Manually calculating and transferring a tax savings percentage every time you get paid is exactly the kind of task that gets skipped during a busy week — which is why the best apps to save for taxes automatically remove the decision entirely, routing a percentage of every deposit into a dedicated tax account the moment it arrives. Here’s how the top options compare.
Note: Features and pricing change periodically. Confirm current details directly on each provider’s website before choosing.
Why Automatic Tax Set-Aside Matters
The habit of setting aside 25-30% of net income for taxes is well understood among freelancers (see our guide on how much freelancers should set aside for taxes), but understanding the habit and actually sticking to it are different things. An app that automates the transfer — rather than relying on you to calculate and move the money manually every time — removes the single biggest point of failure in the whole system.
Quick Comparison
| App/Tool | Type | Core Feature | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Found | Business banking | Automatic percentage set-aside into tax “Pockets” | Freelancers who want taxes handled inside their bank account |
| Lili | Business banking | Tax “buckets” with automatic percentage transfer | Mobile-first freelancers and gig workers |
| Keeper | Tax/expense app | AI deduction detection + estimated tax tracking | Freelancers using a mixed personal/business account |
| Hurdlr | Tax/expense app | Real-time running tax estimate (not auto-transfer) | Freelancers who want to see the number update continuously |
| QuickBooks Solopreneur | Accounting software | Quarterly tax estimate calculation | Freelancers who want tax prep bundled with bookkeeping |
Found: Best for Built-In Automatic Set-Aside
Best for: Freelancers who want their bank account to handle tax savings without a separate app.
Found is a business banking platform (see our broader coverage in best business bank accounts for freelancers) with automatic tax set-aside as one of its core features: you set a percentage, and that portion of every incoming deposit routes automatically into a dedicated tax “Pocket” — a sub-account separate from your spendable balance. Because this happens at the banking level rather than through a separate tracking app, there’s no step where you have to remember to transfer anything yourself.
Lili: Best for Mobile-First Freelancers
Best for: Gig workers and freelancers who manage most of their finances from their phone.
Lili offers a similar automatic set-aside feature through “buckets” you can configure by percentage, with a free core plan and paid tiers adding more advanced tax and accounting tools. Like Found, this works at the banking level, so the tax portion of every deposit is separated automatically rather than requiring a manual transfer.
Keeper: Best for Freelancers With Mixed Accounts
Best for: Freelancers who haven’t fully separated business and personal finances and want help estimating what they owe along the way.
Keeper isn’t a banking app, so it doesn’t physically move money into a separate account — but it continuously analyzes your transactions (even on a mixed personal/business account) to flag deductions and estimate your running tax liability. This is useful specifically for freelancers who aren’t ready to adopt the full banking-level automation of Found or Lili but still want visibility into what they’re likely to owe. See our guide on best expense tracking apps for freelancers for more on Keeper’s deduction-finding features.
Hurdlr: Best for a Continuously Updated Tax Estimate
Best for: Freelancers who want to see their estimated tax liability update in real time as income and expenses are logged.
Hurdlr calculates a running estimate of your quarterly tax liability as you log income, expenses, and mileage, which helps you know how much to set aside even if the app itself isn’t physically transferring the money. Pairing Hurdlr’s estimate with a manually maintained separate tax savings account (see our guide on how to set up a tax savings account as a freelancer) replicates much of the benefit of a fully automated system, with slightly more manual effort.
QuickBooks Solopreneur: Best for Tax Estimates Bundled With Full Bookkeeping
Best for: Freelancers who want their tax savings math tied directly into their broader accounting platform.
As covered in our full QuickBooks Solopreneur review, this tool calculates quarterly estimated tax payments based on your categorized income and expenses. It doesn’t automatically move money into a separate account the way Found or Lili does, but if you’re already using Solopreneur for bookkeeping, having the tax estimate calculated in the same place removes a step compared to running a separate calculation.
Two Different Approaches: Banking-Level vs. Estimate-Only
It’s worth understanding the real distinction between these tools:
- Banking-level automation (Found, Lili): The money is physically moved into a separate sub-account automatically, the moment a deposit lands. This is the strongest form of automation, since it removes any manual step entirely.
- Estimate-only tools (Keeper, Hurdlr, QuickBooks Solopreneur): These calculate how much you should set aside, but don’t move the money themselves — you still need to manually transfer funds to a separate account based on the estimate.
Both approaches work, but banking-level automation is the more foolproof system for freelancers who know they’re prone to skipping a manual step during a busy period.
Can You Build This Yourself With a Regular Bank?
Yes — many standard banks and fintech accounts support automatic percentage-based transfer rules between a checking and savings account, even without a feature specifically marketed as “tax set-aside.” If your current bank supports this, you can replicate much of what Found or Lili offers by:
- Opening a dedicated savings sub-account (ideally interest-bearing)
- Setting up an automatic rule to transfer your chosen percentage whenever a deposit hits your checking account
- Treating that savings account as untouchable, as covered in our guide on how to set up a tax savings account as a freelancer
The specific tools above simply make this process more seamless and purpose-built, rather than being the only way to achieve it.
How to Choose
- You want full banking-level automation with zero manual steps: Found or Lili
- You’re not ready to separate accounts but want visibility into what you’ll owe: Keeper
- You want a continuously updated tax estimate as you work: Hurdlr
- You want tax estimates bundled with your full bookkeeping platform: QuickBooks Solopreneur
- Your current bank already supports automatic transfer rules: Build your own system using that feature
The Bottom Line
The most effective way to save for taxes automatically is to remove the manual transfer step entirely, which is exactly what Found and Lili do at the banking level. If you’re not ready to switch banking providers, Keeper and Hurdlr both provide the estimate half of the equation, which you can pair with a manually maintained separate savings account to get most of the same benefit. Whichever approach you choose, the goal is the same: by the time a quarterly tax payment is due, the money should already be set aside — not something you’re scrambling to find.
This article is for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information at the time of writing. Features and pricing change frequently. Verify current details directly with each provider and consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation. Some links on this site may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.