Schedule C Tax Prep Workbook – Active STR Hosts, Self-Employment Tax, QBI (Excel)

For Airbnb and STR hosts who file Schedule C — substantial services, material participation, or active trade-or-business. Year-end Schedule C tax-prep workbook with SE tax preview + QBI safe harbor. Editable Excel.

Most STR income lives on Schedule E. But a meaningful subset of hosts —
the ones who provide substantial services (daily cleaning during stay,
meals, transportation, concierge) or who materially participate in an
active business — file Schedule C instead. That triggers self-employment
tax (15.3%), but it ALSO unlocks bigger deductions: §179, hospitality-services
expenses, vehicle qualified-business-use, full home office, retirement
plan contributions.

This workbook is the year-end tax-prep file for active STR hosts. It
mirrors the Schedule E sibling (TAX-004) but adds the Schedule C-specific
moves and reminders.

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WHAT'S INCLUDED
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📋 Schedule C vs E Confirmation
· The substantial-services test (cleaning during stay, meals, transportation)
· Material participation thresholds (100+ / 750+ hours)
· Material-participation hours log integration
· Confirms you're filing the right schedule before everything else

📋 Year-End Schedule C Wizard
· Walks Schedule C Part I (income) and Part II (expenses) line-by-line
· 26 expense categories pre-mapped to Schedule C line numbers
· Multi-channel revenue rollup (Airbnb / VRBO / Booking.com / Direct)
· Cost of goods sold worksheet (where applicable)

📋 SE Tax Preview
· Net SE earnings × 92.35% × 15.3%
· 50% above-the-line deduction calculated
· Solo 401(k) / SEP IRA contribution math (active business unlocks these)

📋 Hospitality Services Worksheet
· Substantial services that distinguish Sched C from E
· Revenue per service category
· Substantiation per category (per-stay logs, attendee notes)

📋 Vehicle Qualified-Business-Use Test
· Form 4562 Part V listed-property tracking
· 50% business-use threshold (drops below = §179 recapture)
· Annual recap

📋 QBI Safe-Harbor Worksheet
· Rev Proc 2019-38 — 250+ rental services hours
· Service hours log per quarter
· 20% QBI deduction eligibility flag

📋 Schedule C Summary Output
· Line-by-line totals (Lines 1, 4, 7, 8-26, 28, 30-31)
· Print-ready, ready for CPA or tax software

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WHY ACTIVE STR HOSTS NEED THIS
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Three specific moves that only Schedule C filers get:

1. SECTION 179 IMMEDIATE EXPENSING — full year-1 deduction on furniture,
appliances, equipment, and qualifying vehicles. Schedule E filers without
material participation can't use this.

2. SOLO 401(K) CONTRIBUTIONS — shelter up to ~$70K/yr in retirement on the
SE earnings. The single largest self-employed retirement vehicle.

3. QBI DEDUCTION — 20% of qualified business income, below the line. Active
STR meeting the 250-hour safe harbor qualifies. On $40K net business
income that's $8K reduced × your bracket = real tax saved.

The trade-off is the 15.3% SE tax. The math has to work — this workbook
shows you whether it does in your specific case.

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WHO THIS IS FOR
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· STR hosts providing substantial services (meals, transportation, daily cleaning)
· Active multi-property operators with 750+ documented hours/year
· Hotel-style operators who file Schedule C by default
· Anyone whose CPA flagged the Schedule E vs C decision and chose C
· Hosts using §179, Solo 401(k), or §199A QBI deduction

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WHO THIS IS NOT FOR
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· Pure-passive Schedule E filers (use TAX-004 instead)
· Hosts unsure of their classification (use TAX-008 SE Tax Calculator first
to walk the decision)

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HOW IT WORKS
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1. Open in January after year-end. Pre-loaded with sample data.
2. Confirm Schedule C classification on the Decision tab.
3. Paste your year's revenue + expenses into the logs.
4. Walk the Hospitality Services tab to substantiate your active-business claim.
5. Open the Vehicle worksheet — confirm 50%+ business use.
6. Open the Schedule C Summary. Print. Hand to CPA, or copy line-by-line into TurboTax/H&R Block.
7. Optionally walk Solo 401(k) + QBI tabs for additional plays.

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FILE COMPATIBILITY
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✅ Microsoft Excel 2016+ (Windows and Mac)
✅ Microsoft Excel 365
✅ Google Sheets

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REFUNDS + SUPPORT
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14-day refund, no questions asked. Email hello [!at] thestrledger.com — real humans,
fast replies.

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ABOUT THE STR LEDGER
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