Tax Prep Agent Skill

Schedule C Tax Prep

Overview

Categorizes all business expenses into IRS Schedule C line items so you can hand your accountant a clean breakdown or file your own Schedule C (Form 1040). Maps every transaction to the correct deduction line.

Wilson Tools Used

• transaction_search — Find all business expenses within the tax year
• categorize — Map transactions to Schedule C line item categories
• export_transactions — Export the categorized breakdown for your CPA or tax software

Workflow

• Set the date range to the tax year (e.g., January 1 through December 31).
• Use transaction_search to pull all business-related expenses.
• Use categorize to map each expense to a Schedule C line item using the mapping table below.
• Review unmapped transactions and assign them manually.
• Use export_transactions to generate a Schedule C-ready summary grouped by line item.
• Cross-check totals against bank and credit card statements.

Schedule C Line Item Mapping

| Line | Category | Examples |

|------|----------|----------|

| 8 | Advertising | Google Ads, Facebook Ads, print ads, business cards |

| 9 | Car and truck expenses | Gas, repairs, lease payments (if not using standard mileage) |

| 10 | Commissions and fees | Sales commissions, payment processing fees (Stripe, PayPal) |

| 11 | Contract labor | Freelancers, 1099 contractors |

| 13 | Depreciation (Form 4562) | Asset depreciation (see depreciation-schedule skill) |

| 15 | Insurance (other than health) | Business liability, E&O, property insurance |

| 16a | Mortgage interest | Interest on business property mortgage |

| 16b | Other interest | Business loan interest, credit line interest |

| 17 | Legal and professional services | Attorney fees, CPA fees, bookkeeping |

| 18 | Office expense | Office supplies, postage, software subscriptions |

| 19 | Pension/profit-sharing plans | SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA employer contributions |

| 20a | Rent — vehicles, machinery, equipment | Equipment leases |

| 20b | Rent — other business property | Office rent, coworking space |

| 22 | Supplies | Materials consumed in business operations |

| 23 | Taxes and licenses | Business licenses, state/local taxes, employer payroll taxes |

| 24a | Travel | Airfare, hotels, car rentals for business travel |

| 24b | Meals | Business meals (50% deductible) |

| 25 | Utilities | Electric, gas, water, phone, internet for business property |

| 27a | Other expenses | Anything not fitting the above (itemize on Part V) |

Without Wilson

• Export all transactions from your bank and credit card accounts as CSV files.
• Open the CSV in a spreadsheet. Add a column called "Schedule C Line."
• Sort transactions by merchant or description.
• For each transaction, assign the appropriate line number from the table above.
• Create a pivot table grouping by Schedule C Line, summing the amounts.
• For Line 24b (meals), multiply the total by 0.50 to get the deductible amount.
• Transfer the totals to your Schedule C form or give the spreadsheet to your CPA.

Important Notes

• Line 24b meals are only 50% deductible. Wilson flags the full amount; you must halve it on the return.
• Mixed-use expenses (personal and business) must be split. Only the business portion goes on Schedule C.
• Keep receipts for any single expense over $75 or any lodging expense regardless of amount.
• If you have a home office, see the home-office-deduction skill for Line 30.
• This is not tax advice. Consult a CPA or tax professional for filing decisions.