The Challenge: Receipts Everywhere, Deductions Nowhere
Sarah Mitchell has been a freelance photographer in Portland for five years. Between wedding shoots, corporate headshots, and real estate photography, she juggles dozens of expenses every week — camera gear, gas to locations, editing software subscriptions, props, and printing costs.
For years, her system was simple: stuff receipts into a shoebox, sort them once a year when tax season hit, and hope for the best. The result? Hours of painful sorting, missing receipts, and her accountant constantly flagging expenses that were miscategorized or unaccounted for.
The Cost of Disorganization
- ✗ Estimated $3,000-5,000 in missed deductions annually
- ✗ 4+ hours every Sunday sorting receipts
- ✗ $800 accountant fee partly due to disorganized records
- ✗ Constant stress about being audit-ready
The Switch: Why ExpenseEasy
Sarah tried other expense apps before — QuickBooks Self-Employed, Expensify, even a spreadsheet template from a Facebook group. They all had the same problem: they wanted her bank login, her credit card access, or a monthly subscription she couldn't justify.
When a photographer friend mentioned ExpenseEasy, two things caught her attention: it was free, and it didn't need her bank account. She downloaded it on a Tuesday afternoon and scanned her first receipt in under 10 seconds.
“I was skeptical about the AI categorization, but it nailed my camera lens purchase as a 'Professional Equipment' deduction on the first try. That's when I knew this was different.”
— Sarah Mitchell
The Results: First Tax Season with ExpenseEasy
After six months of scanning every receipt with ExpenseEasy, Sarah sat down with her accountant for tax prep. The difference was dramatic.
Before ExpenseEasy
- ✗ Manual sorting: 4 hours/week
- ✗ 23 deductions claimed
- ✗ Tax prep: 2 full days
- ✗ Missed mileage deductions entirely
- ✗ Accountant fee: $800
After ExpenseEasy
- Auto-scanning: 30 seconds/receipt
- 47 deductions claimed
- Tax prep: 2 hours (exported CSV)
- Trip tracking caught $1,800 in mileage
- Accountant fee: $400 (clean records)
Key Features That Made the Difference
AI Receipt Scanning
Snap a photo and the AI extracts amount, vendor, date, and category in seconds. Sarah scans receipts right at the checkout counter.
CSV Export
One tap to export all expenses as a clean CSV file. Sarah's accountant imports it directly into her tax software.
Smart Categorization
The AI learned Sarah's spending patterns — it knows a B&H Photo purchase is professional equipment, not personal shopping.
Sarah's Advice for Other Freelancers
“Stop putting off expense tracking. I know it feels like a chore, but with ExpenseEasy it literally takes 10 seconds per receipt. I scan it right when I get it, and everything is categorized automatically. My only regret is not starting sooner — I estimate I lost $10,000+ in deductions over my first three years of freelancing.”
Sarah Mitchell
Freelance Photographer, Portland OR