Top Tax Deductions Freelancers and Founders Miss

Short answer: the deductions self-employed people miss most are the home office, software/subscriptions, a portion of phone & internet, business travel, 50% of business meals, health insurance, retirement contributions, and the QBI deduction. Missing them means paying tax on money you didn't need to.

The commonly-missed write-offs

• Home office. If you use part of your home regularly and exclusively for work, you can deduct it (the simplified method is easiest).
• Software & subscriptions. Your tools — design, hosting, SaaS, that AI subscription — are deductible.
• Phone & internet (business portion). Deduct the share you use for work.
• Business travel. Flights, hotels, and transportation for business trips (not commuting).
• Meals — 50%. Business meals are generally half-deductible.
• Health insurance. Self-employed health-insurance premiums are often deductible.
• Retirement. Contributions to a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k) lower your taxable income.
• QBI deduction. Many pass-through owners can deduct up to 20% of qualified business income.
• Startup costs. Some costs of getting the business going are deductible.

Why people miss them

Deductions hide in personal spending when business and personal money are mixed. If everything runs through one account, half these write-offs never get claimed — which is why separating business and personal matters so much.

How to actually capture them

1. Run business spend through a dedicated account/card.
2. Categorize consistently all year (not in a panic in April).
3. Review by category before filing so nothing's missed.

FounderFi's deduction finder flags likely write-offs by Schedule C line from your business expenses — turning "I think that's deductible" into a clear list for your accountant.

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Educational guidance, not licensed tax advice. Eligibility depends on your situation — confirm with a CPA.