What is SimplyExpensed?

SimplyExpensed is an AI-powered expense tracker and GPS mileage logger built for freelancers, contractors, gig workers, and small businesses. It features receipt scanning with OCR, GAAP-compliant auto-categorization, IRS Schedule C export, and real-time GPS mileage tracking with route visualization.

How does GPS mileage tracking work in SimplyExpensed?

Tap "Start Trip" before you drive. SimplyExpensed records GPS waypoints every 15 seconds as you drive, creating a breadcrumb trail of your actual route. When you tap "End Trip," it calculates the exact driving distance, reverse-geocodes your start and end addresses, and auto-calculates your IRS deduction at the 2026 rate of 72.5¢ per business mile. You can view the route on an interactive map after the trip.

What is the 2026 IRS standard mileage rate?

The 2026 IRS standard mileage rates are: 72.5 cents per mile for business use, 20.5 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile for charitable purposes. SimplyExpensed automatically applies the correct rate based on your trip purpose.

Is SimplyExpensed free?

Yes. SimplyExpensed offers a free tier that includes unlimited manual expense entries, GPS mileage tracking, 5 AI receipt scans per month, basic reports, and CSV export. No credit card required. The Pro tier ($8/month) adds unlimited AI scans, Excel/PDF exports, IRS Schedule C export, and team features.

Can SimplyExpensed generate IRS Schedule C reports?

Yes. SimplyExpensed categorizes your expenses using GAAP-compliant categories that map directly to IRS Schedule C line items. You can export a Schedule C-ready report with one click, organized by category, with totals matching each Schedule C line. This makes tax filing significantly easier for self-employed individuals.

How does AI receipt scanning work?

Simply snap a photo of your receipt or upload an image. SimplyExpensed uses AI-powered OCR to automatically extract the merchant name, date, total amount, tax, subtotal, and individual line items. It then auto-categorizes the expense into the correct GAAP category. The process takes about 2 seconds.

Who is SimplyExpensed designed for?

SimplyExpensed is designed for self-employed individuals, freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers (Uber, DoorDash, Instacart), lawn care and landscaping businesses, real estate agents, sales professionals, delivery drivers, consultants, and any small business owner who needs to track expenses and mileage for tax purposes.

Does SimplyExpensed work for lawn care and landscaping businesses?

Absolutely. Lawn care operators drive between multiple job sites daily, and the GPS mileage tracker captures every mile — even on loop routes where you start and end at the same place. At 72.5¢/mile (2026 rate), driving 30 miles a day for 20 weeks of summer = $2,175 in deductions from driving alone. Add equipment, fuel, and supply receipts and the savings multiply.

What makes SimplyExpensed different from MileIQ or Everlance?

SimplyExpensed combines expense tracking AND mileage tracking in one app with a generous free tier. Unlike MileIQ (mileage only, $5.99/mo) or Everlance ($8/mo for basic), SimplyExpensed includes AI receipt scanning, GAAP categorization, Schedule C export, and GPS mileage tracking — all starting at $0. The GPS tracker uses waypoint breadcrumbs for accuracy on any route shape, including loops.

Is my financial data secure with SimplyExpensed?

Yes. SimplyExpensed uses bank-level encryption (TLS 1.3), secure cloud storage for receipts, role-based access controls, IP-based security monitoring, brute force detection, and a comprehensive audit trail system. All data is backed up and protected with enterprise-grade security infrastructure.

Every Tax Deduction for Your Lawn Care Business (2026 Complete Guide)

If you're mowing lawns for money — whether you're a teenager making summer cash, a college student building a side hustle, or a full-time landscaping professional — the IRS considers you self-employed. That means you owe self-employment tax (15.3%) on your profits.

But it also means you can deduct legitimate business expenses to reduce that tax bill. Most lawn care operators miss thousands in deductions simply because they didn't know what qualifies or didn't keep records.

Here's every deduction available to your lawn care business in 2026.

1. Vehicle Mileage — Your Biggest Deduction

Driving a truck and trailer between job sites is the single largest deductible expense for most lawn care businesses. The 2026 IRS business mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile.

Daily Driving	Season Length	Total Miles	Deduction
20 miles	20 weeks	2,000	$1,450
30 miles	20 weeks	3,000	$2,175
50 miles	30 weeks	7,500	$5,438

Critical: This covers your truck/car driving between job sites. It does NOT cover the fuel for your mower — that's a separate deduction (see #2).

Pro tip: Use GPS mileage tracking to automatically log every trip. SimplyExpensed's GPS Trip Tracker captures waypoints every 15 seconds, so even loop routes (home → yard 1 → yard 2 → yard 3 → home) capture the full distance driven.

2. Equipment Fuel & Oil

Gas and oil for your lawn equipment is a separate deduction from vehicle mileage. This includes fuel for:

Push mowers and zero-turn mowers
String trimmers / weed eaters
Leaf blowers
Chainsaws
Edgers
Pressure washers

Keep every gas station receipt where you fill equipment gas cans. SimplyExpensed's AI receipt scanner captures the total, date, and merchant in 2 seconds.

3. Equipment Purchases — Section 179

Under Section 179, you can deduct the full purchase price of qualifying business equipment in the year you buy it (instead of depreciating it over several years). The 2026 limit is $1,250,000.

Common lawn care Section 179 deductions:

Commercial mowers ($3,000–$15,000)
Trailers ($1,000–$8,000)
String trimmers, blowers, edgers ($200–$800 each)
Truck (if used >50% for business)

4. Repairs & Maintenance

Mower blade sharpening or replacement
Trimmer line/string
Air filters, spark plugs, belts
Oil changes for equipment
Trailer tire replacement
Welding repairs on equipment

5. Supplies

Trash bags for yard waste
Rakes, shovels, hand tools
Safety equipment (ear protection, gloves, safety glasses)
Work boots
Sunscreen (yes, really — it's a safety supply)

6. Marketing & Advertising

Facebook/Instagram ads
Business cards and flyers
Yard signs
Vehicle wraps or magnetic signs
Website and domain costs
Google Business Profile (if you pay for ads)

7. Phone & Internet

If you use your personal phone for business (booking clients, GPS navigation, invoicing), you can deduct the business-use percentage. If 60% of your phone use is business, deduct 60% of your monthly bill.

8. Insurance

General liability insurance
Commercial auto insurance (or business-use portion)
Equipment/tool insurance

9. Software & Subscriptions

Expense tracking (SimplyExpensed)
Invoicing software
Scheduling apps
Accounting software

10. Self-Employment Tax Deduction

You can deduct 50% of your self-employment tax on your personal return. This happens automatically when you file, but many lawn care operators don't realize this exists.

How to Track All of This

The #1 reason lawn care businesses overpay on taxes: they don't track receipts and mileage during the season. By the time April rolls around, half the receipts are lost and zero mileage was logged.

SimplyExpensed solves this:

📍 GPS mileage tracking — tap start, drive, tap end
📸 AI receipt scanning — snap a photo at the gas pump
📊 Schedule C export — one-click tax report for your CPA
💰 Free tier — $0 to start, no credit card

Start tracking your lawn care deductions free →