April tax stress is avoidable. Most owners wait until April. They face stress. They pay more.
Year-round planning prevents stress. Monthly actions reduce bills. Planning works.
This calendar shows monthly actions to lower April’s stress and tax bill.
Key Takeaways
- Plan year-round—avoid April stress
- Take monthly actions—reduce tax bill
- Track continuously—stay organized
- Plan proactively—optimize taxes
- Reduce stress—lower April bill
Table of Contents
Planning Overview
Year-round planning reduces stress. Monthly actions add up. Planning works.
Quarter 1: Set up systems. Review prior year. Plan current year.
Quarter 2: Track progress. Make adjustments. Stay on track.
Quarter 3: Review strategy. Optimize approach. Prepare for year end.
Quarter 4: Finalize planning. Complete actions. Prepare for filing.
Why this matters: Planning overview enables action. If you understand planning, action becomes possible.
Quarter 1
First quarter sets foundation. Set up systems. Plan year.
January
Set up systems:
- Organize record keeping
- Set up tracking
- Review prior year
- Plan current year
Why this matters: System setup enables planning. If you set up systems, planning becomes possible.
February
Review and plan:
- Review prior year taxes
- Identify opportunities
- Plan deductions
- Set goals
Why this matters: Review and planning enable strategy. If you review and plan, strategy improves.
March
Begin tracking:
- Track income and expenses
- Monitor deductions
- Review progress
- Adjust as needed
Why this matters: Tracking enables monitoring. If you track, monitoring becomes possible.
Pro tip: Use our TAM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform business planning. Calculate market size to understand growth potential.
Quarter 2
Second quarter maintains momentum. Track progress. Make adjustments.
April
File and plan:
- File prior year taxes
- Review results
- Plan current year
- Make first estimated payment
Why this matters: Filing and planning enable strategy. If you file and plan, strategy improves.
May
Continue tracking:
- Track income and expenses
- Monitor deductions
- Review progress
- Adjust as needed
Why this matters: Tracking enables monitoring. If you track, monitoring becomes possible.
June
Review and adjust:
- Review first half
- Make adjustments
- Optimize strategy
- Make second estimated payment
Why this matters: Review and adjustment enable optimization. If you review and adjust, optimization improves.
Quarter 3
Third quarter optimizes strategy. Review approach. Prepare for year end.
July
Continue tracking:
- Track income and expenses
- Monitor deductions
- Review progress
- Adjust as needed
Why this matters: Tracking enables monitoring. If you track, monitoring becomes possible.
August
Review strategy:
- Review year to date
- Evaluate strategy
- Identify opportunities
- Plan adjustments
Why this matters: Strategy review enables optimization. If you review strategy, optimization improves.
September
Optimize and prepare:
- Optimize strategy
- Plan year-end moves
- Make third estimated payment
- Prepare for Q4
Why this matters: Optimization and preparation enable success. If you optimize and prepare, success improves.
Quarter 4
Fourth quarter finalizes planning. Complete actions. Prepare for filing.
October
Year-end planning:
- Review year to date
- Plan year-end moves
- Optimize deductions
- Time income and expenses
Why this matters: Year-end planning enables optimization. If you plan year-end, optimization improves.
November
Execute planning:
- Make year-end purchases
- Time income and expenses
- Optimize deductions
- Complete actions
Why this matters: Planning execution enables results. If you execute planning, results improve.
December
Finalize and prepare:
- Finalize year-end moves
- Organize records
- Prepare for filing
- Review everything
Why this matters: Finalization and preparation enable filing. If you finalize and prepare, filing becomes possible.
Pro tip: Use our TAM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform business planning. Calculate market size to understand growth potential.
Your Next Steps
Year-round tax planning reduces April stress. Plan year-round, take monthly actions, track continuously, plan proactively, then reduce stress to lower April bill.
This Week:
- Begin setting up year-round planning using our TAM Calculator
- Start organizing record keeping
- Begin tracking income and expenses
- Start planning monthly actions
This Month:
- Complete system setup
- Begin monthly tracking
- Start monthly planning
- Begin year-round approach
Going Forward:
- Continuously track monthly
- Take monthly actions
- Review quarterly
- Plan year-round
Need help? Check out our TAM Calculator for market evaluation, our tax basics guide for fundamentals, our entity tax strategy guide for structure, and our tax strategy hub for tactics.
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Sources & Additional Information
This guide provides general information about year-round tax planning. Your specific situation may require different considerations.
For market size analysis, see our TAM Calculator.
Consult with professionals for advice specific to your situation.
