Short answer
An expense tracker for self-employed people should capture each receipt once, file it in a category your tax form recognises, and keep it for as long as your tax office requires. NexaLink Scanner does the capture and organising on your phone in any country, keeps each receipt in its own currency, and exports a free CSV for your tax preparer.
Key takeaways
- The US, UK and Australia all expect you to back each claimed expense with a record — the tax year and retention period are what differ.
- Retention: IRS generally 3 years from filing; HMRC 5 years after the 31 January deadline; ATO generally 5 years.
- One set of categories can serve any market if you name them after your tax form's expense lines.
- If you earn in two countries, keep receipts in their original currency and let your adviser convert.
Three tax systems, one habit
Self-employment is taxed differently in every country, but the burden of proof is similar: you claim a cost, you keep a record that shows it was a business cost. The table below sets the three most common English-speaking systems side by side.
| United States | United Kingdom | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax year | Calendar year (1 Jan–31 Dec) for most individuals | 6 April–5 April[1] | 1 July–30 June[2] |
| Where expenses go | Schedule C, Part II expense lines[3] | SA103 self-employment pages, boxes 17–30[4] | Business and professional items in your individual return |
| Self-lodged deadline | Mid-April for most individual returns | 31 January (online)[1] | 31 October[2] |
| Keep records for | Generally 3 years from filing; longer in some cases[5] | 5 years after the 31 January deadline[6] | Generally 5 years[7] |
| Paying during the year | Estimated tax if you expect to owe $1,000+[8] | Payments on account; MTD quarterly updates above thresholds[9] | PAYG instalments if the ATO notifies you |
United States: Schedule C
Sole proprietors report business income and expenses on Schedule C. The expense lines include advertising, car and truck expenses, contract labor, insurance, legal and professional fees, office expense, rent or lease, repairs, supplies, taxes and licenses, travel and deductible meals, and utilities[3]. The IRS says your supporting documents should show the payee, amount, proof of payment, date and a description of what you bought[10] — which is more than a card statement shows on its own.
Line-by-line detail: US self-employed receipts covers what to keep for each line.
United Kingdom: SA103 and Making Tax Digital
UK self-employed people claim allowable expenses on the self-employment pages of Self Assessment[4]. From April 2026, those with qualifying income over £50,000 also keep digital records and send quarterly updates under Making Tax Digital; the threshold falls to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028[9]. UK readers should go next to the sole trader expense tracker and UK VAT receipts.
Australia: sole traders
Australian sole traders lodge an individual return that includes business income and expenses, generally by 31 October if they lodge themselves[2]. The ATO accepts digital records, including photos and scans of receipts, as long as they are true and clear copies — after which the paper can generally be discarded — but a bank or card statement on its own is not enough[7]. If you are registered for GST, see Australian GST receipts for what a tax invoice needs.
One routine that works in any of the three
- Name categories after your form. On Pro, rename or add categories so they match the expense lines you file — "Supplies (line 22)" or "Phone, stationery and office (box 23)". The self-employed expense categories template has both lists.
- Capture once, at the time. Photograph, confirm the total and tax the app has read, choose a category. Uncertain totals are flagged and must be confirmed before saving.
- Keep currencies separate. If you work across borders, each receipt keeps its own currency and the review screen shows per-currency totals.
- Review on your tax calendar. Use a custom period that matches your country's tax year — 6 April to 5 April in the UK, 1 July to 30 June in Australia.
- Export once a year, at minimum. CSV is free; keep a copy with your return for the retention period.
Is a phone-only tracker enough?
For most one-person businesses, yes: the receipts live on your phone, the totals come out as CSV, and your accounting software or adviser does the rest. It is not enough if you want bank-transaction matching, mileage logs or reimbursements for staff — NexaLink does none of those. Compare options in the receipt scanner app guide.
Key facts about NexaLink Scanner
- What it is: NexaLink Scanner is a private receipt and expense organiser for iOS and Android, built for freelancers, sole traders, contractors and small businesses. It is not accounting software and does not file tax returns.
- How it reads receipts: text is read on the phone (on-device OCR) and capture works offline. Merchant, date, total and tax are filled in; any value it is unsure of is flagged, and a low-confidence total cannot be saved until you confirm it.
- Where data lives: receipts are stored on your phone and do not sync to the web. Data leaves only when you export it.
- Free plan: 50 receipts, on-device reading, search, 5 default categories and CSV export. CSV export is free on every plan, always.
- Pro: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year — unlimited receipts, custom categories, projects and tags, a PDF expense report in the app, tax and multi-currency reports. Image ZIP export and Xero / QuickBooks import files are coming soon.
- Accounting connections (none live yet): Xero — First · V1.1 · QuickBooks Online — Next · V1.2 · FreeAgent — Planned · Sage Accounting — Planned · Zoho Books — Planned · TallyPrime — Import file first. CSV export works with any accounting tool today. Status as of 2026-11-10; see accounting integrations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best expense tracker for self-employed people?
One you will use every time you pay for something. For one-person businesses that means a phone app with quick capture, categories that match your tax form, and a cheap export. If you also want bank feeds and invoicing, accounting software such as FreeAgent, QuickBooks or Xero includes expense tracking.
Does NexaLink work outside the US and UK?
Yes. It reads receipts on the device, lets you name categories to match your own tax form, and keeps each receipt in its original currency. It is used the same way in Australia, India, Singapore and elsewhere; only the categories and tax-year dates change.
How long should self-employed people keep receipts?
It depends on the country. The IRS default is three years from filing, longer in some cases. HMRC requires five years after the 31 January deadline. The ATO generally requires five years. Check how long to keep receipts for details. Some records, such as those for assets, need longer.
Can I throw away paper receipts after scanning them?
The ATO explicitly allows it once you have a true and clear digital copy. In the UK and US, a clear digital copy is generally how records are kept, but check with your accountant for anything unusual, and always keep a backup of the images.
Is a bank statement enough instead of receipts?
Usually not. The ATO says a bank or card statement alone is not an acceptable record, and the IRS wants documents that describe what was bought. A statement shows that you paid; the receipt shows what for. Capture the receipt and keep the statement too; together they show both what you bought and that you paid for it.
I am self-employed in two countries. How should I track expenses?
Keep each receipt in its original currency and use a project or tag for each country's business. NexaLink gives per-currency totals rather than converting silently, so your adviser can apply the right exchange rate for each tax system. Ask your adviser which country's tax year to review by.
How much does it cost?
Free covers 50 receipts, on-device reading, search, five categories and CSV export. Pro is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year with unlimited receipts and custom categories. See pricing. CSV export stays free on every plan, and if you cancel Pro, your receipts stay on the phone, searchable and exportable. Premium adds accounting connections as they launch.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines — checked on 2026-11-10
- ATO — Lodging a tax return for your business — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — Instructions for Schedule C (Form 1040) — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Self Assessment: Self-employment (full) (SA103F) form and notes — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — How long should I keep records — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records — checked on 2026-11-10
- ATO — Overview of record-keeping rules for business — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — Estimated taxes — checked on 2026-11-10
- GOV.UK — Check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — checked on 2026-11-10
- IRS — What kind of records should I keep — checked on 2026-11-10