An email marketing tool such as Mailchimp belongs on Line 8, advertising.
Why line 8
An email platform exists to send promotional messages to a list, so the subscription is advertising on line 8. The contact tier, the extra send volume and a dedicated sending domain fee all go with it. A service that only delivers receipts and password resets is administrative, not promotional, and is closer to office expense.
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 an email marketing tool such as Mailchimp lands on Line 8 without you sorting it.
Start for freeWhat an email marketing tool such as Mailchimp is confused with
- Line 18, office expense
- A list and campaign tool is line 8; a transactional mail service that only sends receipts and system notices is office expense on line 18.
- Line 10, commissions and fees
- A flat monthly send fee is line 8; an affiliate payout triggered by a sale from that email is a commission on line 10.
Examples that belong on line 8
- $20 a month on Mailchimp Essentials for 2,000 contacts
- A $45 a month Klaviyo plan for an online shop
- $29 a month on ConvertKit for a newsletter
- $99 a year for a dedicated sending domain and warm-up
- A $150 one-off list cleaning service
What does not belong here
- A receipts-only transactional mail service, which is office expense on line 18
- Postage for mailing paper invoices, which is line 18
- Your own paid newsletter subscriptions
What to keep
Keep the platform invoice and note the campaigns it covers. If the same account mails both a business list and a personal one, keep the split.
Other expenses on line 8
| Expense | Line |
|---|---|
| a domain name registration | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| a Squarespace or Webflow subscription | Schedule C, Line 8 |
| business cards and printed flyers | 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 an email marketing tool such as Mailchimp lands on Line 8 without you sorting it.
Start for free