Schedule C Expense Tracker Template (Excel + Google Sheets, Free)
What's inside the Schedule C expense tracker
The template is a single Expenses sheet with 200 rows, each one holding a date, vendor, category, amount, and a note. The category column is a dropdown built from Schedule C line labels, so every expense you log is sorted into an IRS-aligned category from the moment you enter it, not reclassified later.
That means the same sheet that logs day-to-day spending is also organized the way you'll need it at tax time — there's no separate step of going back through a generic expense list to figure out which category each row belongs to.
What calculates automatically: your year total per category
The summary sums every expense by category — advertising, car and truck, commissions and fees, contract labor, insurance, interest, legal and professional, office expense, rent or lease, repairs and maintenance, supplies, taxes and licenses, travel, meals, utilities, other expenses — plus a grand TOTAL, all pulled automatically from the Expenses sheet as you log rows.
You never total a category by hand or search the sheet for every row that belongs to a given line; picking the category from the dropdown is the only step needed for that expense to be counted in the right summary line.
Why this beats a blank spreadsheet
A blank expense log means building your own category list, remembering which categories map to which Schedule C line, and manually summing each one at year-end. This template starts with Schedule C-aligned categories and the per-category totals already built in.
This is a planning tool to keep your records organized through the year, not tax advice or a filing document — verify your category choices and totals with your CPA before you file.
How to use it
- Log each business expense with a date, vendor, and amount.
- Pick the category from the dropdown — categories mirror IRS Schedule C lines.
- Repeat throughout the year as expenses come in.
- Check the summary for your year total per category, ready for tax time.
Download the free Schedule C Expense Tracker Template (Excel + Google Sheets, Free)
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Small Business Bookkeeping & Tax Dashboard
For income tracking alongside expenses, a quarterly estimated-tax dashboard, and a one-click CPA export summary organized by Schedule C line, the Small Business Bookkeeping template builds on this same category structure.
See the full versionFrequently asked questions
Does this Schedule C tracker work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive, open it, then choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The category dropdown and summary totals carry over.
Is this tax advice?
No. This is a planning and organization tool. Verify your category choices and totals with your CPA before filing — it's not a substitute for professional tax advice.
Is the template free?
Yes. You give an email address to receive the download link, and the file itself has no cost.
Does this calculate estimated quarterly taxes?
No. This free tracker logs and categorizes expenses only. For a quarterly estimated-tax dashboard and a CPA-ready export, see the small business bookkeeping template.
Can I track income as well as expenses here?
This sheet is scoped to expenses. For income tracking, P&L, and Schedule C mapping together in one workbook, see the small business bookkeeping template.
What license comes with the free template?
It's licensed for personal use or use within one business. Reselling or redistributing the file itself isn't covered.