxed on what’s left after legitimate business expenses.
A quick example (the “stop leaving money on the table” moment)
Let’s say you made $100,000.
If your expenses are $40,000, your profit is $60,000.
That $60,000 is what you’re paying taxes on.
But here’s the problem: a lot of creatives guess their expenses.
They’ll say something like:
“I think it was around $40,000… I pay for software, I hired help, I upgraded gear… yeah, around that.”
And when you guess, you risk missing expenses you already paid for.
Now imagine you do your bookkeeping, you actually open the emails from your bookkeeper, you reconcile the numbers, and you realize:
Your expenses weren’t $40,000.
They were $65,000.
Same revenue: $100,000
Expenses: $65,000
Profit: $35,000
That’s a massive difference in taxable income.
And to be crystal clear: this isn’t “rack up the credit card in December for write-offs.”
This is getting credit for the money you already spent to run your business.
If you don’t know your numbers, you can unintentionally hand over more money than you needed to.
And friend… especially as a creative business owner?
You deserve to keep what you earn.
Step 3: Explore Tax-Reducing Strategies That Match Your Life
Once your bookkeeping is solid and you’re claiming the write-offs you deserve, you still might look at your tax bill and think:
“Okay… still higher than I want.”
That’s where strategy comes in.
There are many ways self-employed creatives can reduce taxable income or plan smarter.
How to Save Even More on Taxes
- Hiring your kids (when applicable and properly documented) as a legitimate business expense (and potentially contributing to a Roth IRA for them)
- S-Corp consideration (often when profits are around $75K+; consult a pro)
- Retirement contributions (tax-advantaged accounts can reduce taxable income and build your future)
- Charitable giving to causes you care about (can reduce taxable income, depending on circumstances)
The big idea isn’t that you need to do all of these.
The big idea is: you have choices.
And “I hate taxes” is usually what we say when we feel like we have none.
The Reframe: Taxes Are a Strategy, Not a Punishment
When you treat taxes like a monster, you avoid them.
When you treat taxes like a strategy, you plan.
Planning doesn’t mean you’ll never owe again. It means you won’t be blindsided.
It means you’re making decisions on purpose:
- how much you’re setting aside
- what your profit actually is
- what you can deduct
- what accounts you can use
- what structure supports your goals
- and how to build wealth through your business instead of feeling punished by it
That’s what money confidence looks like.
Not vibes. Not hoping. Not white-knuckling through April.
A plan.
A Loving Money Mom Butt Kick to Close This Out
If you take nothing else from this post, take this:
Stop saying you hate taxes. Start saying: “I’m building a tax plan.”
Because you’re not a victim to your tax bill.
You’re not “bad with money.”
You’re not doomed to stress every spring.
You’re a creative entrepreneur—and with the right support and the right systems, you can feel empowered and in control.
Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Having a Tax Plan?
If this post gave you a little money mom wake-up call and you’re realizing you’re done winging it with taxes, I’ve created something specifically for you.
Tax Hacks for Creatives is a workshop designed to help creative entrepreneurs understand their numbers, uncover write-offs they may be missing, and build a tax strategy that actually supports their business and long-term wealth.
Inside the workshop, you’ll learn how to:
- Understand what you actually owe (and why)
- Make sure you’re getting the write-offs you deserve
- Explore strategies to legally reduce your taxable income
- Feel confident talking to your CPA or bookkeeper
- Walk into tax season without panic
Instead of crossing your fingers every April, you’ll walk away with clarity, strategy, and a plan.
👉 Learn more and join Tax Hacks for Creatives here:
https://jilliantoddcoaching.com/tax-hacks-for-creatives-course
