Free calculator
Business Expense Calculator
Add up a month, a quarter or a year of business expenses in the categories IRS Schedule C uses, and see what is left as profit after stock and expenses. Equipment and money you paid yourself are kept out, the way a preparer would expect. Free, no sign-up.
- Income after refunds$0
- Less inventory and materials$0
- Less business expenses$0
- Profit before inventory count$0
- Expenses per dollar of income0%
- Logged but kept out of profit$0
How it works
Income after refunds is sales and other business income, less refunds you gave customers. Refunds are Schedule C line 2, returns and allowances, so they come off income rather than counting as an expense.
Business expenses add up every expense line you type. Inventory and materials for resale are kept apart because Schedule C handles them in Part III, cost of goods sold. Profit before inventory count is income after refunds, less inventory and materials, less expenses. Your preparer adjusts it for stock still on hand at year end.
Equipment and owner draws are logged but left out. The 2025 Schedule C instructions say items whose usefulness extends well beyond a year are generally recovered through depreciation, which your preparer works out, and money you pay yourself is not a business expense. Monthly averages divide by the months you enter. All figures are estimates from the numbers you type.
A worked example
The One-Tab Business Expense Tracker's sample business is a fictional one-person candle shop. From January to March 2026 its entries show $4,233 of sales and $24 of refunds, so $4,209 of income after refunds. Wax, wicks and fragrance oils for resale come to $837.90. Business expenses total $1,984.75: $292.41 of selling fees, $1,125 of studio rent and a market booth fee, $96.25 of labels and boxes, $45 of promoted listings, $14 of parking and tolls, $142.59 of shipping labels and software, and $269.50 of insurance, an accountant, a city license and a $38.50 business lunch entered at the full bill. Profit before the inventory count is $1,386.35, while expenses average $661.58 a month. The $329 pouring pot set and the $500 the owner paid herself are logged but kept out of profit. January alone shows a $164.76 loss, because a $412.60 wax order and $350 of rent landed in the same month.
Log every expense once and get the year by Schedule C line
The One-Tab Business Expense Tracker uses this same maths in Excel and Google Sheets: one Entries tab with 26 categories, most named for Schedule C lines, a Summary that fills itself in month by month for the year, and checks for missing dates or categories. $2.99, instant download.
Questions
What counts as a business expense?
Costs of running the business: selling fees, rent, supplies, advertising, business driving, software, insurance, an accountant, licenses and similar. Stock you resell, equipment you will depreciate and money you pay yourself are tracked separately.
Why is inventory not an expense here?
Stock and materials that become what you sell go through cost of goods sold, Part III of Schedule C. Only what you sold counts against profit, so your preparer adjusts for what is still on the shelf at year end. This calculator shows profit before that adjustment.
How do I enter business meals?
Enter the full bill. The 2025 Schedule C instructions say that in most cases only 50% of business meals is deductible; your preparer applies the limit.
Why is my equipment left out?
The 2025 Schedule C instructions say items whose usefulness extends substantially beyond a year are generally recovered through depreciation. Log the purchase so your preparer can decide how to handle it.
Is this tax advice?
No. It is planning arithmetic on the numbers you type. Your tax preparer decides the final line for each item.