I've been using these 3 products to pay taxes since I became self-employed, and the process couldn't be easier

While I use my business checking account for practical purposes, my business credit card adds some fun in the mix in the form of lucrative rewards.

It's worth mentioning that I don't use credit cards to finance my business because the interest rate isn't favorable. I pay mine off in full every month. What I do use it for is award travel.

Business credit cards tend to offer very generous sign-up bonuses, and they also often reward spending on business-related purchases.

I've been using credit cards to travel hack for years now, and my all-time favorite is the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card for its flexible, high-value rewards and massive sign-up bonus.

Chase's Ultimate Rewards program is one of my favorite rewards programs because the points are consistently worth at least 1.25 cents each (or 1.5 cents each if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve) when you redeem them for travel through Chase, and I can use them to book a variety of different travel experiences or transfer them to one of my favorite airline or hotel loyalty programs.

With the Chase Ink Business Preferred, you'll get 3 points per dollar on your first $150,000 in combined spending on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone, and select advertising purchases. You'll also get a massive 80,000-point sign-up bonus if you spend $5,000 in the first three months.

That means if you earn the sign-up bonus and your business spends $1,000 per month within the bonus categories, you'll earn 116,000 Ultimate Rewards points — worth a total of $1,450 in travel spending.

There are plenty of other excellent business credit cards, including some that earn cash back, others with premium perks like airport lounge access, and a few with no annual fee. Your business card might also come with benefits like auto rental insurance, extended warranty protection, and purchase protection. Plus you'll be building your business credit, and most business credit cards don't appear on your personal credit report.

The best way to use a business credit card is to find one that fits your spending habits and pay it off in full each month. When it comes time to browse your business expenses, you'll find them all in one place.

Once you've split up your finances, it's time to track them. Luckily, there are plenty of low-cost options for accounting software geared toward the self-employed so that you don't have to do this manually.

These programs are particularly useful when it comes time to file your quarterly taxes, as it's up to you to estimate how much you owe. If you're off by too much, you could end up paying a penalty during tax season.

I use QuickBooks Self-Employed because it's affordable and integrates seamlessly with TurboTax, which I use to do my taxes.

Your expenses and income are automatically imported and categorized after you link your various bank accounts and credit cards. You can then automatically export all your financial data directly to TurboTax Self-Employed, calculate your deductions, and pay your quarterly taxes online.

I got it at a $12 per month for the first three months and then $17 per month after that. If you want just QuickBooks Self-Employed, it costs $5 per month for the first three months and then $10 per month after that.

Xero also offers cloud accounting software for small business owners and folks who are self-employed. They have several different plans depending on your needs, from a very basic plan that's slightly cheaper but less capable than QuickBooks Self-Employed up to a $60 per month plan with features like the ability to work in multiple currencies and track project time and costs.

When I started my journey into self-employment, taxes were right at the top of my list — alongside healthcare — of things that made me feel stressed, lost, and confused. I'm not going to tell you I love doing my taxes now, but I no longer worry about them, nor do I spend days trying to sort them out.

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