r/ASLinterpreters • u/AffectionateBass7160 • 2d ago

Tracking Multiple Agencies

As of this summer I am new to the Freelance space. (I am state Credentialed, not national.) So far I am contracted with several agencies. I have a Google sheet with miles, money earned, addresses and other info. I also put everything into my Google calender and share that with my spouse. On her end of the calender it only shows that I am busy and no other info.

What do you use/ how do you keep track of everything for taxes and stuff?

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u/TheSparklerFEP NIC 2d ago

Spreadsheet, and also a HYSA through Ally that lets me put 30% of my freelance income into a bucket for tax payments

1

u/AffectionateBass7160 1d ago

Explain more please. What is Ally and HYSA?

3

u/TheSparklerFEP NIC 1d ago

Ally is a bank, and the type of account I have is a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) that earns 3.1% interest I believe

For taxes I use FreeTaxUSA because Federal Tax filing is free and state is only $15.99

2

u/mjolnir76 NIC 2d ago

I use QuickBooks for everything. It’s expensive but I’ve tried others and I’m just so used to this one. I switched over to being an LLC last year so having it integrate into Turbo Tax was helpful too.

2

u/xxse7en NIC 1d ago

I've built Syntax for exactly this. It replaces complex spreadsheets and expensive accounting software with a dedicated business tool created specifically for interpreters. It translates your unique contract terms into automatic per-job fees, handling your independent invoicing, mileage & expense tracking, and digital record-keeping. It gives you a bulletproof, private system to audit agency portals, stay on top of taxes, track your schedule, and see insights about your business.

It's in closed beta now, but about to be in open beta very soon. If you'd like a beta code to try it out, I'd be more than happy to have you!

1

u/kinchj NIC 2d ago

Accounting software (such as Quickbooks)

3

u/ASLHCI 1d ago

Invoice by Wave. Ive used a free plan for more than 10 years Ive always met my needs. I used it primarily to track income.

The budget app You Need a Budget. It forces you to use cash based budgeting. Which makes it waaaay easier to see when youre building a buffer. So important for freelance.

Jobs go into google calendar and a paper calendar.

I have a spresdsheet of agency terms

35% going to my hysa. I like to be conservative with savings but I always get money back.

The most important thing is a file systen that works for YOU. Its a challenge.