At the end of every year, I see founders fall into the same trap: avoiding their finances because the work feels dry or overwhelming. But avoidance is expensive. A few overlooked numbers can easily turn into thousands in unnecessary taxes or missed opportunities—and I’ve seen it happen more often than you’d think. So I want to show you exactly how I close out my own year, and what I help my clients do long before tax season shows up.On this episode of Become Sensible, I walk you through the five financial and tax moves I recommend to every entrepreneur before December 31st. I’ll talk you through what “clean books” actually look like, how I review estimated taxes with clients, and why intentional year-end spending is more powerful than chasing deductions. We’ll also cover retirement strategies that can save you thousands and the budgeting steps I use with my own CFO clients to set up a strong 2026.These steps aren’t glamorous, but they give you something far more important: “Clarity is the real return on your investment.” When you understand your numbers, you move from reactive to confident—and that’s when your business becomes truly scalable.ConnectFollow me, Fiona Nguyen, on LinkedIn. Learn more about Balannx.Timestamps0:00 - Why year-end finances matter (and why founders avoid them)0:42 - The five core business foundations1:30 - Step 1: Cleaning and reviewing your books4:54 - How inaccurate books inflate tax bills6:21 - The three financial reports that matter8:03 - Step 2: Reviewing estimated taxes9:27 - Common estimated-tax mistakes10:33 - Step 3: Intentional year-end spending11:48 - What real tax planning looks like12:45 - Step 4: Funding your future (retirement strategies)14:36 - How scenario planning reduces tax surprises15:36 - Step 5: Reviewing financials + the 2026 budget16:57 - Building base, best, and worst-case plans17:45 - Final recap + year-end encouragement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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