Schedule C Tax Prep

Overview

Categorizes all business expenses into IRS Schedule C line items so you can hand your accountant a clean breakdown or file your own Schedule C (Form 1040). Maps every transaction to the correct deduction line.

Wilson Tools Used

• transaction_search — Find all business expenses within the tax year
• categorize — Map transactions to Schedule C line item categories
• export_transactions — Export the categorized breakdown for your CPA or tax software

Workflow

1. Set the date range to the tax year (e.g., January 1 through December 31).
2. Use transaction_search to pull all business-related expenses.
3. Use categorize to map each expense to a Schedule C line item using the mapping table below.
4. Review unmapped transactions and assign them manually.
5. Use export_transactions to generate a Schedule C-ready summary grouped by line item.
6. Cross-check totals against bank and credit card statements.

Schedule C Line Item Mapping

Line	Category	Examples
8	Advertising	Google Ads, Facebook Ads, print ads, business cards
9	Car and truck expenses	Gas, repairs, lease payments (if not using standard mileage)
10	Commissions and fees	Sales commissions, payment processing fees (Stripe, PayPal)
11	Contract labor	Freelancers, 1099 contractors
13	Depreciation (Form 4562)	Asset depreciation (see depreciation-schedule skill)
15	Insurance (other than health)	Business liability, E&O, property insurance
16a	Mortgage interest	Interest on business property mortgage
16b	Other interest	Business loan interest, credit line interest
17	Legal and professional services	Attorney fees, CPA fees, bookkeeping
18	Office expense	Office supplies, postage, software subscriptions
19	Pension/profit-sharing plans	SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA employer contributions
20a	Rent — vehicles, machinery, equipment	Equipment leases
20b	Rent — other business property	Office rent, coworking space
22	Supplies	Materials consumed in business operations
23	Taxes and licenses	Business licenses, state/local taxes, employer payroll taxes
24a	Travel	Airfare, hotels, car rentals for business travel
24b	Meals	Business meals (50% deductible)
25	Utilities	Electric, gas, water, phone, internet for business property
27a	Other expenses	Anything not fitting the above (itemize on Part V)

Without Wilson

1. Export all transactions from your bank and credit card accounts as CSV files.
2. Open the CSV in a spreadsheet. Add a column called "Schedule C Line."
3. Sort transactions by merchant or description.
4. For each transaction, assign the appropriate line number from the table above.
5. Create a pivot table grouping by Schedule C Line, summing the amounts.
6. For Line 24b (meals), multiply the total by 0.50 to get the deductible amount.
7. Transfer the totals to your Schedule C form or give the spreadsheet to your CPA.

Important Notes

• Line 24b meals are only 50% deductible. Wilson flags the full amount; you must halve it on the return.
• Mixed-use expenses (personal and business) must be split. Only the business portion goes on Schedule C.
• Keep receipts for any single expense over $75 or any lodging expense regardless of amount.
• If you have a home office, see the home-office-deduction skill for Line 30.
• This is not tax advice. Consult a CPA or tax professional for filing decisions.