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Schedule C deductions checklist
Not tax advice — a practical checklist so you do not forget receipts before you sit with software or a preparer. Rules change; confirm with IRS pubs or a professional.
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Common Schedule C-style categories
- Advertising — ads, boosted posts, directory listings
- Car & truck — standard mileage or actual expenses (pick one method carefully)
- Contract labor — 1099s you issue to helpers
- Depreciation / Section 179 — equipment (often needs help)
- Insurance — business liability, not always health
- Legal & professional — CPA, attorney, bookkeeper
- Office expense — supplies, small software, postage
- Rent / home office — home office has strict tests
- Supplies — materials consumed in the work
- Travel / meals — business purpose; meals often limited
- Utilities — business portion only when allowed
- Other — bank fees, education, software subscriptions
Recordkeeping habit that survives April
- Capture date, vendor, amount, category, and business purpose the week you spend
- Keep a PDF or photo of the receipt named by date
- Reconcile monthly so Q4 is not archaeology
Soft option: Yellowcell expense log
If you want categories in a spreadsheet (standalone free expense log or inside the invoice kit), Yellowcell keeps it simple — yellow input cells, no macros.