As a registered dietitian entrepreneur, you face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing your business finances. Not only do you need to keep track of revenue and expenses, but you also need to ensure that you’re setting aside enough money to pay for quarterly taxes.

Many entrepreneurs find tax time stressful and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. No one wants to be checking the couch cushions come tax time!

By taking a few simple steps to prepare in advance, you can approach tax season with confidence and peace of mind. In this blog post, I’ll provide a step-by-step guide for how to get ready for quarterly taxes using a bank account that automatically diverts a set portion of all income towards a savings account, and ClickUp to keep the due dates in mind.

Please note: I’m a dietitian, not an attorney or accountant. This blog isn’t legal or financial advice, just me sharing my experiences in case that is helpful for you on your entrepreneurship journey.  

1. Set up a Separate Bank Account

One of the easiest ways to prepare for quarterly taxes is to set up a separate bank account specifically for tax savings. By diverting a set percentage of all income into this account, you can ensure that you have enough money set aside to pay your tax bill each quarter.

Automation is the key here: I set up my tax reserve to receive 30% of all of my deposits. That way I am always ready to pay my quarterly tax payments in full without stress. 

As entrepreneurs, we don’t get paid every two weeks, we get paid throughout the week. Automatically setting aside a percentage of each deposit, whenever it comes, means you’ll have enough cash for the IRS without stress. 

I use Novo for my business bank account; it is fully online and free. The best part is that they allow you to set up savings accounts (they call them “reserves”) with the option to divert a percentage of all deposits into the account. 

Want to try Novo? Get a $40 bonus when you open up your account with my affiliate link.

2. Use ClickUp to Keep Track of Due Dates

Another helpful tool for staying organized during tax season and beyond is ClickUp, a project management platform with a built-in calendar. Good news: it’s free!

You can set up recurring tasks to remind you of tax due dates, and even assign them to team members if you have employees or contractors.

I use ClickUp for everything in my business and things feel so much smoother than when I was trying to wrangle and remember all of my tasks in my email inbox. 

3. Estimate Your Quarterly Taxes

Before each quarter, it’s important to estimate your tax liability using the most recent income and expense data. I don’t actually do this myself, my trusty lady at H and R Block takes care of this for me. Well worth the cost, in my opinion, and a lot less than hiring a bookkeeper or accountant. 

You can use a tax calculator to estimate your owed taxes or work with a tax professional to get a more accurate estimate. By staying on top of these estimates, you can avoid surprises come tax time.

And if this is your first year in business, it will be hard to guess how much you’ll owe because your income may be inconsistent. That’s ok: by automatically setting aside a portion of each income, you’ll have enough money available to pay taxes.

You’ll be paying estimates for taxes to the federal government, your state, city, and potentially a local tax. We have a tax levy in my local district, for example. 

Part of this work is staying on top of these throughout the year so that if there is a change in your income, you can adjust your tax payments. Thankfully, there are easy tools that you can use to have good financial records, too. 

4. Keep Organized Financial Records

Finally, it’s crucial to keep organized financial records throughout the year. This includes tracking all revenue, expenses, and taxes paid or owed.

Good news: We can automate this too. I use the free version of Wave to track all transactions. I link the software to my business bank account and credit card and then the Wave software tracks everything and suggests a category for each expense.

Then, once a month, I go through all of the transactions, correct the categorization, and mark things as reviewed. (This is a recurring reminder to me from ClickUp). 

By going through my money once a month, it is simple to see a full report of the financial story for your business and be ready for quarterly taxes and annual. 

Do I have to pay quarterly taxes?

Beginner businesses might not have to pay quarterly taxes; it depends on how much you make and how much you’ll end up owing. 

According to the IRS, if you are going to owe $1,000 or more come tax time, you’ll need to make payments quarterly.  

That’s a wrap

What’s the key to staying on top of taxes as an entrepreneur, without stress (or running out of money)? Automation!

By taking these steps to set yourself up for paying quarterly taxes, on time and in full, registered dietitian entrepreneurs can approach tax season with confidence and ease. 

By setting up a separate tax savings account and automatically diverting a percentage of all income, using ClickUp to stay organized, estimating taxes regularly, and keeping financial records in order, you can focus on growing your business without the stress of tax season hanging over your head.

What tools do you use in your business to reduce overwhelm? Comment below!