SnapBooksDownload the expense tracker
To use it in Google Sheets, upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; the formulas and totals carry over. It also opens in Excel, Numbers and LibreOffice.
What’s inside
- Expenses: the date, vendor, what it was for, category, amount, business-use percentage and whether you kept the receipt.
- 20 categories matched to Schedule C (Form 1040), from advertising (line 8) to other expenses (line 27b), picked from a dropdown.
- The deductible amount worked out for you: your business share of mixed-use costs, and 50% of business meals.
- Income: payments from clients and platforms, including the amounts on 1099-NEC and 1099-K forms.
- Schedule C summary: totals for each line, your gross income, and a check that every expense has a category.
The categories and their Schedule C lines
| Category | Schedule C line | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising and marketing | Line 8 | Ads, website and hosting, business cards, flyers, promotional items |
| Car and truck (actual costs) | Line 9 | Fuel, repairs, insurance for a business vehicle if you use actual costs (use Business use % for mixed use) |
| Parking and tolls | Line 9 | Parking and tolls on business trips, deductible even with the standard mileage rate |
| Commissions and fees | Line 10 | Platform and marketplace fees, referral fees, commissions you pay |
| Contract labor | Line 11 | Freelancers and contractors you pay (not employees) |
| Depreciation and section 179 | Line 13 | Equipment, computers and furniture that last more than a year (often reported on Form 4562) |
| Insurance (not health) | Line 15 | Business liability, professional (E&O) and business property insurance |
| Interest on business debt | Line 16b | Interest on business loans and business credit cards |
| Legal and professional services | Line 17 | Accountant, tax preparer (business part), lawyer |
| Office expense | Line 18 | Postage, printer ink, small office items, software subscriptions |
| Rent: vehicles and equipment | Line 20a | Leased vehicles, machinery and equipment |
| Rent: office and other property | Line 20b | Office, coworking desk, storage unit (not your home office) |
| Repairs and maintenance | Line 21 | Repairs to business equipment or property |
| Supplies | Line 22 | Materials and supplies used up in your work |
| Taxes and licenses | Line 23 | Business licenses and permits, the business part of property tax (not income or self-employment tax) |
| Travel (overnight) | Line 24a | Airfare, hotel, rental car and taxis on business trips away from home overnight |
| Business meals (50%) | Line 24b | Meals with clients or while traveling for business: generally 50% deductible |
| Utilities | Line 25 | Phone and internet (business share), utilities for a separate business space |
| Wages | Line 26 | Pay to employees (not to yourself) |
| Other expenses | Line 27b | Bank fees, training and courses, dues and memberships, business gifts (up to $25 per person a year) |
How to use it
- Log purchases as they happen
Add a row for each business purchase. Weekly is fine; waiting until April isn’t.
- Pick the category
Each one matches a line of Schedule C, and the Categories tab explains what goes where.
- Enter your business share for mixed costs
A phone used 60% for work: enter 60%. Leave it empty when a cost is all business.
- Keep every receipt
The IRS can ask for proof of each expense. Snap it or file it the day you get it, and see how long to keep it.
What it leaves out
- Car costs at the standard mileage rate: track business miles in a mileage log instead. Parking and tolls do go in this tracker.
- Your home office (line 30): Form 8829, or the simplified method at $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet.
- How to deduct larger equipment: computers and furniture that last more than a year may need to be depreciated (line 13, Form 4562). Record them here; your tax software or accountant decides how to deduct them.
- Income tax and self-employment tax, which aren’t business expenses.
General information, not tax advice. Where an expense belongs can depend on your business; check the Schedule C instructions or a tax professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Download it without an email address or an account, and use it for as long as you like.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the Excel file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; the dropdowns, formulas and totals carry over.
What’s the difference between a 1099 and Schedule C?
A 1099-NEC or 1099-K reports money you were paid. Schedule C is where you report that income and subtract your business expenses to get your profit. This tracker covers both sides.
Which expenses are only partly deductible?
Business meals are generally 50% deductible, and anything you also use personally, such as a phone, a car or internet, only counts for the business share. Business gifts are limited to $25 per person a year, and entertainment isn’t deductible.