If tax time for your handmade business makes your stomach do a little flip… welcome. You’re in the right place.
Between confusing IRS rules, scary forms, online rumors, and well-meaning advice from people who don’t run creative businesses, tax time can feel way bigger and scarier than it actually is.
Here’s the truth most makers don’t hear enough:
The IRS doesn’t expect perfection. They expect reasonable records, consistency, and an honest effort to report your income and expenses.
This page is your tax-time handmade business roadmap — created specifically for handmade, creative, and craft business owners. Not accountants. Not corporations. Real makers running real businesses.
You don’t need to read everything in one sitting.
Or overhaul your entire life.
You just need a clear starting point.
And this is it.
How to Use This Tax-Time Guide
Think of this page like a gentle checklist, not a cram session.
- Start with the first post to understand what the IRS actually cares about
- Work through the cleanup and clarity posts at your own pace
- Use the later posts to understand forms, expenses, and who can help you
Each post builds on the one before it, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start at the top and move down slowly.
Bookmark this page. Come back to it. You’re not behind.
While you’re waiting for the posts to go live, grab a copy of the IRS-Ready Checklist, if you want to see exactly what the IRS expects you to have ready, this checklist will walk you through it without the overwhelm
The Tax-Time Path (In Order)
Below you’ll find a curated set of posts designed to help you move from:
“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do”
to
“Okay… I can handle this.”
Twice a week (on Monday and Friday) I’ll be releasing a new or updated post to help you make tax time less overwhelming and scary.
Here’s the schedule:
1. (COMING 2/2/26) What Does the IRS Even Want From Me?
Start here if you’re unsure about what actually matters — and what doesn’t — when it comes to taxes for your handmade business.
2. (COMING 2/6/2026) Your Bookkeeping Is a Mess — How To Clean It Up BEFORE Tax Time.
A realistic, no-shame look at how to get your books into decent shape, before handing them off or filing your taxes.
3. (COMING 2/9/26) Are You a Hobby or a Business? The IRS Rules Handmade Sellers Need to Know
If you’ve ever worried about whether your handmade business “counts,” or not, this one’s for you.
4. (COMING 2/13/26) Handmade Business Expenses 101: Ordinary + Necessary + Reasonable.
What expenses are deductible. Which aren’t. And, how the IRS actually defines this rule.
5. (COMING 2/16/26) Etsy, PayPal & the 1099-K: What Handmade Sellers Need to Know
What those forms mean — and what they don’t mean — for your taxes.
6. (COMING 2/20/26) Bookkeeping + Schedule C: A Step-by-Step Guide for Handmade Business Owners
How your bookkeeping connects directly to your tax return (and why a decent system saves you stress).
7. (COMING 2/23/26) Meet Your Bookkeeping Fairies (Yes… They’re Real, and They’re Here to Help You Run Your Handmade Business Without Crying Into Your Yarn) 🧚♀️
A little calm, perspective, and reassurance (with a sprinkle of humor) as tax season starts to feel heavy.
8. (COMING 2/27/26) Tax Preparers, Business Advisors, Accountants & Bookkeepers
Who does what, who should you hire (and when). Plus, how to get the help you actually need.
One Last Thing … Before Diving Into Tax Time
A gentle reminder … Tax time for your handmade business doesn’t have to be perfect to be done.
Progress beats panic.
Clarity beats guessing.
And support beats doing this alone.
Take this one post at a time — and remind yourself that thousands of handmade business owners are figuring this out right alongside you.
You’ve got this. 💛
