Tax Tension: 6 Secrets To Taking The Stress Out Of Tax Time

Tax season rarely inspires joy. Unless you're a tax accountant in Point Cook, in which case it’s your version of game day. For the rest of us, it tends to sit somewhere between filling out passport renewal forms and assembling flat-pack furniture—tedious, slightly confusing, and best not attempted under time pressure. Still, it doesn't have to be an annual ritual of caffeine-fueled panic and passive-aggressive spreadsheet battles. There are ways to make it less maddening, more manageable, and—dare we suggest—mildly satisfying.

Here are six quietly effective methods to take the tension out of tax time, each tested by those of us who think a balanced ledger is as beautiful as a blank calendar.

1. Start Early Enough That Future You Won’t Loathe Present You

This isn’t advice so much as a plea. Start early. Not when your accountant sends a reminder email with the subject line “Just checking in” and it’s already April. We’ve seen what happens to people who treat tax like a last-minute art project. It isn’t pretty. It usually involves a shoebox full of crumpled receipts, a vague sense of dread, and a strong drink.

Give yourself a fighting chance. Book a call with your tax accountant in February, even if you secretly resent how smug that makes you feel. There’s no prize for filing late, and contrary to popular belief, tax doesn’t sort itself out if you ignore it long enough.

2. Separate Church and State, Business and Personal

Mixing personal and business expenses is like pouring soy sauce into your cereal. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Use separate bank accounts. Use separate cards. Keep your business receipts in a digital folder, not in the glove box of your car under a half-eaten protein bar.

When expenses are clearly categorised and neatly recorded, tax time becomes more about confirming figures than interpreting chaos. You’ll spend less time squinting at line items and more time doing literally anything else.

3. Use Software That Doesn’t Require a PhD in Pain

There’s a staggering amount of software out there promising to streamline your finances. Many of them deliver. Some of them feel like they were designed in 2003 by someone with a grudge against humanity. Find one that speaks your language—clean interface, simple inputs, reliable support.

Bonus points if it integrates directly with your bank accounts and allows you to scan receipts using your phone. That way, you’re not manually entering amounts at midnight, quietly weeping into your calculator.

4. Understand Deductions Without Developing a Personality Disorder

You don’t need to know every clause of the tax code. That’s what your tax accountant is for. However, it helps to have a basic grasp of what you can and can’t claim. Is that standing desk deductible? Probably. What about the ergonomic office chair shaped like a saddle? Also, likely. The dog you call your “executive assistant”? Less convincing.

The more you understand, the fewer awkward silences there’ll be when your accountant asks you why you’re claiming scented candles as office supplies.

5. Don’t DIY If You Don’t Know Why

Doing your own taxes might seem noble. It’s not. It’s brave at best, foolish at worst. Unless you have a single job, no side income, no investments, no dependents, no deductions, and no interest in keeping more of your money, you probably need help.

A good tax accountant can save you far more than they cost. They know what’s changed in the law, what you’ve overlooked, and what you can do better next year. And unlike your well-meaning friend who once took an online tax course, they actually do this for a living.

6. File, Forget, and Move On

Once you’ve submitted everything, stop thinking about it. Really. Close the tabs, delete the tax memes, and go for a walk. There’s no value in rehashing whether you should’ve included that extra invoice or if your mileage log was detailed enough. That ship has sailed.

Use that mental space for something more useful—like planning how not to repeat this year’s mistakes. The secret to stress-free tax time is surprisingly simple: pay attention once, set up systems, and then spend the rest of your year not worrying about it.

Taxes aren’t inherently evil. They’re just paperwork in disguise, and paperwork responds well to structure, order, and a mildly obsessive love of folders. With a bit of prep and a reasonable plan, tax season becomes something you pass through, not something that swallows you whole. You stay calm, collect receipts, and reclaim your spring.

We wouldn’t call that thrilling. But we might call it freedom.