The biggest mistake business owners make is waiting to see what they owe for taxes instead of preparing for what they already know is coming. Taxes are not a surprise expense. They are a guaranteed one, and not planning for them really does impact your business horribly.

Here are three tips I recommend to change that.

Tip #1: Save All Year Long Using Your STOP Method™ TAXES Account

Your STOP Method™ TAXES bank account exists for one reason: to remove panic from tax season. Every two weeks, a flat rate amount should be transferred into your TAXES bank account.

This is how you train yourself not to rely on tax money. It is set aside in a separate bank account, already assigned a job, already protected, and already doing what it is meant to do. When you build this habit, taxes stop feeling like a crisis and start feeling like a normal, predictable part of running your business.

Tip #2: Make Quarterly Tax Pre-Payments

Paying taxes once a year makes your bill feel huge and overwhelming, even when you technically planned for it. One large payment carries far more emotional weight than several smaller, intentional ones.

Quarterly tax payments do a few powerful things.

•         They reduce the amount of money you owe all at once,
•         they support healthier cash flow management, and
•         they significantly reduce your mental load

Tip #3: Plan for Next Year While Filing This Year

The most powerful tax planning happens during your current tax filing appointment, not after. While your CPA has your full financial picture in front of them, that is when you ask strategic questions like:

• What do I want to change in my business for the upcoming year?
• How do I reduce my tax burden legally and ethically?
• What should I be forecasting as my tax liability this year?

Meeting with your accountant should always include a tax strategy session for the upcoming year, not just filing paperwork for the current one. This is how you turn tax season into leadership, not just compliance.

Final Thoughts from Your Favorite Accountant 🧡

Taxes do not sneak up on you. They only feel that way when there is no system holding them. When you save consistently in your TAXES bank account, make quarterly payments, and plan forward with intention, taxes stop causing anxiety and start becoming predictable.

If you want financial support that understands you are a human first and a business owner second, here is how we help:
✨ Daily bookkeeping
📊 CFO Advisory Workshops
📘 The STOP Method™ book and DIY Annual Budgeting Workbook

👉 Because at the end of the day, cash flow isn’t luck, it’s strategy.