Have you ever gotten to tax season and thought, “Where did all my money go?” Or maybe you’ve driven two hours to a wedding and realized later that you forgot to track the mileage which means you literally missed out on a tax deduction.
If that sounds familiar, this post is for you. Let’s talk about the best apps for photographers to track business expenses and mileage, so you can stay organized all year long, stop scrambling at tax time, and keep more of what you earn.
Why Expense and Mileage Tracking Matters
Here’s the thing: tracking your expenses and mileage isn’t just about staying organized, it’s about saving yourself real money. Every business purchase and every mile you drive for work can reduce your taxable income.
But if you don’t track it, you can’t deduct it.
Instead of piecing together bank statements (or worse, guessing in April), these tools will make it simple, automatic, and stress-free.
Best Tools for Tracking Business Expenses
1. QuickBooks Self-Employed
This one’s a fan favorite among small business owners. QuickBooks automatically pulls in your transactions from your bank and credit cards. You just review and categorize them. Iit’s that easy.
It can also help you track receipts, prep for sales tax, and manage 1099s for your contractors.
Why I love it: It takes the guesswork out of bookkeeping, so you’re not manually tracking every dollar.
2. Wave Accounting
If you’re newer in business and want a free option, Wave is fantastic. It handles income and expense tracking without the extra bells and whistles you may not need yet.
Why it’s great for beginners: It’s clean, simple, and gives you a solid overview of your business finances without the cost.
3. HoneyBook
You might already know HoneyBook as a client management system, but it’s also great for tracking income and expenses if you are not yet ready to get Quickbooks.
In my business, HoneyBook tracks client invoices, payments, and even generates sales tax and profit-loss reports. That means everything I need is already in one place.
This post is brought to you by HoneyBook. The CRM I’ve used since the very beginning of my photography business. If you’re ready to get more organized, you can use my link in the description to get 25% off your first year.
4. Expensify
If you’re always on the go and hate paper receipts, Expensify will be your new best friend. Just snap a photo of your receipt, and it automatically logs and categorizes the expense.
Perfect for: Wedding days, travel, or any time you don’t want to deal with piles of receipts later.
Best Tools for Tracking Mileage
1. MileIQ
This one runs automatically in the background of your phone and tracks every drive. All you do is swipe left or right to mark a trip as personal or business.
Why I love it: It saves me from having to remember odometer readings or log drives manually.
2. Stride
A great free option if you’re just getting started. Stride tracks mileage and basic expenses. A solid choice if you’re new to business or don’t want to juggle multiple apps.
3. Everlance
Another automatic tracker that’s super easy to use. Plus, it integrates with your bank if you want to track mileage and expenses all in one app.
Putting It All Together
If you’re brand new and on a budget → Wave + Stride is a solid, free combo.
If you want everything in one place → HoneyBook is your all-in-one system.
If you’re scaling up and want the most automation → QuickBooks + HoneyBook + MileIQ can’t be beat.
The most important part? Consistency.
Even checking in once a week can save you hours during tax season (and a lot of stress).
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to love bookkeeping to take control of your business finances. You just need the right tools. The good news is, these apps make it easier than ever.
So whether you start small or go all-in with automation, remember: every dollar and every mile you track helps you build a more sustainable, profitable photography business.
Now go grab your coffee, open up one of these apps, and give future-you the biggest tax-season gift: organization.
XOXO ~ Heather
Let’s Prep for Tax Season – Together
Keep more of what you make inside of your business with these 5 key deductions for photographers. I’m sharing all inside of my free class — Maximizing Your Tax Deductions as a Photographer!
Make tracking your numbers easy with my Tax Prep Spreadsheet and ensure that tax season is a breeze.
Transform your passion into a thriving business and unlock success for your photography business with my free guide to setting goals for the first year of your photography business.
Mastering your business taxes starts with understanding the different tax categories. Grab my free tax category guide to take the first step towards stress-free taxes today.
Want taxes to suck less? Learn how to correctly prepare your taxes for your accountant with the Photographer Tax Course – and say hello to a confident and calm tax season!
Don’t know what you don’t know? You’re just 90 minutes from a custom tax prep system with my 1:1 Tax Prep Mentoring sessions!
Other Recent Blog Posts:
Federal vs. State Taxes for Photographers
Can You Deduct Personal Expenses as a Photographer?
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