Per-project expense tracking — tools, parking, hotel, meals, gas, lodging. Tracked separately from your hourly earnings, with two clear purposes: get reimbursed by the client, or deduct on your taxes.
Overview
- Per-project expenses — every expense is tied to a specific project for clean reporting.
- Two purposes — reimbursable (you'll get paid back) and out-of-pocket (you'll deduct on your taxes).
- Add expenses as they happen — tap, snap a receipt, log it. Future-you will thank present-you at tax time.
Adding an Expense
- Quick add — tap + on the Expenses tab. Pick category, amount, date, and project. Done.
- Expense Presets — common items (Parking, Per-Show Lunch, Tools) saved with a default amount. Tap a preset and adjust if needed.
- Description and notes — vendor name and any context. Useful for IRS records and your own memory months later.
- Date matters — sets which tax year and which project's reporting period the expense lands in.
Receipts — Scan, OCR, PDF
- Camera capture — tap the camera icon to scan a paper receipt. iOS auto-corrects perspective and lighting.
- OCR auto-fill — the app extracts vendor name, address, amount, and date from the receipt. Confirm or override before saving.
- PDF receipts — for emailed or downloaded receipts (digital invoices, online orders). Import via the Files app.
- Tap to view — open any receipt full-screen later. PDFs render in-app.
- Synced via CloudKit — receipts sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac. Stored as CloudKit assets, not in your photo library.
Reimbursable vs. Out-of-Pocket
- Reimbursable — the production company will pay you back. Shows up on invoice line items, NOT on your tax return.
- Out-of-pocket — you absorb the cost. Eligible for tax deduction (1099 contractors).
- Toggle anytime — use the reimbursable switch on each expense. The app correctly excludes one type from the other in reports.
- Reimbursable expenses don't reduce your taxable income — only out-of-pocket ones do. Get this right or you'll over- or under-pay tax.
Tax Deductions
- Auto-totaled — out-of-pocket expenses appear in the per-project Tax Snapshot and the overall Tax Estimation Engine.
- Schedule C ready — the Annual Report itemizes deductible business expenses by category for direct entry on your tax return.
- Categories matter — meals, lodging, supplies, tools, travel. The IRS treats each differently (50% meal limit, etc.). Use accurate categories.
- Estimates only — consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
In Reports
- Per-project reports — expenses listed in PDF and CSV outputs alongside hours and earnings.
- Invoice line items — reimbursable expenses are auto-added to invoices when you generate one for a client.
- Pay-period scoping — reports respect the project's pay period. Expenses outside the period are excluded.
- Expense category report — one of the six report scopes. Filter by category across all projects to see your spending by type.
Tips
- Snap as you go — paper receipts fade, get lost, or end up in the wash. Capture immediately.
- Per diem ≠ expense — if you're tracking per diem on the project, don't ALSO log meals as expenses. Pick one source of truth.
- OCR isn't perfect — always verify the extracted amount. The app shows an "OCR found" prompt so you can edit before save.
- Backups include receipts — DataBackup exports receipt data. Periodic backups protect against device loss.