Business expense and deduction tracker

If you keep regular books (rather than presumptive), the tax you pay depends on capturing every legitimate business expense, and on the personal side, every old-regime deduction. This simple tracker gives you two logs: business expenses by category (with a note on the cash and TDS rules), and the personal deduction stack. Fill it through the year so filing is a summary, not a scramble.

Last reviewed: 29 May 2026

Guidance, not advice. We explain the rules, we don't assess your situation. Always seek financial or tax advice from your accountant, or contact Income Tax Department. Read our editorial scope →

What it contains

A business-expense log by category with cash/TDS flags, and a personal old-regime deduction checklist to total at year-end.

How to use it

Log as you go

Enter each expense when it happens, with how you paid it and whether TDS applied, reconstructing a year of expenses at filing time is how deductions get missed.

Watch the cash and TDS flags

A cash payment over Rs 10,000 to one payee is disallowed, and an expense you should have deducted TDS on loses 30%, the two flags in the template catch both.

Skip Part A if presumptive

On 44AD or 44ADA you do not need the expense log (the deemed rate covers expenses); still complete Part B for your old-regime deduction comparison.

Copy the letter text

Prefer not to download? Copy the text below and paste into your own document.

EXPENSE & DEDUCTION TRACKER - TAX YEAR 2026-27

  PART A - BUSINESS EXPENSES (if keeping books; not needed under presumptive)
  Date | Category | Payee | Amount (Rs) | Paid by (bank/UPI/cash) | TDS deducted? | Invoice held?
  ---- | -------- | ----- | ----------- | ----------------------- | ------------- | -------------
  |          |       |             |                         |               |
  CATEGORIES: rent | salaries/wages | raw materials/stock | utilities | travel | marketing | software/subscriptions | professional fees | bank/finance charges | repairs | other
  FLAGS:
  [ ] Any single cash payment over Rs 10,000 to one payee in a day? -> DISALLOWED (Section 40A(3))
  [ ] Paying a contractor/professional/rent and liable to deduct TDS? -> deduct, or lose 30% of the expense (40(a)(ia))
  [ ] Keep the invoice/proof for every entry

  PART B - PERSONAL DEDUCTIONS (OLD REGIME ONLY) - total at year-end
  [ ] 80C (EPF/PPF/ELSS/insurance/home-loan principal/tuition): Rs ________ (cap 1,50,000)
  [ ] 80CCD(1B) NPS extra: Rs ________ (cap 50,000)
  [ ] 80D health insurance: Rs ________ (25,000 / 50,000 with seniors)
  [ ] 24(b) home-loan interest (self-occupied): Rs ________ (cap 2,00,000)
  [ ] 80TTA/80TTB, 80E, 80G, 80GG, 80U/80DDB: Rs ________
  -> TOTAL old-regime deductions: Rs ________ (feed into the regime comparison)