We’re passionate about exploring solid side hustles here. Whether it’s freelance work, selling textbooks, or completing surveys, earning extra income is always worthwhile—regardless of your current salary.
The challenge, however, lies in managing the extensive bookkeeping these activities require. While Uncle Sam might overlook a $35 online sale, he’ll definitely notice when you’re pulling in an extra $35,000 annually.
Fortunately, Hurdlr makes income and expense tracking effortless. Beyond basic tracking, you can leverage Hurdlr to optimize deductions, manage reimbursements, and monitor mileage automatically.
Discover everything you need to know in this comprehensive Hurdlr Review!
What Is Hurdlr?
Hurdlr’s tagline reads “simple finances for the 1099 economy.” With over 55 million gig workers across the US, their timing couldn’t be more perfect.
This mobile and web application targets freelancers and side hustlers who need streamlined assistance tracking income, expenses, and tax projections.
What sets Hurdlr apart is its automation capabilities. Once you connect your accounts, it handles estimates automatically—eliminating countless hours of manual tracking and frustration.
The platform generates comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, providing crystal-clear insights into your financial standing.
Key Hurdlr Features
- Income, expense, and mileage tracking
- Detailed reporting capabilities
- Tax forecasting tools
- Time and task tracking
How Does Hurdlr Work?
Hurdlr provides a free version that we highly recommend testing after reading this review.
The platform centers around several core features outlined below.
Income Tracking
If you’re familiar with apps like Mint or Digit, you’ll grasp Hurdlr’s income tracking instantly. Simply connect your accounts—particularly PayPal, Uber, Upwork, and similar platforms.
The system operates automatically, displaying your exact earnings. Premium upgrades unlock automatic categorization through custom rule settings.
Expense Tracking
For self-employed individuals, nearly every business expense qualifies as deductible (within reasonable limits). Client coffee meetings? Deductible. New work computer? Deductible. Personal cake purchase? Potentially deductible, though you’re pushing boundaries.
Regardless of your chosen tracking method, maintaining separate credit cards or bank accounts for work-related expenses simplifies everything significantly. This approach streamlines tracking—otherwise, you’ll manually separate personal from business expenses.
Connecting all your financial accounts requires more organizational effort but provides a comprehensive view of your overall financial health.
Tax Estimator
Al Capone remains one of history’s most notorious criminals. Despite committing murder, bootlegging, kidnapping, and countless other crimes, what ultimately led to his arrest? Tax evasion.
Income reporting isn’t optional. At minimum, you’ll face the hassle of re-filing if federal authorities discover discrepancies. Worst-case scenarios include audits, hefty fines, or even imprisonment.
Hurdlr prevents these problems by projecting your tax obligations, ensuring you understand your exact liability. Many users suggest utilizing the Quarterly section rather than Annual reports for more accurate assessments and underpayment prevention.
Mileage Tracking
The Mileage Tracker proves invaluable for Uber or Lyft drivers and anyone driving frequently for work. While rideshare applications are straightforward, you might not realize that business-related driving—including client meetings—creates tax-deductible miles.
This tool also provides valuable insights into your driving patterns, duration, and their financial impact on your bottom line.
Time and Task Tracking
Hurdlr includes a robust time tracker for monitoring project hours and activities. While not overly complex, it provides straightforward time tracking and client invoicing capabilities.
Hurdlr Pricing Breakdown
Hurdlr’s basic version is completely free and includes access to all core features. Their paid plans start at $5 and $10 monthly, offering convenient extras that primarily automate existing functionality.
Upgrades automatically categorize expenses and income while providing real-time Self-Employment Tax calculations.
The real-time tax calculation feature alone justifies the $5 monthly cost—it helps you understand your obligations while minimizing your tax burden effectively.
The choice depends on your situation. If separating business and personal finances proves challenging, consider maintaining the free account while dedicating 15 minutes weekly to stay organized.
Who Should Use Hurdlr?
If you can’t quickly answer these questions—either from memory or using your preferred finance app—Hurdlr might be perfect for you:
- What’s my monthly income total?
- Which expenses qualify as business deductions?
- What’s eligible for reimbursement?
- What will my quarterly or annual tax burden be?
- How much time do specific tasks require?
Selling your old phone once on Swappa doesn’t warrant Hurdlr. However, if you’re developing a side hustle or launching a new career, proper financial management becomes essential.
Even if you currently use Mint, we recommend Hurdlr for clearer, more focused tracking of business-related income and expenses.
Is Hurdlr Worth Using?
Begin with the free version. Test its capabilities and determine whether automated reporting would simplify your financial management.
While Hurdlr can save you during tax season, preventing that stress requires using it consistently throughout the year—not just before deadlines.
Advantages
- Mostly free with affordable premium options
- Automated mileage tracking functionality
- Significant time savings
- Simplified tax burden monitoring
- Cross-account synchronization
- Excellent personal finance educational resources
- Comprehensive monthly reporting
- Built-in time tracking capabilities
Disadvantages
- Premium features offer limited additional value
- No live chat customer support
Hurdlr vs. Professional Accountants
Hurdlr doesn’t replace qualified accounting professionals, but for many gig workers, professional services remain unaffordable or unnecessary. Accountants typically charge $150-400, while bookkeepers might cost $30-50 hourly. Until you’re earning substantial income, tools like Hurdlr offer excellent alternatives.
Hurdlr vs. QuickBooks Self-Employed
QuickBooks alternatives have long attracted entrepreneurs. QuickBooks Self-Employed starts at $15 monthly—still relatively affordable.
However, it lacks user-friendliness, and unlike QuickBooks, Hurdlr doesn’t increase charges based on transaction volume.
For beginners, stick with Hurdlr initially. When appropriate, you can upgrade to more comprehensive applications or invest in professional services.
Hurdlr Review: Final Thoughts
While Hurdlr isn’t the flashiest application available, it excels at helping gig economy workers track income, expenses, taxes, and potential deductions or reimbursements. For an affordable, user-friendly tool that handles all these functions and more, give Hurdlr a try today.
