Selling Homemade Goods on Etsy? Use this Tax Preparation Checklist

Before you start:

• Follow this link and print the checklist.
• Attach the checklist to the outside of a file folder or place it inside.
• Cross out anything on the list that doesn’t apply to your Etsy business.
• Place business-related receipts and other tax documents in the folder and check them off the list.

Write down other information that you will need to complete your taxes, including:

• Your principal business code
• Your employer identification number
• Social Security numbers for your dependents
• Dates of birth for your dependents
• Bank routing number for direct deposit of your refund or payment of any taxes that are due.

Etsy tax preparation checklist

Running your Etsy business can create a lot of paperwork that you might need to complete your taxes. Documents you may need to complete your taxes include:

• sales records
• receipts for the cost of materials and equipment
• business-related fees and expenses

The checklist below can help you organize your paperwork into the appropriate tax categories, ensure you don’t miss out on any money-saving tax deductions and save time when you prepare your tax return using TurboTax.

Your Income

__1099-NEC (1099-MISC in prior years)

__1099-K

__Etsy annual sales

__Any other income records you may have (e.g. cash records, W2 income, spouse/partner income, investments)

Insurance and Retirement

__Heath care

__Long-term care

__Contributions to an IRA

__Contributions to an individual 401(k) plan

Equipment

__Phone purchase

__Phone service

__Phone repairs

__Phone accessories

__Computer/laptop purchase

__Computer accessories

__Internet service

Commission and Fees

__Etsy fees

Legal and Professional Fees

__Attorney fees

__Bank, Credit Card, and PayPal fees

__Bookkeeping costs

__Tax professional fees

Shipping Expenses

__Postage

__Parcel Delivery

Advertising Costs

__Social media

__Print

__Etsy item listing fees

Home Office Expenses

__Furniture

__Carpet, tile, lighting, and other upgrades

Education, Networking, Travel

__Meals

__Entertainment

__Tuition

__Transportation

Charitable Donations

__Cash

__In-kind

Cost of Goods Sold

­­__Inventory at beginning of the year

__Purchases.

__Cost of items for personal use

__Cost of labor

__Materials and supplies

__Other costs

__Inventory at end of the year

Car Expenses (excluding personal use)

__Mileage (using the Standard Method) OR all other expense below (using the Actual Expenses Method)

__Car tool kit

__Car wash

__Electronic toll transponder

__Flashlights and flares

__Floor mats

__Fuel

__Insurance

__Maintenance

__Oil change

__Parking fees

__Portable battery jump pack

__Registration fees

__Repairs

__Snacks and refreshments for your passengers

__Tire inflator and pressure gauge

__Tires

__Tolls

__Towing

__Vehicle accessories

__Vehicle purchases

Various Expenses

__Business memberships

__Business taxes and licenses

__Other miscellaneous expenses

__Roadside assistance plans

Common tax forms for Etsy sellers

You will likely receive a tax form from Etsy stating the amount of income you earned for the tax year. The form you receive will depend on the number of transactions you had and the income your business generated.

• If you earned $600.00 or more in Etsy sales, you should receive a 1099-NEC (1099-MISC in prior years).
• If you had either $20,000 in sales or more than 200 transactions, you may also receive a 1099-K.

If you do not receive a tax form, you can look up your annual sales by signing into Etsy.com and going to:  Shop Manager>Finances>Taxpayer ID. This tab will display the number of sales you had and the gross sales volume you received through Etsy Payments for the tax year. Remember, you must report all Etsy sales income on your tax return, whether you receive a tax form or not.

Once you have accounted for all of your sales, you are ready to reduce your taxable income by deducting your business expenses.

Supplies and Equipment

Any supplies you use to make the products you sell on Etsy and any equipment you use to make your items may be deductible business expenses.

For example, if you make jewelry, business-related tax deductions may include:

• The metal and stones you use in the product.
• The cost of pliers, drills, or any other equipment you use to make the jewelry, if you purchased them during the tax year.
• Surveillance cameras or security alarms specifically for your studio, workshop, or office.

Insurance and retirement contributions

As a self-employed Etsy seller, you may be able to deduct retirement contributions to a traditional IRA or other retirement plan. If you and/or your spouse have a retirement plan through another job, the deductions you make to retirement plan based on your Etsy income may be limited.

As a solopreneur, you may be eligible to set up an individual 401(k) plan. This plan works just like a corporate 401(k), but is for self-employed individuals. As with a traditional 401(k) plan, the contributions you make toward your retirement may be deductible from your net income.

Car expenses

One of the best things about selling on Etsy is that you’re able to work at home and eliminate the time and hassle of commuting to your job. However, you may be using your car for business tasks, such as,

• picking up, dropping off, or mailing packages,
• driving to purchase supplies, or
• shopping for vintage or specialty items to sell.

If so, you may be able to deduct some of your vehicle expenses. You have two options for calculating your business mileage deduction:

• The standard mileage rate deduction method
• The actual expenses method

To claim the standard mileage rate deduction, you’ll need good records for the mileage you drove for business use only. The standard mileage method provides a set rate per mile.

• For 2020, the standard mileage rate is 57.5 cents per business mile.

To use the actual expenses method, you’ll need to keep track of all of your vehicle expenses, including gasoline, maintenance, repairs, and tolls. You then multiply the total amount by the percentage of miles you used your car for business.

For example, if you had $5,000 in vehicle expenses and 10% of your miles  for the year were used for business, your deduction would be $500 ($5,000 x .10 = $500).

To decide which method is best for you, read Maximizing Tax Deductions for the Business Use of Your Car.

Cell phone and internet expenses

Managing your Etsy store and providing customer service, both online and with your phone, can be important parts of your Etsy business, and the costs associated with these activities can be deductible. Tax deductible costs can include:

• Buying a phone or computer
• Paying the phone and internet bill
• Paying for phone and computer repairs
• Purchasing accessories

The amount you can deduct depends on the percentage of time you are using your phone, computer, and internet solely for your business. Keeping accurate records of the time you’re using these devices will help you calculate the percentage of their costs that you can deduct.

• For example, if you use your phone 25% of the time working for Etsy, then you may be able to deduct 25% of the costs.
• If your cell phone, computer, and internet costs total $2,000, then you can deduct $500 as a business expense ($2,000 x .25 = $500).

If you use one phone and/or one computer only for business, you can likely deduct 100% of the expenses.

Various expenses

Did you purchase online ads for your Etsy products or pay for a business license? These costs are probably tax deductible.

As an Etsy seller, you are a small business owner. That means you may take advantage of deductions for any qualifying business expenses you incurred, such as bank and PayPal fees and packaging for the items you ship.

For more ideas about what you can deduct, read Top Tax Deductions for Etsy Sellers.

Remember, with TurboTax Self Employed, we’ll ask you simple questions and fill out all the right forms so you can maximize your tax deductions and minimize your tax bill.

Looking for expert tax help? TurboTax Live offers real tax experts and CPAs to help with your taxes—or even do them for you. You can get a final review of your tax return before you file to ensure your taxes are done right, or you can even have a dedicated tax expert do your taxes for you, from start to finish, with TurboTax Live Full Service. You get unlimited tax advice year round year, so you can be 100% confident your return is done right, guaranteed. TurboTax Live experts are highly knowledgeable, with an average 12 years experience in professional tax preparation. Their tax advice, final reviews, and filed returns are guaranteed 100% accurate. Learn more about How TurboTax Live Works.