There's a shoebox of receipts under your desk and tax season is a nightmare. Here's how to snap a photo of every receipt and let AI categorize, log, and organize everything automatically. Never lose a deduction again.
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Free accounting and receipt scanning | Free | Sign up → |
What to do: Download the Wave Receipts app on your phone (iOS or Android) and sign in with your Wave account. If you don’t have one, create it at waveapps.com — it’s free.
Why you’re doing it: Wave’s mobile app lets you photograph receipts and automatically extracts the merchant, amount, date, and category using AI. No manual data entry.
What to expect: 5 minutes to download and sign in.
What to do: Take a photo of any receipt. Wave processes it and extracts the data. Review the extracted info and correct anything it got wrong.
Why you’re doing it: This is your new habit. Every receipt gets photographed immediately. The paper goes in the trash; the data goes into your accounting system.
What to expect: AI extraction is about 90% accurate. Fixing takes about 5 seconds per receipt.
Common mistakes: Waiting to batch-scan receipts later. They pile up, some get lost, ink fades. Scan immediately.
What to do: In Wave’s web dashboard, review the default expense categories. Customize to match your business: Supplies, Travel, Meals, Advertising, Insurance, Contractors, Software/Subscriptions.
Why you’re doing it: Proper categorization makes tax time effortless. Your accountant needs expenses sorted by type.
What to expect: 10 minutes to review and customize.
What to do: In Wave, go to Banking → Connect an Account. Link your business bank account and credit card. Transactions import and categorize automatically.
Why you’re doing it: Receipt scanning catches cash purchases. Bank connection catches everything else. Together, you have a complete picture.
What to expect: Bank connection takes 5 minutes. Transactions start importing within a day.
What to do: Set a 15-minute calendar reminder once a week: “Review Wave.” Review uncategorized transactions, scan missed receipts, verify everything looks right.
Why you’re doing it: 15 minutes per week prevents the 15-hour scramble at tax time.
What to expect: After a few weeks, this takes less than 10 minutes.
This workflow is Beta — Based on Best Available Knowledge. Wave’s free receipt scanning and accounting features are well-established. Alternatives include Expensify (better for teams), QuickBooks Self-Employed (more features, paid), and Zoho Expense (great for mileage tracking).