Business cards and printed flyers belongs on Line 8, advertising.
Why line 8
Printed material whose job is to put your name in front of a prospect is advertising, so it sits on line 8 even though a print shop produced it. The test is the purpose of the item, not what it is made of. Paper you print invoices and client letters on is office expense on line 18, because it runs the business rather than promotes it.
Stop looking up lines one at a time. ClaryBook totals your year into an IRS Schedule C worksheet in form order, Part I and Part II line by line, so business cards and printed flyers lands on Line 8 without you sorting it.
Start for freeWhat business cards and printed flyers is confused with
- Line 18, office expense
- Printed matter that promotes the business is line 8; printer paper, toner and envelopes for day to day correspondence are office expense on line 18.
- Form 4562, form 4562, carried to schedule c line 13
- A flyer run is expensed on line 8; a permanent illuminated sign fixed to a building is an asset you depreciate on Form 4562.
Examples that belong on line 8
- $89 for 500 business cards from Vistaprint
- 2,000 door hangers for a lawn care route
- A $340 run of flyers for a studio opening
- $275 of vinyl lettering on a work van
- $120 of printed price lists left at a trade counter
What does not belong here
- Letterhead and envelopes used for invoicing, which is line 18
- A permanent exterior sign, which is depreciated rather than expensed
- The van the lettering sits on, which is a vehicle cost and never becomes advertising
What to keep
Keep the printer's invoice showing the quantity and what was printed. A card statement line naming only the print shop does not show that the item was promotional.
Other expenses on line 8
| Expense | Line |
|---|---|
| a domain name registration | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| a Squarespace or Webflow subscription | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| an email marketing tool such as Mailchimp | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| Facebook and Instagram ad spend | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| Google Ads spend | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| logo and brand design | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| SEO tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| sponsorship and influencer fees | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| website hosting | Schedule C, Line 8 |
Related lookups
Sources
This page explains how Schedule C lines work. It is general information, not tax advice for your situation. If an expense is large or the answer turns on a fact about your business, confirm it with your tax preparer.
Looking for a different expense? The full Schedule C line lookup has every line from 8 to 27 with the expenses that belong on each, and Schedule C expense categories walks the whole form in order.
Stop looking up lines one at a time. ClaryBook totals your year into an IRS Schedule C worksheet in form order, Part I and Part II line by line, so business cards and printed flyers lands on Line 8 without you sorting it.
Start for free