A Form 2106 is only used to report Employee business expenses.
IRS Form 2106 Instructions - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i2106.pdf
Use Form 2106 if you were an Armed Forces reservist, qualified performing artist, fee-basis state or local
government official, or employee with impairment-related work expenses.
Due to the suspension of miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% floor under section 67(a), employees who do not fit into one of the listed categories may not use Form 2106.
A Schedule C is used to report Self-Employment income and expenses from your business.
IRS Schedule C instructions - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sc.pdf
Use Schedule C (Form 1040) to report income or (loss) from a business you operated or a profession you practiced as a sole proprietor. An activity qualifies as a business if your primary purpose for engaging in the activity is for income or profit and you are involved in the activity with continuity and regularity
Hi Celeste567,
Schedule C is used to report a profit or loss from a self-employed business, including any side jobs or gigs you may do.
For your convenience, I am including a link for a helpful article: Am I considered self-employed?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/am-i-considered-self-employed/00/26535
Form 2106 is used to report employee business expenses. This applies to individuals who are employees (not self-employed) and had out of pocket job related business expenses that the employer did not reimburse you. Current federal tax legislation suspended the miscellaneous itemized deduction with a 2% floor, which included these out of pocket miscellaneous employee job expenses. The form 2106 is currently only used if you are employed as an Armed Forces reservist, a qualified performing artist, a fee –basis state or local government official, or an individual with a disability claiming impairment-related work expenses.
Schedule C reports self-employed income and expenses for all self-employed individuals while Form 2106 only reports unreimbursed out of pocket expenses for employees in certain categories listed above.