Tax & Accounting

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Keep more of what you earn — and stay out of an audit.

The deductions trades miss, the quarterly payments that avoid penalties, and the records that survive scrutiny. Grab the tracker that makes tax time a non-event.

Solve it now

Make tax time a non-event.

Spreadsheets built around the categories a trade actually uses. (A free Quarterly Estimated Tax calculator is on the way — join the list to get it first.)

Job tracking

Job Cost Tracker

Per-job profitability — know which jobs made money and which quietly lost it.

$29View on Etsy →

Bookkeeping

Income & Expense Sheet

Categorized income + expenses with a built-in quarterly tax summary.

In the shopBrowse bookkeeping →

Tax

Deduction Tracker + Mileage Log

A running deduction tracker and an IRS-style mileage log — nothing left on the table.

In the shopBrowse tax trackers →

A self-employed contractor who tracks deductions sloppily overpays the IRS by thousands and still sweats every April. The fixes aren’t exotic: log the miles (the 2025 standard mileage rate is 70¢/mile — on 12,000 business miles that’s an $8,400 deduction most solo ops under-claim), choose actual-vs-mileage deliberately, decide Section 179 vs depreciation on tools, and pay quarterly estimates so you’re not hit with a penalty.

Education, not tax advice. These guides cite IRS publications (Pub 463 travel, 535 business expenses, 946 depreciation) so you can verify everything, and the templates organize your numbers — but a CPA should review your specific return. Good records make that CPA cheaper.

Guides publishing daily

Every topic, wired to the tracker that solves it.

In-depth guides roll out one per day with IRS references. Until each lands, every topic links straight to the tool or template that solves it — no dead ends.

Every contractor tax deductionWith IRS pub references.In the shop→Per-job profitabilityKnow which jobs actually made money.Template $29→Quarterly estimated taxesHow to calculate and pay (free calculator coming).In the shop→Vehicle deduction: actual vs. mileageWhich saves more — with the mileage log.In the shop→Section 179 vs. depreciation for toolsWhen to use each.In the shop→1099 vs. W-2 for tradesThe real cost difference.In the shop→Bookkeeping that survives an auditCategorized income + expense sheet.In the shop→LLC vs. S-Corp for contractorsWhen the switch pays off.In the shop→

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Quick answers

Tax FAQ.

What can a contractor actually deduct?

Ordinary and necessary business expenses: tools, vehicle, materials, insurance, license fees, phone, home-office (if it qualifies), continuing education, and more — see IRS Pub 535. The deduction tracker lists the categories trades most often miss.

Do I have to pay quarterly estimated taxes?

If you expect to owe $1,000+ for the year, generally yes — to avoid an underpayment penalty. Estimates are due roughly mid-April, mid-June, mid-September, and mid-January. The free calculator (coming) will do the math.

Section 179 or regular depreciation for a new tool?

Section 179 deducts the full cost the year you buy (great in a high-income year); depreciation spreads it out. It depends on your income and outlook — the guide compares both with examples, referencing IRS Pub 946.