Self-employed tax
Self-employed tax checklist for Schedule C
A self-employed client often has the records spread across a bank account, a payment app and a shoebox of receipts. This checklist covers what to collect for a Schedule C filed with a 2026 Form 1040: the income records, the expense categories, the home office and vehicle support, and the retirement and estimated tax details. Items marked optional only apply when the client had that activity.
Who sends itSent by the tax preparer to each client with self-employment, freelance, gig or side-business income, after the year ends and before the 1040 is prepared.
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01Business basics
02Income
03Expenses
04Retirement, health and estimated tax
What firms get wrong
- Reporting the 1099-K gross amount as sales without subtracting refunds, fees and shipping.
- Missing income that arrived in cash or through a payment app with no 1099.
- Claiming a home office without the square footage or the housing expenses to support it.
- Mixing personal and business spending in one bank account and expecting the bookkeeper to sort it out at year end.
- Forgetting that a traditional or Roth IRA contribution for 2026 can be made up to the 2027 filing deadline.
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Questions about this checklist
Who files Schedule C?
A sole proprietor or a single-member LLC that has not elected to be taxed as a corporation files Schedule C with Form 1040. A partnership, S corporation or C corporation files its own business return instead.
What if the client did not receive a 1099?
The income is still taxable. Ask for the sales records, bank deposits or invoices that show what the client earned, even when no 1099 was issued.
Can a self-employed client deduct a home office?
A home office can be deducted when part of the home is used regularly and exclusively for the business. Ask for the square footage, the total home size and the housing expenses, and let the preparer decide which method fits.
How should a client track business mileage?
A mileage log with the date, destination, business purpose and miles is the strongest support. If the client did not keep one, ask for the total miles and a reasonable estimate of business use, and explain that the deduction depends on the records.
Does a side job need its own Schedule C?
Each separate business activity usually gets its own Schedule C. If the client has a main business and a side activity that is unrelated, list them separately in the organizer.
Sources
- IRS: About Schedule C
- IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
- IRS: Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
Checked November 3, 2026. Tax rules, forms and thresholds change; confirm them with the IRS or your tax software before relying on them.
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