Guides
Making Tax Digital Receipts: A Four-Part Map for Sole Traders
Making Tax Digital separates the transaction record, retained evidence, quarterly update and annual return. Here is what UK sole traders record, keep and send.
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Notes on money
& receipts.
Guides and tips on receipt scanning, expense tracking, and making sense of your spending.
All Articles
10 Posts
- Guides9 min
What Disorganized Receipts Are Actually Costing You (It's Not Just the Missed Deductions)
Most freelancers estimate their receipt chaos costs a few hundred dollars in missed deductions. The honest number runs in three columns: missed deduction taxes, excess accountant billing, and audit exposure. For a self-employed person earning $70K to $100K, the full stack is closer to $1,800 to $5,800 a year. Here is the math.
- Guides8 min
The 2026 Tax Breaks Freelancers Cheered, and the Ones They Actually Get
The biggest 2026 OBBBA tax breaks got a lot of attention. Most do not reach Schedule C filers. Here is a clear breakdown of which ones do, which are conditional, and which skip the self-employed entirely.
- Guides9 min
A Freelancer's Month-End Receipt Closeout: Camera Roll to Accountant-Ready in 30 Minutes
Most freelancers have the receipts. What they are missing is the monthly routine that turns them into records. A step-by-step closeout ritual that drains every source once a month so tax season is a filing exercise, not a search.
- Guides9 min
The 20% QBI Deduction Is Now Permanent. Here's the Honest Breakdown for Freelancers.
The QBI deduction is now permanent. Learn who qualifies, what the OBBBA actually changed in 2026, and how Form 8995 connects the deduction to your return.
- Guides8 min
Home Office Deduction for the Self-Employed: The Two Tests That Decide Your Claim
Most home office deductions that fail at audit fail on one test: exclusive use. Here is what the IRS actually requires from self-employed filers, how both calculation methods work, and what records you need to keep.
- Guides8 min
How Self-Employed Drivers Can Protect a $7,000+ Mileage Deduction at Audit
The 2026 IRS mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile. Most self-employed filers focus on that number and skip the records standard that determines whether they actually keep the deduction. Here is what the IRS requires, and what fails at audit.
- Guides11 min
How Self-Employed Workers Choose a Receipt App and Build a Paper Trail
Most receipt apps only cover one or two stages of the self-employed record-keeping cycle. Here is what the full paper trail requires and how the main tools compare across all four stages.
- Guides9 min
What IRS Receipt Requirements Mean for Your Records (and How Long to Keep Them)
The IRS does not ask whether you have a receipt. It asks what your record proves. Here is what business expense documentation must show, how long it must survive, and whether a phone photo counts.
- Guides6 min
5 Receipt Scanning Tips That Save Hours at Tax Time
Stop losing deductions to crumpled receipts. These five scanning habits keep your expense records organized year-round so tax season is painless.
