Tax Anxiety
Tax Anxiety
(When You’d Rather Do Literally Anything Else)
There’s a certain kind of anxiety that shows up when you work for yourself.
It’s not always loud.
It doesn’t always look dramatic.
But it sits there… in the background.
Tax.
It’s the quiet weight of:
“Have I put enough aside?”
“What if I’ve done something wrong?”
“What if I get a bill I can’t cover?”
Even when things are going well… it can still feel like something is hanging over you.
No one really prepares you for this part.
When you go out on your own, people talk about freedom.
Flexibility.
Doing what you love.
But they don’t talk about the mental load of being responsible for everything.
Tax anxiety isn’t always about the numbers.
A lot of the time… it’s about uncertainty.
Not knowing exactly what’s coming.
Not trusting the system.
Not fully trusting yourself to have it handled.
And if you’ve ever had a moment where money felt tight…
or things got overwhelming…
That feeling can stick.
Even when you’re doing better.
For me, I’ve realised it’s less about “fixing” the anxiety
and more about creating systems that support me.
Simple things like:
putting money aside regularly instead of scrambling later
knowing roughly what to expect instead of avoiding it
keeping things organised so it doesn’t build up into something bigger than it is
having a great relationship with my accountant where I am able to ask questions and gain clarity without feeling stupid, knowledge is power.
Because avoidance is what makes it worse.
The longer you leave it…
the heavier it feels.
The more your mind fills in the gaps with worst case scenarios.
But when you face it in small, manageable ways…
It starts to lose its power.
There’s also something deeper in it.
Self-employment asks you to back yourself.
To trust that you can earn, manage, and handle what comes.
And that’s not just practical…
it’s emotional too.
If tax feels overwhelming to you… you’re not alone.
It doesn’t mean you’re bad with money.
It doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It just means you’re carrying something you haven’t been fully supported in learning yet.
You don’t have to do it all at once.
You don’t have to have it perfect.
Just start where you are.
Put one system in place.
Ask one question.
Look at one number.
Because this doesn’t have to be something that sits over you forever.
It can become something you understand…
something you manage…
something that feels neutral.
And that shift?
It’s not about becoming “good with tax.”
It’s about feeling more steady in your own life.
Clarity reduces fear!
Brandy xx