Get our Tax Deduction Cheatsheet for Therapists

Use this cheatsheet to maximize your deductions and save money on taxes for your therapy practice.

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Quarterly taxes, handled for you

Stay current with the IRS without the spreadsheets or the math. Heard calculates what you owe each quarter, finds every therapist-specific deduction, and walks you through paying.

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Quarterly tax estimates
Projected from your year-to-date books
Q3 estimate
$3,500.00
Due next
September 15, 2026
Projected Q3 income$21,000.00
Deductions tracked- $7,000.00
Effective rate25%
Set aside for Q3$3,500.00
59%
of therapists missed at least one quarterly tax payment last year
$198M
in deductions tracked in 2025 by Heard
20,000+
quarterly estimates calculated by Heard every year
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Compliance, without the stress

Most therapists pay quarterly taxes based on last year's income. If your practice grew, you under-pay all year. If it slowed or moved to part-time, you over-pay and wait for a refund. Heard keeps you compliant from quarter to quarter, with a number that reflects what's happening in your practice.

Without Heard
Flat estimates from last year's income
April 2026 tax billOwed
$7,600
Quarterly payments followed last year's smaller practice. Your caseload grew 40% this year.
Q1
$1,500
Q2
$1,500
Q3
$1,500
Q4
$1,500
  • A lump sum in April you didn't plan for
  • Deductions pieced together once a year
  • Books and taxes living in separate places
  • Multi-state filings priced per state, every year
With Heard
Estimates that follow your actual practice
April 2026 tax billOwed
No big surprise
Quarterly payments matched your real income, so April is usually a small balance or refund instead of a shock.
Q1
$3,100
Q2
$3,400
Q3
$3,500
Q4
$3,600
  • Reminders before each quarterly deadline
  • Therapist-specific deductions tracked year-round
  • Step-by-step guidance on how to pay, plus unlimited support along the way
  • Multi-state filings included at no extra cost
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Never worry about a quarterly payment again

Self-employed therapists pay income tax four times a year, not once. Miss one and the IRS charges penalties and interest until you catch up. Heard handles your taxes year-round, so each payment is based on what you're earning now, not last year's income.

Q1 2026Paid
April152026
$3,100estimated payment
Covers January to March income
Q2 2026Paid
June152026
$3,400estimated payment
Covers April to May income
Q3 2026Due next
September152026
$3,500estimated payment
Covers June to August income
Q4 2026Upcoming
January152027
$3,600estimated payment
Covers September to December income
Annual filingFiled by Heard
S-Corp returnMarch 152027
Personal returnApril 152027
S-corps file both; everyone else files just the personal return. Quarterly payments are credited, usually a small balance or refund.
Why four payments? The IRS expects self-employed income to be taxed "as you earn it." If you wait until April, the IRS can charge penalties and interest on every quarter you underpaid. Paying in four smaller installments spreads the cost across the year and helps you avoid that, so April stays smaller.
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Four things working together, quietly

Heard keeps your books current, estimates your taxes from how your practice is doing, and tells you when it's time to pay.

Your estimate reflects this year, not the last one

Your estimate is based on your income growth, so you pay closer to the right amount each quarter and April brings fewer surprises.

  • Updated each quarter as your practice changes
  • Federal and state filings included at no extra cost
  • Adjusts for planned time off, sabbaticals, or a lighter month
Projected annual income
Updated each quarter as your practice changes
+40% vs. last year
Projected 2026
$80,000
This year (projected)Last year

We nudge you before each deadline and walk you through paying

As each deadline approaches, we send reminders so it's not on you to remember. Each one points you to the amount to pay and walks you through IRS Direct Pay and your state portal. Have a question along the way? Our team answers it, with no cap on support.

  • Email and in-app reminders ahead of each deadline
  • Federal and state deadlines tracked separately
  • Unlimited support from real humans
  • Payments match to your transactions automatically
Your 2026 deadlines
Reminders as each deadline approaches
Q1
April 15
Q2
June 15
Q3
September 15
Q4
January 15
Today
Q3 estimate ready to review
Heard calculated $3,500 based on your latest income. Step-by-step payment guide inside.
Sep 8
Deadline approaching
We'll walk you through IRS Direct Pay and your state portal. Reply anytime with questions.
Sep 14
Due soon
Pay directly at IRS Direct Pay. We'll log the payment to your books.

Every deduction found, so you pay less

Heard's bookkeepers categorize every transaction and flag the deductions that matter for private practice: software, CEUs, supervision, liability insurance, and more. Each one lowers your quarterly bill.

  • Reviewed by a real bookkeeper who knows therapists
  • Deduction rules built around private practice
  • Anything ambiguous gets a quick yes-or-no from you
Deductions tracked
Auto-categorized from your connected accounts
  • S
    Software & tools
    SimplePractice, Zoom, Calendly
    12 transactions
    $3,600.00
  • CE
    Continuing education
    CEUs, supervision, books
    6 transactions
    $2,800.00
  • LI
    Liability insurance
    HPSO annual
    1 transaction
    $264.00
Total deductions tracked
$6,664.00

Your books stay current, so taxes never pile up

Because Heard does your bookkeeping all year, your quarterly estimate is never a guess. At year end we reconcile your books and file your taxes, with fewer last-minute surprises.

  • Connects to your bank
  • Closed each month by your bookkeeping team
  • Year-end filing handled on the same platform
Income
$
Therapist Income (Stripe)
Client payments sync daily
$
Therapist Income (Direct Deposit)
Deposits auto-match
Expenses
H
Heard Platform
Bookkeeping & tax categorized
SP
SimplePractice
EHR & practice management
Your books, managed by Heard
Categorized in real time, reviewed monthly by your bookkeeping team
Quarterly
Q
QTE calculated
Projected, not last year's
Year-end
Tax
Return ready to file
Reconciled at year end

Everything you need to know about QTEs

Have a question we didn't cover? Our team has answered a thousand versions of these. Reach out anytime.

Missing a quarter is common: 59% of therapists missed at least one last year. If you missed Q1, Heard automatically rolls it into your Q2 estimate, so you catch up without doing the math. Missing or underpaying a quarter can lead to an IRS underpayment penalty.
Yes, and there's no extra charge. Many therapists licensed in multiple states (or who moved mid-year) end up paying additional fees per state with traditional accountants. Heard includes multi-state filings as part of your membership.
Therapists often have uneven quarters: a slow summer, a busy January. Heard's projection uses a rolling 90-day window, so each quarter's estimate reflects what's been happening in your practice. You can also add manual adjustments for planned time off.
Most accountants use "safe-harbor" estimates calculated from last year's tax return. That protects you from penalties, but if your income changed, you either owe in April or overpay all year. Heard projects your actual annual income from your live books and calculates what you owe each quarter, so each payment reflects the current year.
No, but we make it nearly hands-off. We give you step-by-step instructions and a direct link to IRS Direct Pay and your state's portal so you can pay in under a minute. Have a question while you're paying? Our support team is one click away, with no cap on how often you can reach out. The payment then logs to your books automatically when it clears your bank account.
Heard sends reminders as each deadline approaches. If you miss one anyway, we'll flag it and roll the shortfall into your next estimate automatically. The IRS may also charge an underpayment penalty.
Yes, and Heard does that too. Because your quarterly estimates are built from the same books we keep all year, your return is mostly done by the time filing season arrives, and we file it for you.
If you run a private practice as a sole proprietor, LLC, or S-Corp, the IRS expects you to pay income and self-employment taxes four times a year instead of once in April. If you expect to owe more than $1,000 in federal tax for the year, quarterly estimates apply to you.

Heard is the only financial management software built for therapists and wellness practitioners that enables you to manage your bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll-all in one place.

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