How to Earn a Free Trip Just by Paying Your Taxes

Well, friends—another year has come and gone, as years do. But one thing is inevitable:

Taxes.

But what if we told you that paying your tax bill doesn’t have to be a total loss? What if—just hear me out—you could turn that hefty bill into a free business-class flight?

Yes, you read that right. Let me explain.

Pay Taxes, Earn Points

If you’re self-employed or earn additional income outside of a regular paycheck, you’ve likely had the pleasure of writing a big, painful check to the government each year.

But did you know that you can pay your taxes with a credit card? It does come with a small fee—typically around 1.75-1.85%—but in certain scenarios, that fee is more than worth it.

Let’s say you owe $10,000 in taxes. At a 2% fee, you’d pay an extra $200 to use a credit card. Normally, that’s not ideal. But when you play the points game right, it can pay off big time.

Here’s how.

Scenario 1: Hitting a Welcome Offer

Ever looked at a credit card with an insane welcome bonus but thought, “Dang, I can’t hit that spending requirement”?

Well, your tax bill might just solve that problem.

Take a premium travel card that requires $8,000 in spending for its welcome bonus. If you owe $10,000 in taxes, you’re done—requirement met in one transaction. That could be 150,000+ points, worth way more than the $200 fee.

And if you really want to go all out, you could double dip—open two cards with $4,000 minimum spends and get both welcome offers.

Yes, that means a free vacation just for paying your taxes. Wild, right?

Scenario 2: Earning Regular Points

Already have a solid travel card? You can still come out ahead.

Let’s say you have a card that earns 2 points per dollar on all purchases. Paying $10,200 in taxes (bill + fee) would net you 20,400 points.

Transfer those to a program like Flying Blue, and boom—you could book a one-way flight to Europe that’s worth way more than the $200 fee.

You’re not just spending $200—you’re investing in a flight that could cost $500+ otherwise.

The Bottom Line

Taxes might be inevitable, but wasting them is not. With the right strategy, you can turn a painful payment into an incredible travel opportunity.

So before you grimace at your tax bill, consider using the right credit card and make the most of it. After all, if you’re going to pay up… you might as well fly for free while you’re at it. ✈️