Why I Let a Robot Do My Taxes (And You Should Too)
Being an artist in Aotearoa is a beautiful, chaotic mess. We pour our hearts into our work, chase inspiration into strange places, and occasionally remember to send invoices (if Mercury’s not in retrograde). But when it comes to tax time? Oh boy. That’s when things get extra spicy.
Enter: Hnry. Yes, that’s not a typo. It’s pronounced “Henry” but spelled like a tech startup because—well—it is a tech startup. And before you roll your eyes and click away thinking this is another boring blog post about accounting, hold tight. This one’s actually for you.
Accounting? For Artists? Groundbreaking.
Let me guess: You didn’t become a creative professional so you could spend quality time with spreadsheets. You’re probably allergic to “GST,” and you’d rather deep-clean your studio with a toothbrush than manually file another IRD return.
Same. That’s why I signed up for Hnry, and my life has never been the same. (No, seriously, I once forgot tax even existed. That’s how good this is.)
So What Is Hnry?
In a nutshell: Hnry is a service for freelancers, sole traders, and creatives like us who would rather be painting, sculpting, filming, or doom-scrolling than worrying about ACC invoices.
Every time you get paid, Hnry takes a cut (1%) and handles all the grown-up stuff: tax, GST, ACC, even filing your returns. Automatically. Like magic. Or like the responsible version of yourself you wish existed.
No spreadsheets. No awkward emails to accountants. No, trying to remember what the hell that $73.29 transaction at “OFFICEWRKS WGTN” was.
But Is It Really That Easy?
Let me put it this way: If you can post an Instagram story, you can use Hnry. It’s that simple.
Invoice clients? Built-in templates.
Claim business expenses? Snap a photo.
Worry about tax? You literally can’t. Hnry does it all in real-time.
Email IRD? Absolutely not. Never again.
I honestly forget it’s even there—until the end of the tax year rolls around and I don’t feel like screaming into a pillow. That’s worth 1%, right?
Want to Try It? Here’s My Referral Code
Because I’m generous (and also like getting referral credits), here’s my code: https://app.hnry.io/r/NGAIO51528
Use it when you sign up and we’ll both get a little something. It’s the least the robots can do.
TL;DR: Hnry is like having a tiny accountant in your pocket, except they never ghost you, and they understand creative weirdos. Highly recommend.
If you want to know more about my life as an artist (and see if I ever clean my brushes), check out the rest of my site:
đź“Ž www.natalieblackwood.nz
Now go make something beautiful—and let the robots handle the receipts.
