Tax Preparation Help  
Tax Tip 2008-28 2007 Tax Year / 2008 Filing Season

Can You Use Schedule C-EZ?

This is archived information that pertains only to the 2007 Tax Year. If you
are looking for information for the current tax year, go to the Tax Prep Help Area.

Want to save time and trouble when filing taxes for your small business? You may be eligible to use the abbreviated Schedule C-EZ instead of the longer Schedule C when reporting business income and expenses on your 2007 Form 1040 federal income tax return. The maximum deductible business expense threshold for filing Schedule C-EZ is $5,000.

Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship), is the simplified version of Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship).

Schedule C-EZ:

  • Has an instruction page and a one-page form with three short parts — General Information, Figure Your Net Profit, and Information on Your Vehicle.
  • Includes a simple worksheet for figuring the amount of deductible expenses. If that amount does not exceed $5,000, and if your business did not have a net loss, you may be able to use the C-EZ instead of Schedule C. (Other restrictions apply; be sure to read the instructions carefully.

Schedule C:

  • Is two pages long and is divided into five parts — Income, Expenses, Cost of Goods Sold, Information on Your Vehicle, and Other Expenses.
  • Requires more detailed information than the C-EZ. The instruction package is 10 pages long.
  • Must be used when deductible business expenses exceed $5,000 or when a business has a net loss.      

Using Schedule C-EZ can save time and reduce paperwork burden for eligible businesses. More information about Schedule C-EZ and reporting net profit for sole proprietorships can be found on the IRS Web site at IRS.gov.

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov.  Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is www.irs.gov.

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