We all know all in regards to the challenges of freelancer life, consider us. We all know it’s not at all times straightforward making a go of it as an unbiased contractor, a facet hustler, a gig employee, no matter you wish to name it.
For one factor, it’s a must to do all this additional monetary stuff, and it’s tough stuff. While you work for your self, it’s on you to put aside cash for taxes. And ideally, you’re supposed to maintain observe of your work-related bills so you possibly can pay much less in taxes. However c’mon, how many people are actually all that nice about doing that persistently?
Excellent news: We’ve discovered a cool on-line checking account that helps you do all that stuff. Lili is a cellular banking service that’s constructed solely for freelancers such as you. The app, accessible for iOS or Android, is laser-focused in your particular wants.
Lili is completely free, and its digital instruments show you how to save for taxes, take funds from shoppers and maintain observe of your bills — all in the identical account. It additionally means that you can overdraft your account with out hitting you with expensive charges. And Lili simply added new enterprise instruments designed to assist unbiased employees such as you save money and time.
Swipe Left or Proper to Type Your Bills
The account comes with its personal Visa debit card. Everytime you spend any cash out of the account, you’ll get a push notification asking you to swipe left or proper to immediately categorize the expense as both “private” or “enterprise.”
At tax time, this may can help you completely maximize your bills and cut back your taxable earnings, reducing your tax invoice.
Critically, it’s a lot simpler this manner!
Talking of taxes, Lili will show you how to tally up your earnings and gauge what earnings taxes you’ll need to pay. And each time you receives a commission, you possibly can have Lili routinely put aside a sure share for taxes.
Principally, Lili makes it straightforward to automate everything so that you by no means have to fret about it once more.
Extra Instruments in Lili’s Toolbox
We freelancers want all the assistance we will get, ? Fortunately, Lili has extra instruments in its toolbox for us.
ATMs: You will get money along with your debit card at practically 40,000 MoneyPass ATMs throughout the nation. You could have fee-free entry to these. For out-of-network ATMs, there’s a $2.50 price within the U.S. or $5 when you’re in another country.
No overdraft charges: Not like just about all of the brick-and-mortar banks, Lili doesn’t cost overdraft charges. You possibly can overdraft as much as $200 with out getting hit with a price. Different fee-free banks gained’t allow you to overdraft in any respect.
No different charges: There are additionally no hidden charges.
Receives a commission quick: When shoppers and prospects pay you by way of direct deposit, you get entry to these funds inside two enterprise days — which is quicker than most banks.
Money-back rewards: Get money again if you swipe your debit card at greater than 14,000 companies.
Cell test deposit: It’s straightforward to deposit a test by way of the app. Simply signal the test, then write “for Lili cellular deposit solely” on the again of it, snap a photograph of the back and front, then enter the quantity into the app. Executed.
Money deposit: If you want to make a money deposit, you are able to do it at any of 90,000 Inexperienced Dot places like Walmart, Walgreens or 7-Eleven.
Expense stories: Lili routinely generates these each quarter that can assist you pay your taxes and add up your deductibles.
Limitless invoicing: While you’re a freelancer, sending your shoppers invoices is simply one other trouble. Nevertheless it’s straightforward to create invoices and receives a commission instantly into Lili.
Insights: Lili lays out insights into in a visible format to assist maintain observe of your private and enterprise funds.
Emergency fund: This previous 12 months has taught us the onerous manner that everybody ought to have one among these. You by no means know if you may lose a superb freelance gig or endure another disaster. With Lili, you possibly can automatically set aside a little each month to build your emergency fund. And also you earn as much as 1% curiosity in your financial savings — far more than at a brick-and-mortar financial institution.
Three ultimate ideas:
- Cash in your Lili account is FDIC insured for as much as $250,000.
- There’s no minimal account steadiness, so don’t fear about that.
- It solely takes a couple of minutes to enroll by way of iOS or Android and make your freelance life a lot simpler — and save huge on taxes.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior author at The Penny Hoarder. He’s additionally a contract author on the facet, and he is aware of what a ache freelance taxes are.