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Department of Taxation and Finance

Checklist for self-employed individuals

What you need to reply quickly and completely to your letter using our Respond to Department Notice online service:

  • a digital copy—scanned or uploaded from your phone—of the documentation below, and
  • an Individual Online Services account. (Log in or create an account.)
Documentation required to report self-employment income
You must provide all of the following Notes
checkbox image copy of your Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, from your federal income tax return for the tax year noted on your letter

 
checkbox image any license, registration, or certification you need for your business Examples include credentials for taxicab drivers, cosmetologists, and health- and food-service workers.
checkbox image summary documents that you used to calculate the income and expenses you reported on your tax return These documents must cover the entire year and may include:
  • general ledgers
  • spreadsheets
  • income and expense journals (include a statement explaining why the claimed expenses relate to the business income)
  • travel log or mileage statement, if applicable
checkbox image any federal Forms 1099-K, Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions you received Form 1099-K is a report of payments you got for goods or services during the year from:
  • Credit, debit, or stored value cards such as gift cards (payment cards)
  • Payment apps or online marketplaces, also called third party settlement organizations or TPSOs
checkbox image any federal Forms 1099-NEC, Nonemployee compensation, you received You must also include copies of employment contracts as well as bank statements or canceled checks to support the income reported on the 1099-NEC.
checkbox detailed documentation that supports your business income and expenses, such as:
  • sales slips
  • invoices
  • receipts
  • canceled checks
  • bank statements (only accepted in conjunction with other documentation)
 Send copies of the actual documents from the time you earned the money or incurred the expense; estimates are not acceptable.

If the bank account is also available for your personal use, you must mark your business-related deposits and expenses.

See Form DTF-215, Recordkeeping Suggestions for Self-employed Persons, for examples of the documentation the Tax Department will and will not accept in support of your claim.
checkbox image Form 8829, if you are claiming business use of your home You must include documentation that supports the basis for your calculations.
checkbox image questionnaire you received with your letter You must complete all questions.
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