--- name: expense-tracker description: "Creates an expense tracking and categorization system in Notion with transaction records, category breakdowns, monthly summaries, and tax-deduction flagging for freelancers and small businesses. Use when a user needs to track business expenses, wants to replace spreadsheet-based bookkeeping, or needs to organize receipts and transactions for tax time." allowed-tools: Read Write Glob mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-create-database mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-create-pages mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-search mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-fetch metadata: author: AI Black Magic version: "1.0" --- # Expense Tracker ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Build a business expense tracking database in Notion from scratch - Replace a spreadsheet, shoebox of receipts, or mental math system for tracking expenses - Categorize expenses by IRS Schedule C categories for tax preparation - Flag tax-deductible purchases so nothing gets missed at year-end - Import existing transactions from a bank statement export, CSV, or manual list **DO NOT** use this skill for: - Personal budgeting or household expense tracking (this is for business expenses) - Invoicing or accounts receivable (use an invoice-template skill instead) - Payroll processing or tax filing (requires dedicated software and professionals) - Full double-entry bookkeeping or chart of accounts (use QuickBooks or Wave) --- ## Quick Reference: Expense Tracker Features | Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | Properties | 12 fields per expense record | | Expense categories | 15 IRS Schedule C aligned categories | | Payment methods | 6 options (Cash, Credit Card, Debit, Bank Transfer, PayPal, Other) | | Tax deduction flags | Full, Partial, None, Verify | | Database views | 5 pre-built filtered views | | Seeding | Bulk import from CSV, bank statement, or manual list | ## Quick Reference: Database Schema | Property | Type | Purpose | Default | |----------|------|---------|---------| | Expense Name | Title | Short description of the purchase | Required | | Date | Date | Transaction date | Required | | Amount | Number (USD) | Total amount spent | Required | | Category | Select | IRS Schedule C classification | See category table | | Vendor | Rich text | Business or person paid | Empty | | Payment Method | Select | How the expense was paid | Credit Card | | Tax Deductible | Select | Deduction qualification | Verify | | Receipt | URL | Link to receipt image or file | Empty | | Notes | Rich text | Context, purpose, or client association | Empty | | Client/Project | Rich text | Related client or project | Empty | | Recurring | Checkbox | Monthly recurring expense | false | | Tags | Multi-select | Labels for filtering | See below | ### Payment Methods Credit Card, Debit, Cash, Bank Transfer, PayPal, Other ### Default Tags `monthly`, `quarterly`, `annual`, `client-billable`, `reimbursable`, `pending-receipt`, `large-purchase`, `subscription`, `one-time` --- ## Quick Reference: Expense Categories (IRS Schedule C Aligned) THESE CATEGORIES ARE FOR TRACKING PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT A TAX PROFESSIONAL FOR DEDUCTION ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE. | Category | Typical Deductibility | Examples | |----------|----------------------|----------| | Advertising | Full | Google Ads, Facebook Ads, business cards, sponsored posts | | Car & Truck | Partial (business % only) | Gas, maintenance, tolls, parking for business trips | | Contractors | Full (1099 over $600) | Freelance designers, virtual assistants, subcontractors | | Education | Full | Online courses, certifications, workshops, books | | Insurance | Full | Liability, E&O, health (self-employed), equipment | | Legal & Professional | Full | CPA fees, legal consultation, business coaching | | Meals | Partial (50%) | Client lunches, meals during business travel | | Office Expenses | Full | Printer ink, paper, cleaning supplies, coffee for office | | Rent & Lease | Full | Coworking space, office lease, equipment rental | | Software & Subscriptions | Full | Adobe Creative Cloud, Notion, Slack, Zoom, hosting | | Supplies | Full | Packaging materials, raw materials, inventory supplies | | Taxes & Licenses | Full | Business license, state registration, professional dues | | Travel | Full | Flights, hotels, rental cars, rideshare for business | | Utilities | Partial (business %) | Internet, phone plan, electricity (home office portion) | | Other | Varies | Bank fees, postage, miscellaneous business costs | ### Tax Deduction Flags | Flag | Meaning | Action | |------|---------|--------| | Full | 100% deductible | No adjustment needed at tax time | | Partial | Only a percentage is deductible | Record business-use % in Notes | | None | Not deductible | Do not include on Schedule C | | Verify | Uncertain | Flag for review with your accountant | **DEFAULT: Set Tax Deductible to "Verify" when deductibility is not obvious.** Let the user's accountant make the final call. --- ## Core Workflow EVERY EXPENSE TRACKER STARTS BY GATHERING BUSINESS DETAILS AND CREATING THE DATABASE WITH THE FULL SCHEMA BEFORE ADDING ANY TRANSACTIONS -- NEVER ADD PAGES TO A DATABASE THAT IS MISSING PROPERTIES. ### Step 1: Gather Requirements 1. **Business type** -- sole proprietorship, LLC, S-corp, partnership 2. **Notion parent page** -- where should the expense database live 3. **Fiscal year** -- calendar year (Jan-Dec) or custom fiscal year 4. **Currency** -- USD default; confirm or change 5. **Custom categories** -- any additions to the 15 defaults 6. **Existing expenses** -- transactions to import (CSV, list, or dictated) 7. **Tax situation** -- any known deduction rules or accountant preferences If the user provides only items 1 and 2, proceed with all defaults. **Brief template for vague requests:** ``` I'll build your expense tracker in Notion. Quick answers needed: 1. What type of business entity? (sole prop, LLC, S-corp) 2. Which Notion page should I create the tracker under? 3. Fiscal year? (default: January - December) 4. Currency? (default: USD) 5. Any expense categories beyond the 15 defaults? 6. Do you have existing expenses to import? ``` ### Step 2: Locate the Parent Page in Notion 1. Call `notion-search` with the page name or keywords the user provided 2. Confirm the page ID with the user if multiple matches exist **IF THE PAGE IS NOT FOUND:** Ask for exact title or URL, retry with shorter keyword. **After 3 failed searches, stop:** "I cannot find that page. Check Settings > Connections in Notion and verify the integration has access." ### Step 3: Create the Database in Notion 1. Call `notion-create-database` with the parent page ID and full schema: **Database title:** `Business Expenses` **Properties to create:** ``` Expense Name -> title Date -> date Amount -> number (format: dollar) Category -> select options: Advertising (blue), Car & Truck (brown), Contractors (purple), Education (pink), Insurance (orange), Legal & Professional (yellow), Meals (red), Office Expenses (gray), Rent & Lease (green), Software & Subscriptions (blue), Supplies (orange), Taxes & Licenses (yellow), Travel (pink), Utilities (gray), Other (default) Vendor -> rich_text Payment Method -> select options: Credit Card (blue), Debit (green), Cash (yellow), Bank Transfer (purple), PayPal (orange), Other (gray) Tax Deductible -> select options: Full (green), Partial (yellow), None (red), Verify (gray) Receipt -> url Notes -> rich_text Client/Project -> rich_text Recurring -> checkbox Tags -> multi_select options: monthly (blue), quarterly (purple), annual (orange), client-billable (green), reimbursable (pink), pending-receipt (red), large-purchase (yellow), subscription (brown), one-time (gray) ``` 2. Verify with `notion-fetch` on the returned database ID 3. Confirm creation with a summary of all configured properties **IF DATABASE CREATION FAILS:** Verify parent page ID with `notion-fetch`, retry once. **If it fails again:** "Please go to the parent page > three-dot menu > Connections and ensure the integration has 'Can edit' access." ### Step 4: Seed with Existing Expenses **SKIP THIS STEP if the user has no existing expenses to import.** 1. Parse the user's expense data (CSV, bank statement, bullet list, or natural language) 2. Map each expense to the schema: - **Expense Name** -- short, descriptive (e.g., "Adobe Creative Cloud - January") - **Date** -- transaction date from the data - **Amount** -- dollar amount; **NEVER guess amounts** - **Category** -- match to the closest IRS category - **Vendor** -- extract business name - **Payment Method** -- infer from context, default to "Credit Card" - **Tax Deductible** -- set from category rules; default "Verify" when uncertain - **Recurring** -- check true for subscriptions and monthly services - **Tags** -- infer from context (e.g., subscription = `monthly` + `subscription`) 3. Call `notion-create-pages` to add expenses in batches 4. Report seeding results with category breakdown and totals **IF EXPENSE DATA IS AMBIGUOUS:** Present interpretation before creating pages. **IF BATCH CREATION PARTIALLY FAILS:** Report successes/failures, retry individually, provide manual entry details if retries fail. ### Step 5: Set Up Views and Deliver **Notion MCP does not support creating views programmatically.** Provide exact instructions: ``` RECOMMENDED VIEWS (create these in Notion): 1. ALL EXPENSES (Table) — Sort: Date descending. No filter. 2. THIS MONTH (Table) — Filter: Date is "This month". Group by: Category. 3. BY CATEGORY (Table) — Group by: Category. Sort: Amount descending. 4. TAX DEDUCTIONS (Table) — Filter: Tax Deductible is "Full" OR "Partial". Group by: Category. Sort: Date ascending. 5. NEEDS ATTENTION (Table) — Filter: Tax Deductible is "Verify" OR Tags contains "pending-receipt". Sort: Date ascending. ``` **USAGE GUIDE (deliver to every user):** ``` ADDING AN EXPENSE (same day as purchase): 1. Click "+ New" in "All Expenses" 2. Enter Expense Name, Amount, Date, Category, Vendor, Payment Method 3. Set Tax Deductible: Full (clearly business), Partial (mixed use), None (personal), Verify (unsure — flag for accountant) 4. Paste receipt link if available; check "Recurring" for subscriptions MONTHLY REVIEW (30 min, end of month): 1. Open "This Month" — check totals by category 2. Open "Needs Attention" — resolve "Verify" items, upload missing receipts TAX TIME PREP (annually): 1. Open "Tax Deductions" — filter by tax year 2. Group by Category to match Schedule C line items 3. Resolve remaining "Verify" items 4. Share database with your accountant via Notion sharing PARTIAL DEDUCTIONS: Set to "Partial", record business-use % in Notes (e.g., "Home internet — 40% business use") ``` **IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER (include in every delivery):** ``` DISCLAIMER: This expense tracker is for record-keeping and organization purposes only. It does not constitute tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for deduction eligibility, compliance, and filing. ``` --- ## Example 1: Freelance Web Developer **User request:** "I'm a freelance web developer, sole prop. Track my expenses in Notion under 'Freelance Finances'. I have some recent expenses to add." **Execution:** 1. **Requirements:** Sole prop, parent "Freelance Finances", calendar year, USD, 8 expenses 2. **Search:** `notion-search` for "Freelance Finances" -> `pg_fin456`. Confirmed. 3. **Create:** `notion-create-database` with full schema -> `db_exp789` 4. **Seed 8 expenses:** ``` Expenses imported: 8 of 8 successful SOFTWARE & SUBSCRIPTIONS: Adobe Creative Cloud - January $54.99 Credit Card Full GitHub Pro - January $4.00 Credit Card Full Notion Team Plan - January $10.00 Credit Card Full AWS Hosting - January $127.43 Credit Card Full CONTRACTORS: Logo redesign - Sarah Kim Design $750.00 PayPal Full Copywriting - Jake Torres $400.00 Bank Transfer Full OFFICE EXPENSES: Standing desk riser $189.99 Debit Full USB-C hub and cables $67.50 Credit Card Full Total: $1,603.91 | Recurring: $196.42/mo (4 subscriptions) | All fully deductible ``` 5. **Delivered:** Views + usage guide + disclaimer. Next steps: create views, add February subscriptions, log expenses same-day, schedule monthly review. --- ## Example 2: E-Commerce Store Owner **User request:** "I run a small e-commerce shop selling handmade candles. LLC. My Notion page is 'Candle Biz Operations'. I have about 10 recent expenses." **Execution:** 1. **Requirements:** LLC, parent "Candle Biz Operations", calendar year, USD, 10 expenses 2. **Search:** `notion-search` for "Candle Biz Operations" -> `pg_candle321`. Confirmed. 3. **Create:** `notion-create-database` with full schema -> `db_candle654` 4. **Seed 10 expenses:** ``` Expenses imported: 10 of 10 successful SUPPLIES: Soy wax bulk order (50 lbs) $189.00 Credit Card Full Fragrance oils assortment (12 pk) $84.50 Credit Card Full Wicks and labels bundle $42.00 Debit Full Glass jars (case of 48) $156.00 Credit Card Full ADVERTISING: Instagram Ads - January $250.00 Credit Card Full Etsy Promoted Listings - January $87.30 Debit Full Facebook Ads - January $150.00 Credit Card Full TRAVEL: Craft fair booth rental - Portland $175.00 Cash Full CAR & TRUCK: Gas and tolls for Portland trip $63.20 Cash Partial SOFTWARE & SUBSCRIPTIONS: Shopify Basic Plan - January $39.00 Credit Card Full Total: $1,236.00 | Recurring: $526.30/mo | Full (9), Partial (1) Tip: Tag inventory with "one-time" and ad spend with "monthly" to separate cost of goods from operating expenses at tax time. ``` 5. **Delivered:** Views + usage guide + disclaimer. Next steps: create views, upload 2 cash receipts, record business-use % for Car & Truck, log expenses same-day. --- ## Pre-Delivery Checklist Run this before delivering. **DO NOT SKIP ANY ITEM.** | Check | What to Verify | |-------|----------------| | Database exists | `notion-fetch` with database ID succeeds | | All 12 properties | Every schema property configured | | Category options | All 15 categories exist as select options | | Payment methods | All 6 methods exist as select options | | Tax Deductible options | Full, Partial, None, Verify all present | | Amount format | Number formatted as dollar | | Date + Recurring | Date is date type, Recurring is checkbox | | Tags configured | All 9 default tags exist as multi-select options | | Expenses seeded | All provided expenses created, no duplicates | | Amounts accurate | Dollar amounts match user data exactly | | Disclaimer delivered | Tax disclaimer included in delivery | | Views + usage guide | All 5 views and operations guide delivered | | Parent page correct | Database under requested page | ``` Pre-Delivery Checklist: [x] Database created and accessible [x] All 12 properties configured [x] Category options correct (15 IRS-aligned) [x] Payment methods present (6) [x] Tax Deductible options correct (4) [x] Amount formatted as dollar [x] Date and Recurring properties configured [x] Tags configured (9 defaults or custom) [x] All expenses seeded, no duplicates, amounts verified [x] Tax disclaimer delivered [x] View instructions and usage guide delivered [x] Database under correct parent page ``` --- ## Recovery and Troubleshooting ### Notion Search Returns No Results 1. Ask for exact page title (case-sensitive) 2. Try shorter keyword (e.g., "Finance" instead of "Business Finance Dashboard") 3. Confirm the page is shared with the Notion integration 4. **After 3 failures:** "Check Settings > Connections in Notion and verify integration access." ### Database Creation Fails 1. Verify parent page ID with `notion-fetch` 2. Check for permission errors 3. Retry once 4. **If still fails:** "Go to parent page > three-dot menu > Connections > ensure 'Can edit' access." ### Expense Seeding Partially Fails 1. Report which expenses succeeded and which failed 2. Retry failed expenses individually 3. If retries fail, provide details for manual entry ### Notion API Rate Limits 1. Pause 10 seconds between batches, reduce to 5 per call 2. **DO NOT skip expenses due to rate limits** -- slow down and retry ### User Is Unsure About Categories 1. Present the category table 2. Map to most likely category 3. If ambiguous, default to "Other" with Tax Deductible = "Verify" 4. Add Note: "Category uncertain -- review with accountant" ### User Wants to Modify Schema Later **Notion MCP does not support modifying schemas.** Instruct the user: click "+" to add property, click column header > "Edit property" to modify, or add new category options via "Edit property" on the Category column. ### Large CSV Import 1. Parse headers and present mapping for confirmation 2. Process in batches of 10-15 per `notion-create-pages` call 3. Report progress after each batch 4. **50+ rows:** Warn that import takes several minutes due to API limits --- ## Anti-Patterns - **DO NOT** provide specific tax advice -- this is a tracking system, not a tax advisory service - **DO NOT** assume deductibility without flagging -- when in doubt, set to "Verify" - **DO NOT** mix personal and business expenses -- advise separate tracking - **DO NOT** guess or fabricate dollar amounts -- only record what the user provides - **DO NOT** create the database without the full property schema - **DO NOT** skip the tax disclaimer -- every delivery must include it - **DO NOT** categorize car expenses as 100% deductible -- almost always partial - **DO NOT** promise IRS compliance -- this organizes records, not guarantees audits - **DO NOT** create views programmatically -- provide manual instructions - **DO NOT** deliver without the usage guide -- the tracker requires daily operation knowledge