CAREER & TAXES

Have the Bene ts of an Employer While Working for Yourself Catch

COST: $0

The best part of being self-employed is working on your own terms. The worst part? Having to be your own HR department. Catch is a stand-in for those employer-centric services. Once you input your sources of income, the app can divvy up your paychecks, no matter how irregular, to take care of quarterly taxes and retirement savings. You can even set it to save for paid time of.

WHY IT’S A WINNER: In addition to other functions, Catch ofers freelancer health and dental insurance options. “I love that this treats freelance income like that of a salaried person, so there is no ‘gotcha’ at tax time for not putting enough away,” Skye Kelly says.

Get Accounting Help for Your Business Collective

COST: $269 PER MONTH

You have a vision for your business, and most likely, it does not include hours of crossing t’s and dotting i’s in bookkeeping. Enter Collective, which manages taxes, accounting, and payroll, freeing you up to focus on your company’s mission. If you’re accepted—Collective only takes on self-employed partners who will truly save money through its process—a rep walks you through converting to an S corporation (which can lower your tax burden and protect you from liability).

Then you get access to a team of advisers, including an accountant and tax expert. They handle the back end of your business for you.

WHY IT’S A WINNER: Business taxes are complicated. Having a dedicated person on call to answer questions and save you from mistakes could be well worth the price. “It’s a very useful tool for smallbusiness owners who may be in over their heads with the finances, but the price might be steep for some just starting out,” Dahlby says. McCullough knows several people who use Collective and love it.

Organize Invoices for Freelance Work

Lili Pro

COST: $5 PER MONTH

When you work for yourself, looking for invoices at tax time can feel like an archaeological dig. Snap a photo of them as they come in, and Lili saves them. It also helps you set aside money for taxes, just like an employer would, and ofers software that generates and organizes invoices to make sure no payments fall through the cracks

WHY IT’S A WINNER: “Many freelancers I know are creatives and wish they didn’t have to worry about administrative tasks,” McCullough says. The tax help is key, Skye Kelly says: “Nothing derails an entrepreneur’s confidence like a surprise tax bill. This allows you to make great financial decisions as you go.”