Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about RightOffs, tax deductions, and managing your business expenses.

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About RightOffs

What is RightOffs?

RightOffs is an expense tracking and tax deduction management platform designed specifically for self-employed individuals, freelancers, and small business owners. We help you automatically track business expenses, categorize transactions for tax purposes, and generate reports ready for your accountant or tax filing.

Who is RightOffs designed for?

RightOffs is perfect for:

• Freelancers (writers, designers, developers, consultants)
• Self-employed professionals (photographers, coaches, trainers)
• Sole proprietors and small business owners
• Gig economy workers (rideshare drivers, delivery drivers)
• Independent contractors in any field
• Side hustlers with business income

How is RightOffs different from other expense trackers?

Unlike generic expense tracking apps, RightOffs is built specifically for tax deductions:

• IRS-aligned categories: Our expense categories match Schedule C line items
• Business vs. personal: Easy classification of mixed-use expenses
• Tax-ready reports: Export directly to formats your accountant needs
• Automatic bank sync: Connect your business accounts for hands-free tracking
• Smart categorization: AI learns your spending patterns over time

Is RightOffs a replacement for an accountant?

No, RightOffs is designed to complement your accountant's work, not replace them. We help you:

• Keep organized records throughout the year
• Generate reports that save your accountant time
• Reduce billable hours for data entry
• Ensure you don't miss deductible expenses

We always recommend consulting with a tax professional for complex situations.

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Pricing & Plans

What plans does RightOffs offer?

Free Plan - $0/month

• Manual transaction entry
• Professional P&L expense categories
• Basic reporting
• Perfect for getting started

Pro Plan - $15/month or $150/year (save $30)

• Everything in Free, plus:
• Up to 3 automatic bank account connections
• Additional bank accounts for $2/month each
• Unlimited business tracking
• Receipt storage and management
• AI-powered receipt scanning

Founder's Access - $300 one-time payment

• Everything in Pro, plus:
• Unlimited bank account connections (no $2 fee)
• Lifetime access with no recurring fees
• Priority email support
• Vote on new features
• Early access to all updates

Is there a free trial?

Yes! Pro subscribers get a 7-day free trial to test all features before being charged. You can cancel anytime during the trial.

Can I change plans later?

Absolutely. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your subscription at any time from Settings > Billing.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through our secure payment processor, Stripe.

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Bank Connections & Security

Is it safe to connect my bank account?

Yes, connecting your bank account is secure:

• We use Plaid, the same technology used by Venmo, Robinhood, and thousands of financial apps
• We have read-only access - we can never move money or make transactions
• All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• We are SOC 2 compliant and follow industry best practices
• Your bank credentials are never stored on our servers

What banks can I connect?

We support over 12,000 financial institutions in the US, including:

• Major banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi)
• Online banks (Ally, Marcus, Discover)
• Credit unions
• Business bank accounts
• Credit cards

Can I disconnect my bank at any time?

Yes. Go to Settings > Connected Accounts and click "Disconnect" on any account. Your historical transaction data remains unless you choose to delete it.

How often do transactions sync?

Transactions typically sync automatically every few hours. You can also manually trigger a sync from the Connected Accounts settings.

Why is my bank connection showing an error?

Common reasons include:

• Your bank credentials changed (password updated)
• Your bank requires re-authentication for security
• Your bank is experiencing technical issues
• Multi-factor authentication needs to be completed

To fix: Go to Settings > Connected Accounts and click "Reconnect" on the affected account.

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Tax Deductions

What business expenses can I deduct?

As a self-employed individual, you can generally deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses. Common categories include:

Office & Workspace

• Home office expenses (dedicated space)
• Office supplies and equipment
• Furniture and fixtures
• Internet and phone (business portion)

Travel & Transportation

• Business travel (flights, hotels, rental cars)
• Mileage for business driving (check IRS standard mileage rates for current year)
• Parking and tolls for business
• Public transportation for business

Professional Services

• Accounting and legal fees
• Consulting services
• Freelancer/contractor payments
• Business coaching

Marketing & Advertising

• Website hosting and domains
• Online advertising (Google, Facebook, etc.)
• Business cards and printed materials
• Social media tools and scheduling

Software & Subscriptions

• Business software (accounting, design, productivity)
• Cloud storage and backup
• Professional memberships
• Industry publications

Education & Development

• Courses related to your business
• Professional certifications
• Books and educational materials
• Conferences and workshops

Insurance

• Health insurance (self-employed deduction)
• Business liability insurance
• Professional liability/E&O insurance
• Equipment and property insurance

What is the home office deduction?

If you use part of your home exclusively and regularly for business, you can deduct a portion of your housing costs. There are two methods:

Simplified Method

• $5 per square foot of home office
• Maximum 300 square feet ($1,500 deduction)
• No complex calculations required

Regular Method

• Calculate the percentage of home used for business
• Apply that percentage to: rent/mortgage interest, utilities, insurance, repairs, depreciation
• Requires more record-keeping but may yield higher deduction

Can I deduct meals and entertainment?

Meals: Business meals are 50% deductible when you're:

• Meeting with clients or potential clients
• Traveling for business
• Working late or during unusual hours

Entertainment: As of 2018, entertainment expenses are generally NOT deductible (concerts, sporting events, golf outings, etc.)

Tip: Keep detailed records of who you met with and the business purpose.

What's the difference between business and personal expenses?

Business expenses are costs that are "ordinary and necessary" for your trade or profession. They must be:

• Common and accepted in your industry
• Helpful and appropriate for your business
• Not lavish or extravagant

Personal expenses are costs for everyday living that aren't directly related to earning business income.

Mixed-use expenses (like a cell phone used for both) should be split based on business usage percentage.

How do I handle mixed-use expenses (personal & business)?

For expenses used for both personal and business purposes:

1. Track the total expense
2. Estimate the business use percentage
3. Only deduct the business portion

Example: If your cell phone bill is $100/month and you use it 60% for business, you can deduct $60/month.

Common mixed-use expenses:

• Cell phone and internet
• Vehicle expenses
• Home office utilities
• Computer and electronics

What records do I need to keep?

The IRS requires adequate records to substantiate deductions:

For all expenses:

• Amount of the expense
• Date it was paid or incurred
• Business purpose
• Receipt or documentation

For travel:

• Destination and business purpose
• Dates of travel
• Itemized expenses

For meals:

• Who attended and their business relationship
• Business purpose of the meal
• Location

For vehicle expenses:

• Mileage log with date, destination, and purpose
• OR actual expenses with business use percentage

How long to keep records: Generally 3 years from filing date, but 7 years is safer.

What are quarterly estimated taxes?

If you're self-employed and expect to owe $1,000+ in taxes, you must make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. Due dates are:

• Q1: April 15
• Q2: June 15
• Q3: September 15
• Q4: January 15 (of the following year)

RightOffs can help you track your income and expenses to estimate your quarterly payments.

What is Schedule C?

Schedule C (Form 1040) is the tax form used by sole proprietors to report business income and expenses. It's filed with your personal tax return. RightOffs categories align with Schedule C line items to make filing easier.

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Transaction Management

How do I categorize a transaction?

1. Go to the Transactions page
2. Find the transaction you want to categorize
3. Click on it to open the details
4. Select a category from the dropdown
5. Optionally add notes or mark as personal

What do the different transaction statuses mean?

• Unclassified: Needs to be categorized (business, personal, or ignored)
• Business: Counted as a business expense or income
• Personal: Not a business expense, excluded from reports
• Ignored: Neither business nor personal, excluded from everything

Can I split a transaction between business and personal?

Yes! For mixed-use transactions:

1. Open the transaction details
2. Click "Split Transaction"
3. Enter the business portion amount
4. The remainder is automatically marked as personal

How do I add a manual transaction?

For cash payments or expenses from accounts you haven't connected:

1. Go to Settings > Manual Transactions
2. Click "Add Transaction"
3. Enter the details (date, amount, vendor, category)
4. Save the transaction

Can I edit or delete transactions?

• Synced transactions: You can change the category and add notes, but not edit the amount or date (this comes from your bank)
• Manual transactions: Fully editable and can be deleted
• All transactions: Can be marked as ignored if entered in error

What is "Quick Classify"?

Quick Classify groups similar transactions together so you can categorize multiple at once. For example, if you have 12 transactions from "Starbucks", you can classify them all as "Meals & Entertainment" in one click.

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Reports & Exports

What reports can I generate?

• Profit & Loss (P&L): Income vs. expenses by category
• Expense by Category: Detailed breakdown of spending
• Monthly Summary: Month-over-month comparison
• Annual Summary: Year-end totals for tax filing
• Transaction Detail: Full list of all transactions

How do I export my data?

1. Go to Settings > Export Data
2. Select the date range and report type
3. Choose your format (CSV, PDF, or Excel)
4. Click "Export"

What format should I send to my accountant?

Most accountants prefer:

• CSV: For importing into accounting software
• PDF: For a formatted summary report
• Excel: For accountants who want to manipulate the data

Ask your accountant their preference - RightOffs supports all common formats.

Can I export data for multiple years?

Yes, you can export data for any date range you have in your account. Select custom dates when exporting.

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Technical & Troubleshooting

What browsers are supported?

RightOffs works best on:

• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari

We recommend keeping your browser updated to the latest version.

Is there a mobile app?

Currently, RightOffs is a web-based application optimized for mobile browsers. A dedicated mobile app is on our roadmap.

Why aren't my transactions syncing?

Try these steps:

1. Check if the bank connection shows an error (Settings > Connected Accounts)
2. If there's an error, click "Reconnect" and re-authenticate
3. Try manually triggering a sync
4. If issues persist, contact support@rightoffs.com

How do I reset my password?

1. Go to the sign-in page
2. Click "Forgot Password"
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for reset instructions
5. Follow the link to create a new password

How do I contact support?

• Email: support@rightoffs.com (responses within 24 hours)
• Send a Question: Use the contact form in the Help section
• Help Center: Browse articles at /help

Can I delete my account?

Yes. Go to Settings > Personal Details > Delete Account. This will:

• Permanently delete all your data
• Cancel any active subscriptions
• Remove all bank connections

Warning: This action cannot be undone. Consider exporting your data first.

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Still Have Questions?

If you didn't find the answer you were looking for:

• Browse our Help Center for detailed guides
• Contact us at support@rightoffs.com
• Use the Send a Question form in the Help section

We typically respond within 24 hours on business days.