Some of what is inside
- Chapter 15 · Hobby vs Business for Tax PurposesHow the IRS decides whether it's a business or a hobby
- Chapter 19 · Business Use of HomeThe home office, and how the space is measured
- Chapter 21 · Your Personal VehicleUsing your own car for business trips
- Chapter 10 · Your Tax Preparer is Giving You Bad AdviceLearn what your Tax Preparer is saying
- Chapter 13 · Part-Time Effort: Write OffsRunning a small business alongside a full-time job
- Chapter 11 · Gig Economy: Write OffsGig work, rental income and what happens in an audit
Sound familiar?
Where the confusion usually starts
Most people with a home business don't skip write-offs because they don't care. They skip them because nobody told them what counts, and guessing feels riskier than leaving it out.
The book goes through what counts, what doesn't, and what to write down, in the order a home business actually runs into it. Plain English, no accounting background needed.
It's short enough to read in a weekend, and it's the kind of book you keep on the desk rather than on the shelf.
"Is this a business or a hobby?"
The book explains the test the IRS applies, and why it matters before anything gets claimed.
"Half of it's personal."
Phone, internet, the car, a corner of the house. It covers how mixed-use costs are split and what shows the split is fair.
"Claiming it will get me audited."
Chapter 18 is about surviving an audit, and chapter 27 goes through the myths. A claim with records behind it is a different thing from a risky one.
"My preparer handles that."
Chapter 10 is called Your Tax Preparer is Giving You Bad Advice. Preparers work fast in season and only see what you bring them.
This guides on what to bring them and what to ask.
Is this book for you?
If any of these sound like you, yes.
Not every book is for every reader. Here's who this one is genuinely for.
A job, and something on the side
Tutoring, freelancing, a craft shop. Chapter 13 covers running a business on part-time effort, and what counts when the income is small.
Creating or selling from home
Course creators, affiliate marketers, direct sellers. The book names each of these and covers the costs they usually carry.
Driving or delivering through an app
Rideshare and delivery work get their own section: the car, the phone, and the records that go with them.
Nod at even one? You're exactly who we curated this for.
Free digital companion with every order · 30-day guarantee
Before you buy
We'd rather you bought the right book
Even if it isn't this one. Here's the honest version of both sides.
Buy it if
- You run any kind of business from home in the U.S. and want to understand the write-offs before tax season, not during it.
- You'd rather walk into your preparer's office with a list of questions prepared.
- You're in your first year or two of working for yourself.
Skip it if
- You want line-by-line help filling in a return. The author says plainly that it isn't that kind of book.
- You already have an accountant who plans with you through the year.
If the left-hand side is you, the rest of this page shows exactly what you get.
What's inside
Content Page
All thirty chapters, as they appear in the book. It opens with Preface and Introduction, and closes with a list of expense categories, footnotes and a note about the author.
HOW THE BOOK IS LAID OUT
Thirty chapters, in five runs
- 1 to 9: why the rules work the way they do
- 10 to 13: who this applies to, from gig work to rentals to part-time
- 14 to 18: proving it's a business, and surviving an audit
- 19 to 25: the write-offs themselves, one at a time
- 26 to 30: further strategies, the myths, and what to do next
WHAT YOU GET PER CHAPTER
Short chapters, one topic each
- A topic per chapter, so you can read the one you need
- Plain English, with examples from ordinary home businesses
- Written for U.S. and Canadian readers
- 195 pages, and it ends with a list of expense categories to work from
WHAT IT DOESN'T DO
It won't fill in your return
- No line-by-line filing instructions
- No software walkthrough
- It explains what counts and what to keep, so the return is easier to hand over
STRAIGHT FROM THE READERS
What some have said after reading this book
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on July 22nd, 2026
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on July 15th, 2026
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on Sept 3rd, 2026
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on March 14th, 2026
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on July 16th, 2026
The Home-Based Business Guide to Write Off Almost Anything
$42.00
Purchased on June 20th, 2026
How this book earned its place
Before a title reaches our shelf, we ask four simple questions. Here's how this one answered.
Yes. It takes the expenses home-business owners ask about most and ties each one to the record that supports it.
Short chapters, everyday words, and examples from ordinary home businesses rather than corporations.
Yes. Each chapter covers a specific point and can be turned to when in doubt.
Yes. It's the book we'd hand anyone who has just started earning from home, before their first tax season.
Made by us, exclusive Sage & Page Companions
The book teaches it. These help you apply it.
Four companions we wrote ourselves. Print them as often as you like.
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In The Kit and The Whole Year
In The Kit and The Whole Year
In The Whole YearAll companions are instant digital downloads - no app, no QR-code maze. Print them as many times as you like.
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Three ways to take it home
Same book in every bundle. The difference is the companions made to help alongside it.
The Book
$42 Free 2026 Quick Sheet
The guide, plus this year's numbers
- The paperback
- The 2026 Quick Sheet, free
- The Records Kit ($15 on its own)
- Questions for Your Preparer ($15 on its own)
- The Quarterly Rhythm ($12 on its own)
The Kit
$54 $72 value, you save $18
The guide, and the records to go with it
- The paperback
- The 2026 Quick Sheet, free
- The Records Kit ($15 on its own)
- Questions for Your Preparer ($15 on its own)
- The Quarterly Rhythm ($12 on its own)
The Whole Year
$62 $84 value, you save $22
Everything you need for the year, re-usable every year
- The paperback
- The 2026 Quick Sheet, free
- The Records Kit ($15 on its own)
- Questions for Your Preparer ($15 on its own)
- The Quarterly Rhythm ($12 on its own)
Every bundle includes free worldwide shipping and the 30-day money-back guarantee. Companions are instant digital downloads — no app, no QR-code maze, no waiting.
GOOD TO KNOW
Common Questions
Yes. It's written for beginners, in everyday words, with examples from ordinary home businesses. The Records Kit gives you the logs to start with the same day.
There's a chapter on surviving an audit and another on the myths around them. Between them they cover what tends to draw attention, which is usually inconsistencies and claims with nothing behind them, and the records that support what you claim. For your own return, your preparer is the right person to ask.
Yes. There's a section on costs from getting started, including some spent before the business officially opened.
Every order includes our 2026 Quick Sheet with the current mileage rate, 1099 limits and estimated-tax dates, each linked to its IRS page.
No. It explains how write-offs work so you can have a better conversation with whoever prepares your return. For decisions about your own taxes, talk to a tax professional.
The book was written with part-time and first-year businesses in mind. There's a section on running one alongside a regular job.
It focuses on federal rules in the U.S. and on Canada's CRA. State rules vary, so check those with a preparer.
A physical print. The companions are digital downloads you keep forever.
You're covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee. We'd rather you actually use what's inside than feel stuck with a book on a shelf.
Email us and we'll make it right.
Read it risk-free for 30 days — We'd rather you actually use what's inside than feel stuck with a book on a shelf.
If the book isn't for you, email us within 30 days for a full refund.
Get your copy
Read it risk-free for 30 days — We'd rather you actually use what's inside than feel stuck with a book on a shelf.
If the book isn't for you, email us within 30 days for a full refund.
Get your copyNext April can be a lot calmer than the last one.
Read it before tax season, not during it
The book, this year's numbers and the records to keep them. Everything a home business needs in one order.
Worth $84 - today $62
The Whole Year — $62— The Sage & Page team · Curated for growth.
We don't believe every book deserves your attention. We believe the right book can stay with you for years.
That's why every title we recommend has earned its place through our curation process — not because it's popular, but because we believe it offers lasting value.
