Tax Receipt Scanner: Scan, Organize & Export by Tax Year
Tax season goes badly when receipts are spread across a wallet, a glove box, an inbox and a camera roll. ScanMyReceipt lets you scan each receipt when you get it, keeps the original image with the details read from it, and exports any tax year or quarter in a few taps when you or your preparer need it.
Available now on iPhone. Android coming soon.
Written by Darshan Thakor, founder of ScanMyReceipt · Updated
Keep tax receipts organized all year
The receipts that cause trouble at tax time are the ones nobody looked at for eleven months. Thermal paper fades, emailed receipts get buried, and by spring nobody remembers what a $64 charge was for. The fix is a habit that takes seconds per receipt rather than one long weekend in April.
- Scan on the day. Photograph paper receipts with the camera. For emailed or in-app receipts, save a screenshot and add it from your gallery.
- Check what OCR fills in. The app reads the merchant, date, total, tax, payment info and line items when they're printed. Confirm the date and total; edit anything that's wrong.
- Add a category and tags. Categories such as Office, Software, Travel or Advertising group your spending. Tags handle the rest: a client, a project, or "home office".
- Write a one-line note. The business reason for a meal or trip is easy to note today and hard to reconstruct next year.
If you're self-employed and file Schedule C, our 1099 expense tracker maps common expense types to Schedule C lines and includes a free spreadsheet template.
Does the IRS accept scanned receipts?
Yes, if the system meets the standards the IRS set out in Revenue Procedure 97-22. It says records kept in an electronic storage system that meets its requirements count as records for federal tax purposes. In short, the system must:
- Transfer the paper record to electronic form accurately and completely.
- Index, store, preserve, retrieve and reproduce the records.
- Have reasonable controls for integrity, accuracy and reliability, and to prevent and detect unauthorized changes, deletion or deterioration.
- Include regular checks of the stored records.
- Be able to produce legible, readable copies, including paper copies, if the IRS asks.
In practice, that means a clear photo of the whole receipt, a way to find it again by date or merchant, and the ability to print it. ScanMyReceipt keeps the original image with every receipt, lets you search your library, and exports a PDF with one page per receipt. Whether your overall record-keeping meets the standard is something to confirm with your tax professional.
Export receipts by tax year or quarter
When it's time to file, open the export builder, pick a date range, and narrow by category or tags if you only need part of the picture, such as every Software receipt or everything tagged with one client. Then choose the format.
| You need | How to select it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Full tax year (calendar) | Custom range: January 1 to December 31 | Annual return, handing records to your preparer |
| One quarter | Custom range, e.g. April 1 to June 30 | Estimated-tax check-ins, quarterly bookkeeping |
| Last month | The Last month preset | Month-end review |
| Rolling 12 months | The Past year preset (counts back from today) | A quick look at recent spending, not a tax year |
Each format has a job. CSV gives one row per receipt with date, merchant, category, tags, payment, currency, subtotal, tax, tip or extras, total, note and image file name. Excel adds a summary sheet and a line-items sheet. The PDF report totals spending by currency, category and month, then shows each receipt on its own page. ZIP bundles all three with the original images. See how each format works on the receipt export page.
Which receipts to keep for taxes
The IRS lets you choose any record-keeping system that clearly shows your income and expenses. On its page about what records to keep, it says supporting documents for expenses should identify the payee, the amount paid, proof of payment, the date, and a description showing the cost was for the business. Examples it lists include:
- Cash register receipts
- Credit card receipts and statements
- Invoices and paid bills
- Canceled checks or other proof of payment
- Purchase records for equipment and other business assets
A receipt alone may not cover every element. The IRS notes that a combination of documents may be needed, which is why a note explaining the business reason helps.
How long to keep them depends on your situation. The IRS default is 3 years, with longer periods in some cases, such as 6 years if you underreport income by more than 25% and 7 years for a bad-debt deduction. The IRS record retention page has the full list, and our guide on how long to keep business receipts explains each case.
Tax receipt organizer vs scanner
A scanner gets the receipt into your phone. An organizer makes sure you can find the right set of receipts later. You need both: scanning without organizing just moves the shoebox into your camera roll.
| Receipt scanner | Tax receipt organizer | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Turns a paper receipt into an image and reads the text | Keeps receipts labeled, searchable and ready to export by period |
| What you get | A photo plus extracted fields | A library you can filter by date, category, tags or notes |
| At tax time | A pile of images to sort through | Pick the date range, export, done |
| In ScanMyReceipt | Camera and gallery scan with OCR | Categories, tags, notes, search and the export builder |
ScanMyReceipt does both in one app. For a step-by-step routine, including what to do in the weeks before you file, read how to scan receipts for tax deductions.
ScanMyReceipt helps you organize and manage receipt records. It does not determine whether an expense is deductible and does not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for advice about your specific situation.
FAQ
Does ScanMyReceipt tell me what's deductible?
No. ScanMyReceipt keeps receipts and the details on them organized and exportable. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation and the tax rules that apply to you, so check with a qualified tax professional.
Can I throw away paper receipts after scanning?
Many people do, but it's your decision. The IRS accepts electronic copies from a system that meets Rev. Proc. 97-22 (summarized above), including being able to produce a legible copy on request. Ask your tax professional if you're unsure, especially for large purchases or assets.
Which export should I send my tax preparer?
Ask what they prefer. Excel is the most complete: a summary sheet, one row per receipt and a line-items sheet. CSV imports into most software. PDF is easiest to review. ZIP bundles the CSV, Excel and PDF files with every original image.
When should I organize receipts?
As soon as you get them. Scanning on the day of purchase and adding a category takes seconds; sorting a year of receipts in April takes hours, and some thermal receipts will have faded by then.
How long are receipts stored in the app?
Until you delete them or your account. Receipts save on your phone first and sync to your account, so you can keep several tax years in one library and export any of them later.
Does it file my taxes or fill in tax forms?
No. Exports are organized records of your receipts, not tax forms. You or your preparer use them to fill in your return.
Related pages
Ready to stop losing receipts?
Scan it once. Find it whenever you need it.
Scan. Organize. Find. Export.
Available now on iPhone. Android coming soon.