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Hannah Cole

Hannah Cole is a tax expert who specializes in working with self-employed people, especially creative and mission-driven ones. A long-time working artist herself, she’s helped tens of thousands of self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education, through her Money Bootcamp program, tax workshops from Florida to Alaska, and on the Sunlight Tax podcast. Her book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed, is the most funny and empowering tax guide you’ll ever read. Hannah is the founder of Sunlight Tax.

Tips and Tools | Taxes | 1099 Work

5 Common Tax Pitfalls for Artists (and How to Avoid Them)

By Hannah Cole
January 13th, 2026

As we head into tax season this year, and your feelings and fears about taxes begin to swell, remember: there is no tax education in this country. And that’s bananas! It’s no wonder that US tax literacy is so low. So if taxes confuse you, I want to reassure you that you are not alone, and you’re not broken. Your creative work is shifting the culture for good, so let’s make sure you stay on the right side of the law and get the most out of your taxes. That way, you can keep your focus where it belongs: on your amazing work. As an artist and tax pro who helps self-employed creative people manage their taxes, I want to help you navigate the top five tax pitfalls I see in my work.

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