Should I file Schedule C despite having no earnings or expenses in 2022?

No, there is no reason to file Schedule C if you had no income. Expenses can be taken if the business is ongoing, but without income, just forgo it.

No, as leeloo posted, you do not need to file your Schedule C if you had no income or expenses for the year.  If you reported a Schedule C last year and you uploaded your 2021 info into your 2022 return, you can delete the form from your return.

 

To delete a specific form in TurboTax Online you can follow these steps:

1. Within your return, click on Tax Tools in the black menu on the left side of the screen.
2. Click on Tools.
3. Click on Delete a Form. 
4. Scroll down to your form and click Delete.
5. Under Federal in the black menu bar click Wages & Income to get back into your tax returns.
6. Proceed entering/reviewing your return.

 

To do this in TurboTax Desktop you can follow these steps:

1. Within your return, click on the Forms icon in the upper right of the screen to switch to Forms mode.
2. Scroll down in the menu bar on the left and select your form.
3. Click the Delete Form button at the bottom left of the preview screen.
4. Confirm the deletion then click the Step-by-Step icon in the upper right of the screen.
5. Proceed entering/reviewing your return.

@senjid 

Thanks - I just thought that filing it anyway (despite having essentially mothballed my Rideshare self-employment last year) might prove advantageous a year from now if I resume driving for Uber and Lyft in 2023.

 

Paul

If there is a hiatus where there is no business, you would just start a new one. 

You can file your Schedule C income in future years with no concerns even though you had no reportable income this year.

 

@senjid 

Thank you leeloo and Alicia for taking the time...