Online Schedule C Generator Report your business profit or loss

Fill out Schedule C (Form 1040) for your sole proprietorship online, from business details to income, expenses, and net profit. The official IRS schedule fills in as you type, ready to download as a PDF or print and attach to your return.

View the form on IRS.gov

How to fill it out: IRS instructions and updates

You and your business

Your name as it appears on your Form 1040.

The general field and the product or service, such as “wholesale sale of hardware to retailers”. Run more than one business? File a separate Schedule C for each.

Find your 6-digit code in the Principal Business or Professional Activity Codes at the end of the IRS instructions.

Leave it blank if you don’t have a separate business name.

Only an EIN issued to you (or your single-member LLC). Don’t enter your SSN or another company’s EIN; with no EIN, leave it blank.

Business address (line E) Optional

Skip it if you ran the business from your home at the address on your Form 1040. Use a street address, not a P.O. box (see the instructions).

Accounting method and questions

Line F · Accounting method

Most small businesses use cash: income when you receive it, expenses when you pay them.

Line G · Did you “materially participate” in the business during 2026?

For example, you worked in it for more than 500 hours, or did substantially all the work. The instructions list seven tests. If No, a loss may be limited.

Line I · Did you make any payments in 2026 that would require you to file Forms 1099?

For example, payments to contractors you must report on Form 1099-NEC. The instructions explain which payments count.

Income (Part I)

Copy each amount from your records. For a negative amount, switch to Loss: it prints in parentheses.

Include business income reported to you on Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, and 1099-K.

Including federal and state gasoline or fuel tax credits or refunds.

Expenses (Part II)

Fill in only the lines you have. Expenses for business use of your home go on line 30, in the next step.

Standard mileage rate or actual costs. Also fill in Part IV (step 7) unless you file Form 4562.

Not included in Part III. Usually from Form 4562.

Other than pension and profit-sharing plans (line 19).

Business meals are generally 50% deductible. See the instructions.

Attach Form 7205.

The total of Part V (step 8).

Before expenses for business use of your home.

Net profit or loss (lines 29 to 32)

Line 7 minus line 28.

Business use of your home (line 30) Optional

Figure it on Form 8829, or with the Simplified Method Worksheet in the instructions. Simplified method filers also enter the square footage.

Line 29 minus line 30. A profit also goes on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 3, and Schedule SE, line 2.

Cost of goods sold (Part III)

Only if you sell products or keep inventory. Line 42 also goes on line 4.

Fill in Part III Optional
Line 33 · Method(s) used to value closing inventory
Line 34 · Any change in determining quantities, costs, or valuations between opening and closing inventory? (optional)

If Yes, attach an explanation.

If different from last year’s closing inventory, attach an explanation.

Your vehicle (Part IV)

Only if you claim car or truck expenses on line 9 and don’t have to file Form 4562 for this business.

Fill in Part IV Optional
Line 44 · Miles you drove the vehicle in 2026 for
Line 45 · Was your vehicle available for personal use during off-duty hours? (optional)
Line 46 · Do you (or your spouse) have another vehicle available for personal use? (optional)
Line 47a · Do you have evidence to support your deduction? (optional)
Line 47b · If Yes, is the evidence written? (optional)

Other expenses (Part V)

Business expenses that don’t fit lines 8 to 27a or line 30, one per row. The total goes on line 48 and line 27b.

More rows (4 to 9) Optional

Add the amounts above, then enter the same total on line 27b (step 4).

0 of 7 required

Onboarding new clients?

Collect client details, project briefs, and e-signatures with one intake form, free with unlimited responses.

Create your form

Understanding Schedule C

Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business, is where sole proprietors report the income and expenses of a business they run on their own. The net profit or loss on line 31 carries over to your Form 1040 and, in most cases, to Schedule SE for self-employment tax.

Freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, and owners of a single-member LLC that hasn’t elected to be taxed as a corporation generally file it. An activity counts as a business when your main purpose is income or profit and you work at it with continuity and regularity; a hobby doesn’t qualify. If you run more than one business, each one gets its own Schedule C.

Filling out Schedule C step by step

Start with your name, SSN, a short description of the business, and its 6-digit business code, then answer the questions about your accounting method, material participation, and Forms 1099. Next, enter your gross receipts and other income in Part I and your expenses line by line in Part II. If they apply, Part III covers cost of goods sold, Part IV your vehicle, and Part V any other expenses. The generator doesn’t add anything up, so take each total from your records.

Every entry shows up on the official schedule as you type, and amounts you mark as a loss print in parentheses. Once the required fields are done, download both pages as a PDF or print them to attach to your return. Need a different form? Browse all tax form generators.

Schedule C FAQ

Who needs to file Schedule C?

Sole proprietors who report business income on their personal return: freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, and owners of single-member LLCs not taxed as corporations. It’s also used for statutory employee income and by spouses who elect to run a business as a qualified joint venture. Most businesses co-owned by spouses are partnerships and file Form 1065 instead.

Which tax year does this generator fill?

The 2026 Schedule C, for the 2026 tax year (returns filed in 2027). For a 2025 return, use the 2025 schedule from the IRS’s prior-year forms. The 2026 version has a separate line for vehicle loan interest (16b) and splits the business address into separate boxes.

Do I also need to file Schedule SE?

Usually, if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. A profit on line 31 goes on Schedule SE, line 2, where you figure social security and Medicare tax. Statutory employees don’t owe self-employment tax on that income, because those taxes were already withheld.

Where do I find my business code for line B?

In the Principal Business or Professional Activity Codes list at the end of the Schedule C instructions. Choose the 6-digit code that best matches the activity behind most of your income, for example 541990 for other professional, scientific, and technical services.

What if my business had a loss?

Switch line 31 to Loss so it prints in parentheses, then answer line 32. If all your investment is at risk, the loss goes on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 3, and Schedule SE, line 2. If some of it isn’t at risk, attach Form 6198, and your loss may be limited. The passive activity and excess business loss rules can limit a loss too.

Can I deduct a home office?

Possibly, on line 30. Figure the deduction on Form 8829, or use the simplified method: in most cases $5 per square foot of the area used regularly and exclusively for business, up to 300 square feet. Simplified method filers also enter the total square footage of the home and the business part.

Does line 1 have to match my Forms 1099?

Line 1 should include the amounts properly shown on your Forms 1099-NEC, along with any other business receipts. If the box 1 totals of your Forms 1099-NEC are more than what you report on line 1, attach a statement explaining the difference.

Is my information safe?

Nothing you type leaves your browser. The PDF is built on your device, and forms.app doesn’t upload or keep any of it, including your SSN. Everything clears when you close the page, so download or print the schedule first.

Is the Schedule C generator free?

Yes. There’s no fee and no account: fill out, download, and print as many copies as you need.