Sex Work CEO Spotlight
Updated: Apr 25, 2022
The only "real" Accountant on Tiktok
Ft. Daisy Does Taxes
For sex workers, the “thot-audit” seems like a distant memory. Angry masses piling on to adult content creators with their mob mentality insinuating that adult performers and sex workers alike, don’t pay taxes. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and Daisy knows more about that than anyone. Daisy is a sex worker, and registered tax preparer out of the Oregon area. While she’s dabbled in many niches of the industry, her primary bread and butter was stripping up until the pandemic in 2020 that sent everyone home from the clubs.
While Daisy found sex work through necessity, as a way to put herself through school and provide time freedom, she’s found a greater calling in the "For Sex Workers" launch of her accounting businesses. Daisy told Sex Work CEO: “One of my biggest challenges [in sex work] was learning to trust myself and my ability to take care of myself, [...] I often let my anxiety surrounding money and my self-worth detract from my goals, and the unreliability of SW income was a contributing factor. I’m proud of myself for building the strength to believe in myself, and I would not be where I am today without SW and the community I have found in it”.
It sounds like you’ve married your love and loyalty to the sex work community into your mission of preparing taxes for the community. How did you decide you wanted to become an accountant? What exactly made you want to do that? “During my time as a full-time dancer, I saw a real need in the community for tax preparation and financial planning that incorporates the unique needs of sex workers. There is so much mis-information out there, and tax accountants who either don’t communicate clearly with their sex worker clients, or won’t accept them as clients at all. As someone who understands the adult industry and can relate to the issues sex workers face when paying taxes, buying a home, etc, I wanted to be a resource, and build a business by sex workers, for sex workers” Daisy told SWCEO.
Would you say that any of your sex work skills played a part in you launching your accounting business? Daisy replied “Absolutely!! I wouldn’t know the first thing about running a business if it weren’t for my time as a sex worker. As sex workers, we are all small business owners, and financial success starts with recognizing that and treating your work as a business, and yourself as a business owner. I believe sex workers are the best business owners, because sex work teaches us how to run a successful business with nothing except our bodies, our minds, and our unique skills.”
"As someone who’s personally owed back taxes, been betrayed by accountants, and had to navigate mis-information, I wondered are there any common issues you see sex workers face consistently? “One of the most common issues I see is sex workers who haven’t paid taxes in years, either because of anxiety, or a lack of information regarding taxes and how they can benefit you.” Daisy continued “As a self-employed person, tax returns are our proof of income for home loans, car loans, rental housing, unemployment assistance--everything. If you don’t establish a financial history for yourself and your business through your tax returns, you are closing doors for yourself in the future.”
I struggled with this myself as well, because I couldn’t show 2 years of self-employment history when I attempted to buy my first house back in 2014. Daisy began again “Another common issue I see is sex workers who don’t track their income. [And] I completely relate--it took me a while before I kept consistent tracking of my income, and even longer before I tracked my expenses and kept every receipt. However, this step is critical, because you are the only one tracking your income if you work in a cash industry. If you don’t keep track of your income consistently, it’s extremely difficult to file your taxes, and accountants may not be able to assist you, because they could be held legally responsible for reporting incorrect information if you are audited. Even if you don’t plan on paying taxes, it’s important to know how much money you are bringing in and spending so that you can make smart financial decisions for yourself and your business.”
Obviously SWCEO has a reader base made up primarily of sex workers. What are a few things you feel everyone reading this should know? “[First off] Filing taxes as a sex worker isn’t as scary or difficult as it seems!! It is always better to file your taxes late than not at all, and the fees for filing late are not as much as you might think. (Typically it is 1.5% of the tax owed per month that it is late). [Next] You should report everything that you deposit into your bank account on your taxes, because the IRS will have access to your bank account if you are audited. [Lastly] Credit unions are almost always better than larger corporate banks for sex workers!” Daisy told SWCEO. This one is important because large banking institutions notoriously shut down accounts of sex workers. “[Also] You don’t have to have an LLC to pay taxes on your self-employment income! Also if you register an LLC with your home address, that is public record and anyone can find it on the Internet, so be careful!”
These are all things I wish I knew and understood when first venturing into adulthood, so I'm sure our readers will feel the same! In terms of your accounting business, where do you envision “Daisy Does Taxes” being in five years? “Ideally, in the next 5 years I would love to have a team of sex workers at Daisy Does Taxes handling taxes and bookkeeping for other sex workers! Currently, my services are 100% virtual, but I’m considering opening brick-and-mortar locations in the future. I foresee Daisy Does Taxes being my full-time job until I retire, so I likely won’t continue doing sex work in the near future. It’s bittersweet, but I have found my calling, and if I get to help sex workers grow their businesses and be successful, I will gladly hang up my own heels!“ Daisy told SWCEO.
It’s really amazing how you’ve been able link a career in sex work, to launching a mainstream business helping sex workers in a meaningful way. Are there any resources you love that you’d want to share with our readers? “QuickBooks Self Employed is a great resource for anyone who wants to keep track of their business income and expenses! You can link your credit and debit cards to the app so that you don’t have to enter all of your purchases individually. For folks who like to keep their records on pen and paper, I love the Racks to Riches planner. I used it throughout most of my dancing career, and it was a lifesaver! Plus, Racks to Riches is a sex worker, so you’re supporting a sex worker owned business!” said Daisy. “Last but not least, I recently released The Sex Worker’s Guide to Taxes: 2021 Edition, which I highly recommend for sex workers in any stage of their career, and all forms of sex work. It’s available as a digital download for $32!”
Speaking with you has been really incredible. If our readers would like to reach out to you for accounting services, how would they go about doing so? “The best way to book me is by scheduling a free virtual consultation with me! From there, we can discuss your specific tax and financial needs and goals, and figure out the best plan of action.“ Daisy told SWCEO. All of Daisy’s contact info can be found on daisydoestaxes.com, and we’re working towards having Daisy teach some tax courses here on the SWCEO platform in the future as well! So be sure to stay tuned and check back in with us around September!
The way Daisy took her sex work skills and capital, to launch a genuine accounting business is a perfect example of what it means to be a Sex Work CEO. A true entrepreneur, who notices a gap in the market, and decides to fill it by offering services our space is sorely lacking. It’s refreshing to know at least one of the “Accountants” on Tiktok, is an actual certified tax preparer.
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