Bilbx Learn • United States
What your receipts are worth in the US
Straight answers on business expenses, IRS retention periods, and return rights in the United States - with every tax code and statute linked and verified.
IRS & tax records
Retention periods, digital storage rules under Rev. Proc. 97-22, and what the IRS requires for Schedule C deductions.
How long do you need to keep receipts for the IRS?
Three years - or up to seven for certain deductions. When the IRS clock starts, which business records to hold, and when digital copies are enough.
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Do you need receipts for expenses under $75 for the IRS?
The $75 rule applies only to specific travel and meal expenses. Why lodging and general supplies never qualify, and how to avoid an audit trap.
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Does the IRS accept photos of receipts?
How electronic receipt records can meet IRS recordkeeping requirements, what clear copies need to show, and why retrieval matters.
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How to record self-employed income in the US
Self-employed income records: invoices, payments and the documents to keep for the IRS. A practical way to connect earnings with business expenses.
ReadHow to split receipts between business and personal use
How to apportion mixed receipts and recurring bills for tax deductions. IRS, ATO, and HMRC rules for business-use percentages, phone bills, and store dockets.
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How to track home improvement costs for taxes
Keep every receipt for the project in one place and separate improvements from repairs. How the IRS treats them on your home and on a rental property.
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IRS audit with lost receipts: How the Cohan Rule works
What happens if the IRS audits you and receipts are missing. How the Cohan Rule works, where it fails under Section 274(d), and how to reconstruct records.
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Receipts in a foreign currency: converting expenses to US dollars for the IRS
Paid for a business expense in euros or yen? The IRS rule for converting to dollars, which exchange rates it accepts, and what to keep with a foreign receipt.
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Rental property records for Schedule E: what US landlords should keep
The records US landlords need for rent, deposits, deductible expenses and depreciation, how personal use changes the rules, and how long to keep receipts.
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Rideshare and delivery income: records for the US
Driving for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Uber Eats or Instacart in the US? See which earnings statements, fees, payouts and vehicle records to keep for the IRS.
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Schedule C receipt requirements: What records do sole proprietors need?
What receipts sole proprietors and 1099 contractors must keep. Contemporaneous logs, bank statements vs receipts, and how to prove Schedule C deductions.
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Selling online and Form 1099-K: when it's taxable and what the IRS sees
Got a 1099-K from eBay, Etsy or PayPal? Learn the $20,000/200-transaction rule, how personal items sold at a loss work, and which receipts to keep.
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Standard mileage deduction: what records do you need?
Business travel, statement distance, logbooks and expense receipts: the vehicle records to keep in the US before calculating a car claim.
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US tax deadlines for the 2026 tax year: filing, extensions and estimated tax
The 2026 tax year is the calendar year. Returns are due April 15, 2027, extensions run to October 15, and estimated tax is due four times a year.
ReadWarranties & returns
Magnuson-Moss rights, state return laws, and what counts as legal proof of purchase when you lost the receipt.
Can you return an item without a receipt in the US?
Whether you can return an item without a receipt depends on store policy, state law and whether it is defective. How US return and warranty rules work.
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Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: Can a company void your warranty for missing receipts?
Can a manufacturer void your warranty if you lose the receipt? How the Magnuson-Moss Act, anti-tying rules, and implied warranties protect American consumers.
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Returning holiday gifts in the US: gift receipts, return windows and your rights
No federal law makes stores take back unwanted gifts. What gift receipts get you, state return-policy laws, defective gifts and federal gift card rules.
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What counts as proof of purchase in the United States?
Bank statements, order confirmations, loyalty accounts, and card lookups. What counts as proof of purchase for returns and warranties in the US under the UCC.
ReadManaging receipts
Practical ways to track business expenses and keep an audit-ready digital paper trail.
For the figures Bilbx applies in the US, see the tax rules for the US. These guides are general information, not tax or legal advice. How we research and review them.