Fill Out IRS Schedule C (Form 1040) Online
Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)
Internal Revenue Service
Reports income and expenses from a business operated or profession practiced as a sole proprietor.
Reviewed July 2026
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Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business, is the form sole proprietors use to report business income and expenses on their personal tax return. It applies to freelancers, gig workers, independent contractors, and single-member LLC owners who have not elected corporate treatment.
You can complete Schedule C in the Universal PDF editor: enter your business details, income, and expenses line by line, then download the finished PDF for your records or paper filing.
What is Schedule C used for
Schedule C calculates the net profit or loss of a business you operate as a sole proprietor. The IRS treats an activity as a business when your primary purpose is income or profit and you are involved with continuity and regularity. Occasional hobby income does not belong on Schedule C.
The bottom-line profit or loss carries to Schedule 1 (Form 1040), and profit is also the starting point for self-employment tax on Schedule SE.
Who needs to file Schedule C
File Schedule C if you worked for yourself during the year, whether full time or as a side activity. This includes independent contractors who receive Form 1099-NEC, gig platform workers, freelancers, consultants, and owners of single-member LLCs taxed as sole proprietorships. Each separate business generally needs its own Schedule C, and spouses who each own a share of a qualified joint venture typically file separate schedules for their shares.
How to fill out Schedule C
The form moves from identification to income, then expenses, then a few specialty sections. Keep your bookkeeping records and any 1099 forms nearby.
- Top section: business name, address, principal business activity code from the instructions, EIN if you have one, and accounting method
- Part I: gross receipts, returns and allowances, cost of goods sold from Part III, and gross income
- Part II: expenses by category, including advertising, car and truck expenses, contract labor, insurance, office expenses, supplies, travel, meals subject to the limit in the instructions, and home office expenses via Form 8829 or the simplified method
- Part III: cost of goods sold calculation if you sell products
- Part IV: vehicle information if you claim car or truck expenses without depreciation records
- Net profit or loss goes to Schedule 1, and profit also feeds Schedule SE
How Schedule C attaches to Form 1040
Schedule C never files by itself. Its result flows to Schedule 1, which flows to Form 1040. Most filers with a profit also attach Schedule SE to figure self-employment tax, and many make quarterly estimated payments with Form 1040-ES during the year.
Frequently asked questions
Generally yes, if you carried on the activity to make a profit and worked at it regularly. Self-employment income is reportable even when you do not receive a 1099 form.
Schedule C figures your business profit or loss. Schedule SE takes that profit and calculates Social Security and Medicare tax on it. Most profitable sole proprietors file both.
Yes, if you use part of your home regularly and exclusively for business. You can use the simplified square-footage method or actual expenses via Form 8829, as described in the instructions.
Not usually. Most sole proprietors can use their Social Security number. An EIN is required in certain cases, such as having employees or a retirement plan, and can be requested with Form SS-4.
A qualifying loss can offset other income on your return, subject to at-risk, passive activity, and excess business loss limits. Repeated losses can also raise hobby-loss questions, so consider a tax professional if losses continue.
One per distinct business. Each schedule reports that activity's own income and expenses, and the combined results flow to Schedule 1.
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