There is only an opportunity to enter the business start date for a Schedule C business if it was started in the current tax year. Otherwise, the start date is not recorded if the business started prior to 2024. Schedule C shows a checkbox to indicate that the business was started during the current tax year, but the actual start date is not included on the form.
When you enter the initial information for your Schedule C business, watch for a question about whether the business was started in 2024..