⏱ About half an hour
SKIP THIS PAGE IFYou skipped Page 9, or your business bought no equipment, holds no inventory, isn’t run from your home, and you employed no one in your home.
YOU NEED THIS PAGE IFYou completed Page 9 and bought equipment or a vehicle for the business, hold inventory, work from a dedicated space at home, or paid someone who works in your home.
WHAT THIS PAGE DOESContinues Page 9 with four things that don’t fit an expense line: equipment you bought, inventory, a home office, and household employees.
Use the same business letters (A–D) you used on Page 9, so each item lands on the right Schedule C.
1 · Before you begin
Gather these first. Tick them off as you go.
2 · Completing the page
Work from the top of the organizer page to the bottom. Each section below matches a section on the page.
1Business assets and equipmentItems used for more than one year
ExamplesComputers, printers, cameras, furniture, machinery, business vehicles, tools and equipment.
For each assetBusiness letter (A–D) from Page 9, description, total cost including sales tax, shipping and installation, business-use percentage, date first used for business, and if disposed of, the date and amount received.
ExampleA $1,500 laptop used 80% for your consulting business: Laptop Computer · $1,500 · 80% · date first used for business.
2Cost of goods sold (inventory)Only if you sell products
Who completes itBusinesses that keep inventory or sell products, such as retail, online stores, product businesses or manufacturing. Otherwise leave it blank.
EnterBeginning inventory, purchases for resale, items taken for personal use, labor directly tied to producing inventory, materials and supplies, other inventory costs, and ending inventory. The organizer calculates cost of goods sold.
3Home officeSpace used regularly and exclusively for business
Step 1: measureEnter the square feet used for business and your home’s total square feet. The organizer works out the business percentage.
Step 2: household costsIf you rent, total rent paid. If you own, mortgage interest and real estate taxes. Then total annual utilities, homeowners or renters insurance, and repairs and maintenance.
IMPORTANTEnter full household amounts, not the business share. The organizer calculates the percentage.
4Household employeesCaregivers, nannies, housekeepers
No household employees?Check the box and move on.
If you had anyHousehold employer EIN, state employer registration number and state unemployment rate. Then for each employee: name, Social Security number, cash wages, federal and state tax withheld, and payroll taxes paid by a payroll service, if any.
3 · Common mistakes that cause delays
The issues we see most often on this page.
Entering the loan, not the costEnter the item’s purchase price, not a loan balance or monthly payment.
Using the purchase dateUse the date the asset was first used in the business. Bought in December, first used in January, means January.
A shared room as a home officeThe space must be used regularly and only for business. A guest room or family office generally doesn’t qualify.
Home office for clergy W-2 workThis section is for Schedule C businesses, not clergy W-2 or church employee expenses. Unsure? Add a note.
Figuring the business share yourselfEnter full household costs. The organizer does the math.
Employee vs. contractorIf you control the worker’s schedule, duties and methods, they may be an employee. Describe the arrangement if unsure.
Wrong business letterMatch each asset to the same letter used on Page 9.
4 · When you’re finished
- Assets, inventory, home office and household employees entered where they apply.
- Business letters match Page 9.
- Notes added for anything unusual.
- Continue to Page 11.
Please don’t email tax documents. Email isn’t encrypted. Upload everything together through CyberCabinet when your organizer is complete.