Expense Tracking Guide

By creavio Team April 10, 2026 1 views

Expense Tracking Guide

Most photographers dread tax season because they spent the year shoving receipts into a drawer. creavio expense tracking fixes that by giving you a place to log everything as it happens.

Logging an Expense

  1. Go to Money > Expenses
  2. Click + New Expense
  3. Fill in:
    • Amount
    • Date
    • Category — choose from defaults or create custom categories
    • Vendor/Payee — who you paid
    • Description — what it was for
    • Client — link it to a client if it was a project-specific cost
  4. Click Save

Attaching Receipts

Click the paperclip icon on any expense to upload a receipt photo or PDF. You can also drag and drop files. creavio stores receipts securely and links them to the expense record.

Tip: Snap receipt photos immediately after purchase using your phone. Upload them right from the creavio mobile app. Paper fades. Emails get buried. A photo attached to the expense entry lasts forever.

Default Expense Categories

creavio comes with categories common to photography businesses:

  • Equipment — cameras, lenses, lighting, bags
  • Software — Lightroom, Photoshop, editing tools, cloud storage
  • Travel — gas, flights, hotels, parking
  • Education — workshops, courses, conferences
  • Insurance — gear insurance, liability insurance
  • Office/Studio — rent, utilities, supplies
  • Marketing — ads, website costs, print materials
  • Subcontractors — second shooters, assistants, editors
  • Meals — client meetings, on-location meals
  • Other

Create custom categories in Money > Settings > Categories if you need more specific breakdowns.

Recurring Expenses

For monthly subscriptions and repeat costs (Adobe CC, cloud storage, studio rent), mark an expense as Recurring. creavio will auto-create the entry each month so you do not have to remember.

Expense Reports

Go to Money > Reports to see expense summaries by:

  • Category — see where your money goes
  • Month/Quarter/Year — track spending over time
  • Client — see how much a specific project cost you (useful for calculating true profit per client)

Tax Deduction Tips for Photographers

Common deductible expenses (consult your accountant for specifics):

  • Camera bodies, lenses, and accessories
  • Computer and editing software
  • Studio rent or home office portion
  • Mileage to and from shoots
  • Website and hosting fees
  • Marketing and advertising costs
  • Professional development and education
  • Second shooter and assistant fees
  • Insurance premiums

The Tax Center pulls from your expense data to help you estimate quarterly taxes and prepare for filing.