Your tax bill can fund your next trip
How to turn something you dread into something you'll love
Before we launch into today’s post, I have a few reminders!
Don’t forget to apply for the no annual fee card that can earn 50% more points than a typical 1x card! Use this link (thanks!). It’s such a good opportunity! Get it while the offer is high :)
If you’re traveling this week, get to the airport early! In the chat we have a bunch of anecdotes from readers who are traveling this week with varying levels of TSA wait times. Please add your experiences and check the chat if you have a trip!
Thanks to all who’ve messaged and reached out about the re-brand! This has been so fun! A reminder that nothing else about what I do has changed — just the name and look 🖤
You can book a Wallet Edit for card thoughts and recs here (it’s complimentary!) and if you’d like to book a 1:1 session to learn how to use your points, I would love to work with you. It’s the quickest way to jumpstart your points journey. Book that here.
Now, onto taxes (this will be surprisingly fun)!
In April of 2025, I funded an entire trip — and secured top tier Globalist status with Hyatt (free breakfast for my family, early check in, late check out and suite upgrades!) — all from paying taxes.
I really don’t know anyone who looks forward to tax season. Regardless of how you feel about taxes and government, and irrespective of who is in power, the thought of signing over chunks of money you’ve worked hard for is hard to swallow.
But when tax time comes, and I owe some money to Uncle Sam, my first step is to figure out how I can use the payment to my advantage.
As you read this post, ask yourself: What would it feel like if my tax payment funded my next trip?
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Your tax bill can fund your next trip
I’m very focused on making every cent I spend count towards future travel. You may have figured this out if you’ve been around here a while! It actually hurts a little inside when I have to spend money and can’t earn points.
If it’s a few dollars here and there, it is fine but when it’s something as big as a mortgage payment or taxes, that’s another story.
And who likes paying taxes?
Nobody.
So, last year I did something totally different. I put my big business tax bill on a new credit card and used it to earn hotel status AND to accrue points. And the fee was a fraction of the cost of a typical credit card fee.
It made such a huge difference in our travels and saved us a fortune. In fact, when I published the piece about how much we saved in 2025 by using points (spoiler alert, it was $144,000) I didn’t even factor in how much we saved from our hotel status!
Many people don’t realize that you can pay taxes with a credit card. There is a fee to do so, but it’s not as crazy as you might think. And guess what? If the points and perks can get you more value than the fee, then you’ll come out ahead.
Want to know how to do this? Read on!
Taking advantage of a welcome bonus
The math (sorry):
If you spend $5,000 on a card you already have, you’ll earn around 5,000 points.
If you spend that same $5,000 on a new card that earns 75,000 points from a welcome bonus, you’ll earn the 5K points PLUS the 75K point welcome bonus.
This is the part of new cards that people often underestimate. It’s not just the points from the spending — it’s the welcome bonus on top that adds the most value.
That’s what’s great about getting a new card!
You’re spending the same amount of money but you’re earning significantly more points per dollar spent.
In the case above, you’d be earning 15x points per dollar! Pretty great!
So, let’s run through a few scenarios.
Which method is right for you?
Scenario 1: The new card + welcome bonus
Let’s say you are a business owner and have a $30,000 tax payment due in April (maybe you don’t - lucky!) or maybe you owe much more than that (sorry!).
You get a new card that earns you 150,000 points from a welcome bonus and put that $30,000 tax payment on it.
The card also earns 2x on each dollar spent, bringing the total rewards earned
Here’s what that looks like with this sample card option (DM or email me for the actual card info - this is a real card!):
Tax Payment: $30,000
Method:
Putting the payment on a new card
Fees:
Annual fee: $395
Fee to pay by credit card (~1.8%): $540
Rewards:
Bonus: 150,000 points (value: $3,000+)
Points from spend: 60,000 points (2x per dollar spent) - value: $1,200+
Total value:
$4,200 (rewards) - 935 (fees) = $3,265
If someone offered to give you $3,200 if you gave them $935. Would you do it?
By spending less than $1K (between the annual fee and card payment fee), you can end up with points that can get you $3,200+ in value.
The card also has a $300 travel credit among other benefits, so even some of those fees get recouped.
You can start to see how this can be worth it, right?
This is exactly where choosing the right card makes all the difference — and it may not be the one you expect.
I’ve been helping readers map this out based on their specific situation. If you’re thinking about doing this with your taxes this year, DM me and I’ll walk you through what I’d do, no charge :)
Scenario 2: Paying taxes on a card you already have (and why it’s usually not the best option)
Tax Payment: $30,000