What is a chart of accounts and do I need one as a freelancer?

A chart of accounts is simply the organized list of categories you sort every transaction into: income types, and expense buckets like software, advertising, travel, supplies, and contractor payments. Even a solo freelancer benefits from one, because those categories map directly to the lines on your Schedule C, making tax filing far faster and deductions harder to miss. You don't need anything elaborate; align your categories with the IRS Schedule C expense lines and you'll thank yourself in April. Bookkeeping software builds a default chart you can trim to fit your business. The goal is consistency, so the same type of expense always lands in the same category, giving you clean reports and audit-ready records.