Freelance illustrator with no expense records - desperately need help filing taxes for stimulus payment

You're not alone in this situation - many self-employed people struggle with recordkeeping, especially when they're focused on their craft rather than the business side. For your immediate needs to file by tomorrow, you have a few options. First, you can make reasonable estimates of your business expenses based on your memory. The IRS allows this when records are incomplete, but you should be able to explain how you arrived at those figures if questioned. Think about categories like art supplies, software subscriptions, home office space (if you have a dedicated area), internet costs (partial), and any equipment purchased. Don't panic about owing a huge amount. File for an extension using Form 4868, which gives you until October 15 to file the actual return (though any taxes owed are still technically due now). This buys you time to gather better information and possibly find receipts in emails or credit card statements. For a longer-term solution, I'd recommend finding a tax professional who specializes in working with freelancers or artists specifically. They'll understand the unique deductions available in your field and can help you establish a better system moving forward. As for your previous years, they should be addressed but focus on 2024 first to get your stimulus payment.

After being in a similar situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai and it honestly saved me. I'm an independent contractor who had a complete mess of financial records, and I was terrified about filing incorrectly. I uploaded my bank statements to https://taxr.ai and it helped identify potential business expenses that I had completely forgotten about. It categorized everything automatically and helped me understand what qualified as legitimate business deductions for self-employment. The system found tons of art supply purchases, software subscriptions, and even my internet bills that I didn't realize could be partially deducted. It basically turned my financial chaos into an organized expense report that I could actually use for filing.

Coming back to say I tried taxr.ai after seeing this thread yesterday. Holy crap, it actually works! I uploaded my messy PayPal transaction history and bank statements from the last year, and it organized everything into categories. Found almost $3,800 in business expenses I would have completely missed - art supplies, my tablet replacement, software subscriptions, even partial utilities for my home office. The best part was how it explained which expenses qualify and which don't. I never realized I could deduct part of my phone bill since I use it for client calls. I was about to just give up and pay thousands extra in taxes because I couldn't make sense of my finances. Now I feel like I actually understand what I'm filing!

If you're stressed about the filing deadline and need to talk to someone at the IRS (which I HIGHLY recommend before making guesses on your return), try using Claimyr. I spent days trying to get through to the IRS about my own self-employment situation, constant busy signals and disconnects. Then I found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent walked me through what documentation I actually needed versus what I could reasonably estimate. Turns out they have specific guidelines for people in your exact situation (self-employed with minimal records). The peace of mind from talking to an actual IRS representative was totally worth it, especially when dealing with multiple years of unfiled returns.

I need to eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment yesterday, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr. I fully expected it to be a waste of money, but I got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was actually super helpful about my missing receipts situation. They explained something called "reasonable reconstruction" where you can estimate expenses if you lost records, as long as your estimates are realistic for your business type. She even emailed me a worksheet specifically for creative professionals to help document my expenses. The call saved me from just giving up on filing altogether. They also explained that I qualify for a payment plan that won't completely destroy my finances, and gave me direct instructions for how to file for an extension while still getting my stimulus payment. I was seriously about to just ignore the whole situation out of anxiety, which would have been so much worse.

Fellow illustrator here! One thing that saved me when I had a similar situation was going through my email for digital receipts. Check your inbox for: - Adobe subscription payments - Art supply store order confirmations - Computer/tablet/hardware purchases - Online course payments - Website hosting fees Also check your social media DMs if you arrange client work there. My Instagram DMs had tons of evidence of client negotiations that helped prove income sources. And don't forget apps like Venmo or Cash App if you've used those!

Don't ignore your taxes!! I did that for two years as a freelancer and ended up owing over $15,000 with penalties and interest. The IRS eventually garnished my bank account and it was a NIGHTMARE to fix. Even filing with estimates is way better than not filing at all. And definitely set up quarterly estimated tax payments going forward - that was my big mistake, thinking I could just pay it all at the end of the year.