I made $978 on a side business and spent $288 on expenses. Why will it not allow me to claim my expenses unless I upgrade to the next service?

[xmasbaby0]

You need to prepare a schedule C for business expenses and you cannot do that in Deluxe.  You need Self-Employed to prepare a schedule C.

OR  if you qualify:

You cannot enter a 1099Misc or self-employment income when you are using the Free Edition.  If you qualify, there is another free software program available from TurboTax which will allow you to enter self-employment income.

Try Free File: 

You qualify if your income was $34,000 or less, or $66,000 or less if active duty military, or if you qualify for Earned Income Credit

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-turbotax-free-file-program

• How do I switch to TurboTax Free File Program?