I supplement my social security income with freelance writing. I file a schedule C. I have no income in 2018 but I will in 2019. Can I skip the schedule C for one year?

[mahabarbara]

I spent all of 2018 on a book project, for which I got an advance in 2017. The book will be published in 2019. I'm just wondering if it will look fishy to the IRS if I skip filing for my freelance business for one year, or if I should go ahead and do the schedule C to list my very few business expenses.

[MichaelMc · Accepted solution]

If you have incurred business expenses in 2018, I would suggest that you file Schedule C for 2018, even though the income for your project was received and reported as income in 2017.

It is entirely possible that you have deductible expenses that you have not considered. Do you have any business assets acquired in 2017 or earlier that should be depreciated in 2018? Are you using an office in your home for your writing, you would want to take that valuable deduction in 2018.