Nothing says “you owe” quite like untaxed money piling up in your bank account. Whether it’s cash from a side hustle, interest from savings, dividends, or profits from selling stocks, all that untaxed income will come knocking at tax time. Sooner or later, the IRS expects its share. The good news? You can dodge a stressful tax bill by planning ahead.

Start with your withholdings. If you’re getting little to no refund each year, your paycheck might not be holding back enough to cover taxes on extra income. Double-check your withholdings—tools like the IRS withholding calculator can help, or even working through the instructions of Form W-4 can help you tweak those withholdings.

Next, tackle that untaxed income:

• Side hustles or self-employment: Track your quarterly profits and set aside a chunk for taxes. A tax professional (like us!) can help you estimate what’s due.
• Interest, dividends, or stock gains: These usually don’t come with taxes withheld, so stash some aside as you earn it.
• Unemployment checks: If you’re out of work, opt to have taxes deducted upfront—it’s an easy way to avoid a surprise later.

Why act now? Waiting until April could leave you with a bill you can’t pay, plus penalties and interest to boot. Stay ahead of untaxed income, and you’ll keep more of your hard-earned cash instead of forking it over to Uncle Sam.