How I Keep My Expense Receipts Organized Without Any Headaches
Nobody likes tax season, being a creative person I naturally struggle with things like “balance sheets”, expenses (the tracking of them, I’m fine with the spending itself), and all these things my accountant seems to love. I found some online services and apps that make my life as an Artrepreneur easier everyday – saving me time and money. Today, let me make it easier for you as well by sharing some of the things I do.
First, let me remind you of the importance of tracking receipts. Especially as a small business owner, certain expenses can be tax deductible. Your accountant can tell you which ones are appropriate for your business. Here’s a few examples that typically work, assuming they’re 100% related to your business, and not used for personal purposes: marketing expenses (advertising, print, promotional materials), travel (parking and allowance), office supplies, cell phone (but remember for business use only), meals and entertainment (50% deductible and again only while doing business), donations, professional subscriptions and memberships. Again, check with your account to see what works for you.
Now once you’ve decided what expenses are deductible from your taxes, you’ll need to track them well so you have evidence if you ever get audited. And, as a friendly tax worker reminded me, if you own a business it’s not a question “if” you’ll get audited, but “when”. So every year my accountant reminds me to make sure I save my receipts. And I did, in a shoebox. Which isn’t the best way if you ever do get audited and you’ll have to find a specific receipt.
I needed a way to turn my piles of paper clutter into organized digital data. I wanted to streamline accounting, bookkeeping and tax prep, allowing me to spend less time on paperwork and more time doing what I love: traveling, writing and making photographs. And that’s not just during tax time, I want to stay organized year-round without any of the headache that goes with it. The solution? I joined Shoeboxed to scan & organize receipts and business cards, create expense reports, track mileage and more. They turn my receipts into extracted, human-verified data that is categorized, organized, fully searchable and available anytime, anywhere. And it eliminates my paper clutter completely. Awesome.
How it Works
Simply send Shoeboxed your receipts, business cards, bills and other documents and everything will be carefully sorted and scanned into a secure online account. All of the organized data, including an IRS-accepted image of each document, is then human-verified, categorized, accessible from anywhere and ready for export into dozens of powerful tools.
Benefits
No more scanning or data entry – You’ll never waste another minute in front of a scanner or in an Excel spreadsheet
Maximize every reimbursement – Whether it’s a business trip or federal tax filing, every receipt is always at your fingertips
Submit from anywhere – Send documents in the mail, with your phone, via e-mail or right from your scanner or web browser
Export everywhere – Export to QuickBooks, Wave, Xero, Outright, Evernote, Excel and many more…
Your data is safe and secure – Shoeboxed uses 256-bit SSL security, the same as major US banks
Give it a try for free and sign up for a trial or DIY account using the button below.