Schedule C Expense Categories

Here is a list of the expenses categories that are pre-filled on the Schedule C with a few examples of what you could put in each category:

  • 1. Advertising
    • Newspaper ads
    • Magazine ads
    • Online ads
  • 3. Commissions and fees
    • Sales commissions
    • Professional fees
    • Bank fees
  • 5. Depletion
    • Natural resource depletion
    • Oil and gas depletion
    • Timber depletion
  • 7. Insurance (other than health)
    • Liability insurance
    • Property insurance
    • Business interruption insurance
  • 9. Legal and professional services
    • Legal fees
    • Accounting fees
    • Consulting fees
  • 11. Pension and profit-sharing plans
    • SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) plans
    • SIMPLE IRA plans
  • 13. Repairs and maintenance
    • Equipment repairs
    • Machine repairs
    • Office space repairs
  • 17. Utilities
    • Electricity
    • Gas
    • Water
    • Cable/ Internet
  • 15. Taxes and licenses
    • Sales tax
    • Property tax
    • Business licenses
  • 19. Depreciation
  • 2. Car and truck expenses
    • Gas
    • Oil
    • Repairs
    • Insurance
  • 4. Contract labor
    • Independent contractor fees
    • Freelancer fees
    • Consultant fees
  • 6. Employee benefit programs
    • Health insurance
    • Retirement plans
    • Paid time off
  • 8. Interest
    • Business loan interest
    • Credit card interest
    • Mortgage interest
  • 10. Office expense
    • Paper
    • Pens
    • Staplers
  • 12. Rent or lease
    • Office space rent
    • Equipment lease
    • Vehicle lease
  • 14. Supplies
    • Packaging materials
    • Office supplies
    • Cleaning supplies
  • 16. Travel and meals
    • Airfare
    • Hotel
    • Meals
  • 18. Wages and salaries
    • Employee wages
    • Salaries
    • Bonuses

Not every business will use all of these categories, and you may have some expenses that don’t fit in any of these categories. There is a section on the Schedule C form where you can put your expenses that don’t fit these categories and give them your own description.