Business Expense Tracker: free first chapter

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About this book

If your business expenses live in a shoebox, a phone gallery and your memory, tax time becomes a scramble. This tracker gives you one place to record spending as it happens, so you can see where the money actually goes.

Start with the quick-start page, then log each expense by date, vendor, description, category, payment method and amount, with columns for whether it is tax-deductible and whether you have the receipt. A monthly category summary shows your spending by type, a receipt tracker notes where each receipt is kept, and an annual overview collects the twelve months in one view.

A filled-in example for a freelance photographer in March shows the pages in use. It is a record-keeping tool; ask a qualified tax professional how your own deductions apply.

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Quick-Start Instructions

Step 1: Log every business expense as it happens (do not wait until month-end)
Step 2: Assign each expense to a category (use the standard categories or create your own)
Step 3: Note whether the expense is tax-deductible
Step 4: Save receipts (photo or physical) and note receipt location
Step 5: Complete the monthly category summary to see where your money goes
Step 6: Transfer monthly totals to the annual overview for a year-end snapshot
Tax tip: "Consistent, real-time tracking beats a panicked shoe-box audit every time."

Monthly Expense Log

$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
$ — Y / N — Y / N
MONTHLY TOTAL — $

Receipt Tracker

$ —
$ —
$ —
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Receipt storage method: Physical folder Phone photos Scanner App ()

Filled-In Example (Freelance Photographer, March 2026)

Monthly Expense Log (Selected Entries)

3/2 — Adobe — Lightroom + Photoshop sub — Software — Card — $21.99 — Y — Y
3/5 — Amazon — Memory cards (2x 128GB) — Equipment — Card — $47.98 — Y — Y
3/8 — Shell Gas — Gas for wedding shoot drive — Vehicle — Card — $52.40 — Y — Y
3/12 — Starbucks — Client meeting — Meals (50%) — Card — $18.50 — Y ($9.25) — Y
3/15 — Squarespace — Website hosting — Website — Card — $16.00 — Y — Y
3/20 — Office Depot — Printer ink, photo paper — Supplies — Card — $34.75 — Y — Y

Category Summary

Software — $21.99 — $21.99
Equipment — $47.98 — $47.98
Vehicle — $52.40 — $52.40
Meals (50%) — $18.50 — $9.25
Website — $16.00 — $16.00
Supplies — $34.75 — $34.75
Total — $191.62 — $182.37