Every April, freelancers discover the same three problems: they don't know what they earned, they can't find their deductible expenses, and they didn't set aside enough for taxes. One spreadsheet, maintained 10 minutes a week, solves all three.
The three logs every freelancer needs
Invoices: number, client, amount, due date, status. The moment an invoice flips to Paid, it counts toward your quarterly income — that's what the IRS cares about (cash basis).
Expenses: date, category, amount
Software, contractors, marketing, travel, education, fees. Logged when they happen, not reconstructed in April from bank statements.
The quarterly math
Net profit = paid income − expenses. Self-employment tax ≈ 15.3% × 92.35% of profit (IRS Schedule SE). Add income tax at your effective rate. For most freelancers the safe set-aside lands between 25–30% of profit, moved to a separate account every quarter. Estimated payments are due mid-April, June, September, and January.
Get it done in one download
The Freelancer Finance Pack ($19) has all three logs pre-built, a quarterly tax estimator using exactly this math, and a ready-to-send invoice template. Excel + Google Sheets, 30-day guarantee, code LAUNCH20 for 20% off. (Estimates, not tax advice — confirm with a professional.)