Welcome back to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter, your weekly dose of insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

We're heading into April, aka tax season. You might have that moment where you look at the numbers and go: oh f*ck, I'm actually running a business.

Did I do this right last year? What do I need to fix for the year ahead? And at what point do I bring in help? Many of us have been there. 

This week: the creator tax playbook, with help from Ariel LaFond, a CPA and fractional CFO who works exclusively with high-earning creators and creatives.

AND, Ariel will be joining our panel at our event next week - RSVP details below.

Let's get into it.

Advocating for this community is what we do and the strongest advocacy starts with real data.

Today, we’re launching a survey to help us understand how creators are building, earning, and operating right now so we can bring that directly to the brands and partners who need to hear it.

This survey is for creators at every stage — whether you're just getting started, building alongside a day job, or doing this full-time.

Not a creator yourself? Share this with the creators you work with, support, or have in your network. Their voice matters here.

It takes 2-minutes and your responses will help shape the future of our industry, and your business. And it’s completely anonymous.

Every new creator Ariel works with has the same story: they file their first return as a self-employed person and the bill is way bigger than they expected. The reason is almost always the same… they weren't paying quarterly.

And they had no idea the self-employment tax even existed.

Here's what that means: when you had a day job, your employer covered half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. As a self-employed creator, you pay both halves yourself. That's an automatic 15.3% on top of your regular income tax — before you've paid a single dollar in federal or state taxes.

It's why creators look at their first bill and think something went wrong. Nothing went wrong. You just weren't warned.

But it doesn't have to happen again. Here’s what you need to know:

Self-employed people pay estimated taxes four times a year. If you're earning money as a creator, that includes you.

The move: set aside 20–30% of every payment you receive into a separate savings account. When the deadline hits, the money's already there.

One NYC-specific note: New York state and city have their own quarterly estimated tax requirements on top of federal. If you're based here, you're filing both. Factor that in when deciding how much to set aside — 30% is safer if you're in the city.

It's way harder to course correct after the fact when it comes to legal and accounting. So start right.

Already behind? Ariel's number one recommendation: don't avoid it. "They're not just going to go away. If you communicate with the IRS, they'll work with you — reduce the interest and penalties, set up a payment plan.” 

I know this firsthand. Year one of Creator Economy NYC, I had no LLC, no business bank account. Everything ran through my personal accounts. It was a complete clusterfuck come tax season.

I didn't know what counted as a business expense. Revenue was scattered — Venmo, Zelle, bank transfers — and I couldn't trace half of it. I ended up filing an extension just to sort it all out. That was the wake-up call. I was running a real business and treating it like a hobby. Don't be me.

If you’ve made it through the first year (or the first few years!), you might have gotten a handle on the basics. Yet there will be a point when you hit a wall. 

It’s usually around headspace, Ariel says. She hears this constantly from creators who finally come to her: "I am up at night thinking about the numbers behind my business, and it's preventing me from creating content."

The finances might not take that many hours. But they eat mental energy even when you're not dealing with them.

Then there's the other problem: "I've been working with my dad's accountant, and he's 65 and doesn't understand my business." A CPA who doesn't get how you make money won't know what you can write off — or how to structure things in your favor.

How to find a CPA who actually gets it:

Ask other creators in your network. Look for accountants who work with freelancers and startups because they're more likely to understand non-traditional income. Word-of-mouth is still the move. 

Actually… if you have a CPA or accountant who understands the creator business, reply to this email and tell us. We'll compile the best recommendations and share them with the community.

Ariel's rule of thumb: "Would you have purchased this if it wasn't for your business? Is it directly generating revenue for you?"

What counts depends on your niche:

On gifted PR: if packages show up at your door unsolicited — no agreement, no obligation to post — that's not taxable income. But if a brand says "post a reel and we'll send you the product free," that's an exchange and it counts.

"None of these answers are fun," Ariel says upfront. "Slow and steady always wins the race." But here's what she sees behind the scenes with creators who are building something durable:

Get more from Ariel on money moves in her Substack “dumb rich” here.

Save this one.

Editor's note: We're a creator community, not your accountant. Find a CPA who actually understands how you make money before making any big moves.

If you’ve ever wondered how you can actually run the money side of a creator business without losing your mind, join us for our next event happening on April 7th!

We're partnering with Relay, the business banking platform built for the way creators and solopreneurs actually run their finances, for all things money and creator businesses.

Featuring a solid lineup of NYC creators and operators:

​Each offering a different perspective on how creators earn, manage, and grow their money.

​And April is Financial Literacy Month, so let's actually talk about it.

The F*ck It, Create It Workbook is the thing that finally gets you off the sideline.

It’s a guided system — with companion videos — that walks you through the exact mental blocks keeping you stuck and forces you to ship your first piece of content, product, event… whatever you’ve been sitting on.

One time purchase of $57 for the workbook and companion videos.

The Creator Goal Setting Guide (FREE): A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2026. Get it here.

The Creator Accountability System (FREE): Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2026. Get it here.

Thanks for reading! This stuff isn't glamorous, but it's the difference between building a real business and getting blindsided every April. Get your money right. See you next week.

F*ck it, create it,

Brett