Adding an Expense
Tap the + button to open the expense form. Fields:| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Yes | One of 13 expense categories |
| Amount | Yes | Dollar amount (stored as cents) |
| Date | Yes | Date the expense was incurred |
| Assignment | No | Link to a specific assignment |
| Description | No | Vendor name or notes (max 500 chars) |
| Receipt | No | Photo of receipt for substantiation |
Expense Categories
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
travel | Flights, gas, tolls, parking for work travel |
licensing | State license fees, compact license |
supplies | Stethoscopes, scrubs, medical equipment |
ce_credits | Continuing education courses |
meals | Work-related meals (subject to IRS limits) |
lodging | Temporary housing at assignment |
uniforms | Required work clothing |
insurance | Professional liability insurance |
dues | Professional association memberships |
parking | Parking at work facility |
phone_internet | Work-use portion of phone/internet |
tax_prep | Tax preparation fees |
other | Miscellaneous deductible expenses |
Receipt Scanning
In create mode, use Scan Receipt to photograph a receipt and auto-fill fields:Textract analyzes the receipt
AWS Textract extracts the total amount, date, vendor name, and suggests a category based on keywords.
CSV Import
Bulk-import expenses from a CSV file:- Click Import on the Expenses page
- Upload a
.csvfile - TaxHomeBase auto-detects columns by header row (date, category/type, amount/total/cost, description/note/vendor)
- Preview shows color-coded rows: green (ready), red (error), amber (duplicate)
- Confirm to import
Expense Reports
Navigate to Expense Reports (linked from the Expenses page) for three views:- Monthly Breakdown
- By Assignment
- Insights
Expenses grouped by month with expandable cards showing individual items, amounts, and receipt indicators.
W-2 vs. 1099 Deductions
How expenses are handled depends on your employment type:- W-2 Employees
- 1099 Contractors
Under TCJA (2017–2025), unreimbursed employee expenses are not deductible on your federal return. However, 5 states still allow them: NY, CA, AL, HI, and AR.TaxHomeBase still tracks your expenses because:
- State-level deductions may apply
- TCJA is scheduled to expire after 2025
- Expenses feed into profitability analysis
Actions on Expense Cards
- Expand — View full details and receipt
- Edit — Modify any field
- Delete — Soft delete with 5-second undo toast
- Duplicate — Open a pre-filled create form
- View Receipt — Open receipt image in modal (camera icon)