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Guides for freelancers on taxes, expenses, and staying organized.
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Schedule C
See all 72 posts →Every Schedule C line item explained — deductions, limits, and documentation rules for freelancers filing in 2026.
2026-07-04
Schedule C vs Form 1065: When a Two-Owner Business Can't File Schedule C (2026)
Schedule C is only for a business with one owner. The moment a second owner joins, the IRS treats you as a partnership that files Form 1065 — a separate return that issues each partner a Schedule K-1. Learn the 2026 rule: why two owners can't split one Schedule C, the qualified joint venture exception for married couples, how a multi-member LLC is taxed, when to elect S-corp status instead, and why self-employment tax follows your share of the profit either way.
2026-07-03
Schedule SE Explained: How Self-Employment Tax Flows From Your Schedule C Net Profit (2026)
Schedule SE is where your Schedule C net profit turns into self-employment tax — the 15.3% that catches most freelancers off guard. Learn how Schedule SE works in 2026: how Line 31 net profit flows onto the form, the 92.35% net-earnings adjustment, the 12.4% Social Security portion capped at the wage base, the uncapped 2.9% Medicare portion, the $400 filing threshold, the additional 0.9% Medicare tax on high earners, and the above-the-line deduction for half of the tax you pay.
2026-07-02
Schedule C vs Schedule F: Which Form Does a Farm, Homestead, or Agricultural Business File? (2026)
Sell produce, eggs, honey, flowers, or livestock and you may belong on Schedule F, not Schedule C — the choice changes your income averaging, estimated-tax rules, and even which mileage line you use. Learn the difference in 2026: what the IRS counts as 'farming,' why a market gardener files Schedule F while a value-added maker or landscaper files Schedule C, how self-employment tax is identical on both, and how to decide when a homestead side hustle crosses into farming.
Profession Guides
See all 63 posts →Profession-specific tax deduction guides for photographers, designers, drivers, tutors, notaries, and more — mapped to Schedule C lines for 2026.
2026-07-04
Self-Employed Carpenter & Woodworker Tax Deductions: 2026 Schedule C Guide to Tools, Lumber & the Shop
Every write-off a self-employed carpenter, finish carpenter, cabinet maker, or woodworker can claim for 2026, mapped to the right Schedule C line — table saws, planers, and the CNC under Section 179 on Line 13; lumber and hardware sold into a finished piece as Cost of Goods Sold in Part III; blades, sandpaper, glue, and finish as supplies on Line 22; the work truck at $0.725/mile or actual expenses on Line 9; shop rent on Line 20; general-liability insurance on Line 15; and guild dues, licensing, and tool insurance on Lines 27a and 23. Plus the lumber-as-COGS vs supplies distinction and why woodworking isn't an SSTB for the QBI deduction.
2026-07-03
Self-Employed Consultant Tax Deductions: 2026 Schedule C Guide (and the SSTB/QBI Catch)
Every write-off an independent consultant can claim for 2026, mapped to the right Schedule C line — the home office on Line 30, laptop and software under Section 179 on Line 13, client travel on Line 24a and mileage at $0.725/mile on Line 9, professional liability insurance on Line 15, subcontractors on Line 11, and dues, courses, and certifications on Line 27a. Plus the one thing that makes consultants different from every trade: consulting is a Specified Service Trade or Business (SSTB), so above the income threshold your QBI deduction phases out.
2026-07-02
Self-Employed Pool Service & Pool Cleaning Tax Deductions: 2026 Schedule C Guide to Chemicals, Equipment & Your Truck
Every write-off a self-employed pool service or pool-cleaning business can claim for 2026, mapped to the right Schedule C line — the service truck at $0.725/mile or actual expenses on Line 9; chlorine, muriatic acid, algaecide, and test kits as supplies on Line 22; pumps, motors, and filters resold to customers as Cost of Goods Sold in Part III; vacuums, poles, and testers under Section 179 on Line 13; general-liability and pool-contractor insurance on Line 15; CPO certification, business licensing, and route software on Lines 23, 27a, and 22. Plus the chemicals-vs-parts distinction, why pool service isn't an SSTB for the QBI deduction, and the recordkeeping that keeps a route audit-proof.
Comparisons
See all 70 posts →Side-by-side comparisons of CentSense vs. FreshBooks, Wave, Expensify, and other tools for 1099 workers.
2026-07-04
CentSense vs Pilot (2026): Full-Service Bookkeeping vs a Schedule C Expense Tracker
CentSense vs Pilot compared for freelancers and 1099 workers in 2026. Pilot is a full-service, human-staffed bookkeeping, tax, and CFO firm built for funded startups and growing companies — dedicated bookkeepers, monthly financials, and accrual accounting, typically several hundred dollars a month. CentSense Solo ($5/month) does one focused job for the sole proprietor: AI receipt scanning tagged to the exact Schedule C line, $0.725/mile mileage logging, and a CPA-ready CSV export. Here's how a done-for-you accounting firm differs from a do-it-yourself tracker, when a freelancer actually needs Pilot, and why many start with the app.
2026-07-03
CentSense vs Moxie (2026): An All-in-One Freelance Business Platform vs a Schedule C Tax Tracker
CentSense vs Moxie compared for freelancers and 1099 workers in 2026. Moxie is an all-in-one freelance business platform — proposals, contracts, invoicing, CRM, time tracking, a client portal, and basic bookkeeping — built to run the front office of a solo business. CentSense Solo ($5/month) does one focused job: AI receipt scanning tagged to the exact Schedule C line, $0.725/mile mileage logging, and a CPA-ready CSV export. Here's how a business-management suite differs from a tax-recordkeeping tool, and why many freelancers run one of each.
2026-07-02
CentSense vs Driversnote (2026): A Mileage-Tracking App vs a Full Schedule C Expense & Mileage Tracker
CentSense vs Driversnote compared for freelancers and 1099 workers in 2026. Driversnote is a focused mileage logger — auto-tracking (including an iBeacon for hands-free trips), manual entry, and IRS-ready mileage reports built partly around reimbursement. But it only does miles: no AI receipt scanning, no expense tracking, no Schedule C breakdown. CentSense Solo ($5/month) logs mileage at the 2026 rate of $0.725/mile AND scans receipts mapped to the exact Schedule C line, so your car deduction and your supply, software, and equipment deductions live in one export. Here's when a mileage-only app is enough — and when it leaves money on the table.
Tax Strategy
See all 68 posts →Quarterly taxes, estimated payments, retirement accounts, deduction limits, and filing guides for self-employed professionals.
2026-07-04
Multi-State Taxes for Freelancers (2026): Which States You Owe When You Work Remotely or Travel
Freelance from one state, work with clients in another, or spend part of the year on the road? You may owe income tax in more than one state — but not by accident, and rarely twice on the same dollar. Learn the 2026 rules for the self-employed: how residency and domicile decide your home state, when a nonresident return is required, how the credit for taxes paid to another state prevents double taxation, why the no-income-tax states change the math, how reciprocity works, and why your federal self-employment tax is the same no matter where you work.
2026-07-03
Do Freelancers Have to Collect Sales Tax? A 2026 Guide for the Self-Employed
Sales tax trips up freelancers because it's a state tax, not a federal one — and the rules depend on what you sell and where. Learn in 2026 whether your services are taxable, why product sellers usually must collect, how physical and economic nexus decide which states you owe, how marketplace-facilitator laws mean Etsy and Amazon often collect for you, why sales tax you collect is not your income, and how to keep it off your Schedule C bottom line.
2026-07-02
Traditional vs Roth IRA for Freelancers (2026): Which Should a Self-Employed Person Choose?
Traditional and Roth IRAs both let a freelancer save for retirement tax-advantaged — but they cut your taxes at opposite ends. Learn the difference in 2026: the Traditional IRA's up-front deduction vs the Roth's tax-free withdrawals, the $7,000 contribution limit ($8,000 at 50+), the income phase-outs that shrink or block each one, how a variable freelance income tilts the decision, why a slow year favors Roth and a boom year favors Traditional, how they stack on top of a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k), the backdoor Roth for high earners, and the April 15 deadline.
Receipts & Mileage
See all 53 posts →How to track receipts, organize expenses, and log mileage for IRS compliance — guides for 1099 workers.
2026-07-04
Can You Deduct Mileage on a Car You Don't Own? Borrowed & Family Vehicles for Freelancers (2026)
To use the IRS standard mileage rate you must own or lease the vehicle — so what happens when you drive a borrowed car, a family member's car, or a spouse's car for business? Learn the 2026 rules for the self-employed: why the standard mileage rate generally requires ownership or a lease, how you can still deduct the actual business costs you personally pay on a car you don't own, the joint-return nuance that lets spouses use standard mileage, and the records that keep the deduction defensible on Schedule C Line 9.
2026-07-03
Home Internet as a Business Deduction: Documenting the Business-Use Percentage for Schedule C (2026)
Your home internet is a business tool — but like your phone, you can only deduct the business-use share, and only if you document it. Learn how to deduct home internet for Schedule C in 2026: why a mixed-use connection is only partly deductible, how to calculate a defensible business-use percentage, which Schedule C line it goes on (Line 25 utilities), how it interacts with the home-office deduction so you don't double-count, and the records that keep it audit-proof.
2026-07-02
Cell Phone Bills as a Business Deduction: Documenting the Business-Use Percentage for Schedule C (2026)
Your phone is a business tool — but you can only deduct the business-use share, and only if you can document it. Learn how to deduct a cell phone bill for Schedule C in 2026: why a mixed-use phone is only partly deductible, how to calculate and support a defensible business-use percentage, which Schedule C line the deduction goes on (Line 25 utilities or Line 27a), how to handle a phone bought for the business, why a separate business line is the cleanest fix, and the records that keep the deduction audit-proof.