ExpenseCatcher
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Write-off savings calculator

For freelancers and sole proprietors filing Schedule C for tax year 2026. Enter your business income and expenses to see what claiming them saves, and what every lost $100 receipt costs you.

These are example numbers. Change them to yours.

What clients and customers paid you, before expenses.

Software, supplies, travel, ads and so on. Add your mileage and home office deductions too.

W-2 wages raise your bracket and use up part of the Social Security wage base.

Claiming $8,000 of expenses saves you about

$1,844

That’s about 23¢ of tax for every dollar of expenses.

Federal income tax
$714
Self-employment tax
$1,130
State income tax (left out)
$0
Total saved
$1,844

Your estimated 2026 tax: $12,037 without expenses, $10,193 with them.

Every $100 receipt you lose costs you about $23 in extra tax.

ExpenseCatcher files every emailed receipt in your Google Drive and logs it in a Google Sheet, so none go missing at tax time. Start free

How it works

We work out your 2026 tax twice: once as if you claimed no expenses, and once with them. The difference is your saving. That way the brackets, the standard deduction, the 20% qualified business income deduction and the Social Security wage base all count the way they really do.

Self-employment tax is 15.3% of 92.35% of your profit, and half of it is deductible. The Social Security part stops at $184,500 of earnings in 2026, less any wages. State tax uses your state’s 2026 brackets, standard deduction and personal exemption.

It assumes the standard deduction, wages as your only other income, no employees and no credits, and it leaves out local taxes such as New York City’s. It’s an estimate to help you see the size of the numbers, not tax advice.

Questions

Is a $1,000 write-off worth $1,000?
No. A business expense lowers your profit, so it saves the tax you would have paid on that $1,000: federal income tax at your bracket, self-employment tax and any state income tax. The calculator adds those up for your numbers.
Why do expenses cut self-employment tax too?
Self-employment tax is charged on your net profit, so every deductible expense lowers it as well as your income tax. Above the Social Security wage base ($184,500 for 2026) only the 2.9% Medicare part still applies, so the saving per dollar drops.
What counts as a business expense?
The IRS allows costs that are ordinary and necessary for your trade or business, such as software, supplies, advertising and business travel. Personal costs don’t count, and some costs (meals, cars, a home office) have their own rules.
Do I need to keep the receipts?
Yes. You need records that show what you paid and that it was for the business. The IRS generally expects you to keep them for at least 3 years after you file, and longer in some cases.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Estimates only, not tax advice: check your own return with a tax professional.

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