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Individuals and the self-employed

Schedule C

Business income for sole proprietors and freelancers

Due

With the return it belongs to

Who files

Individuals and the self-employed

Source

IRS page for Schedule C →
Facts on this page come from IRS.gov (the Schedule C page was last updated by the IRS Jun 28, 2026); read by TaxScout Oct 22, 2026.

Who files Schedule C

Sole proprietors use Schedule C to report income or loss from a business or profession, which is an activity run mainly for profit and carried on with continuity and regularity. A single-member LLC owned by an individual is generally disregarded for income tax and reports its business on the owner's Form 1040, for example on Schedule C.

When it is due

Filed with Form 1040, so it follows the Form 1040 due date.

What the IRS says

  • An activity counts as a business if its main purpose is income or profit and you are involved with continuity and regularity. Source
  • You owe self-employment tax if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more, and you figure it on Schedule SE filed with Form 1040. Source
  • The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Source
  • A single-member LLC owner reports on Schedule C, E or F and pays self-employment tax on net earnings, the same as a sole proprietor, unless the LLC elects corporate treatment on Form 8832. Source

Preparers who say they handle Schedule C

Each city page lists firms whose own website names this return. TaxScout read those sites; it does not rank firms by payment.

Charlotte, NC59 firmsRaleigh, NC38 firmsAsheville, NC17 firmsGreensboro, NC15 firmsDurham, NC15 firmsCary, NC14 firmsWinston Salem, NC12 firmsBoston, MA11 firmsMatthews, NC10 firmsToms River, NJ10 firmsChelmsford, MA8 firmsNewark, NJ8 firmsMorristown, NJ8 firmsWorcester, MA8 firmsFayetteville, NC7 firmsMooresville, NC7 firmsStoughton, MA7 firmsWilmington, NC7 firms

What preparers charge

Massachusetts · Schedule C (business)$122
North Carolina · Schedule C (business)$187
New Jersey · Schedule C (business)$205

Average fees reported by preparers in the National Society of Accountants 2020-2021 Income and Fees Survey, State Averages (published 2020). Fees today are likely higher; ask the firm for its own quote.

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Common questions

Who files Schedule C?

Sole proprietors use Schedule C to report income or loss from a business or profession, which is an activity run mainly for profit and carried on with continuity and regularity. A single-member LLC owned by an individual is generally disregarded for income tax and reports its business on the owner's Form 1040, for example on Schedule C.

When is Schedule C due?

Filed with Form 1040, so it follows the Form 1040 due date.

Do I need a CPA for Schedule C?

Not always. A CPA, an Enrolled Agent or another paid preparer with a PTIN can prepare it. Firms listed for this form say on their own websites that they handle it; TaxScout does not rank them by payment.

Related forms

All forms →
Form 1040 · The yearly personal income tax returnApril 15

Not tax advice. TaxScout is not the IRS. Due dates and thresholds above are quoted from the IRS pages linked next to them and change from year to year; the IRS instructions for your tax year control.