Where can I find business income or loss?
James Williams
Published Feb 25, 2026
Use Schedule C (Form 1040) to report income or loss from a business you operated or a profession you practiced as a sole proprietor. An activity qualifies as a business if: Your primary purpose for engaging in the activity is for income or profit.
How do I report small business income?
A sole proprietor files Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship) to report the income and expenses of the business and reports the net business earnings on Form 1040 series.
What is business income or loss on tax return?
The line item for business income (or loss) applies to any taxpayer who worked as an independent contractor1, practiced a profession as a sole proprietor, or operated a self-owned business. If the taxpayer earned a profit, he/she must pay federal income taxes2 on that achieved gain.
Where can I Find my Lost W-2 form?
The form can be downloaded at IRS.gov. “These transcripts will include tax return information including W-2s, 1099s, etc.,” Hockenberry says. While the system for lost W-2 form replacement is reliable and simple to use, there’s no similar way to replace lost receipts and other supporting documents.
What to do if you are missing a tax form?
First, you should head into tax season with a general idea of the tax forms you should receive. Make sure you’ve received wage and benefit forms from every employer you worked for during the year, as well as 1099 forms from any freelance clients. These are the most basic forms. Here are a few others you might need:
Where can I get a copy of my prior year tax return?
The IRS has an online “ Get Transcript ” tool on IRS.gov that lets you download or receive by email or mail transcripts of your prior return. Taxpayers can also request transcripts of prior year returns by mailing a completed copy of the paper Form 4506 to the IRS. The form can be downloaded at IRS.gov.
What to do if you lost a prior year’s tax return?
A prior year’s return is often necessary to complete the current year’s return. You may, for instance, need to know details of depreciation taken on previously purchased equipment. Fortunately, if a prior return has been lost or destroyed, you can get a copy from the IRS.