Guide · 5 min read
Private sessions, Wyzant/Preply payouts, curriculum, and quarterly taxes — clean books for the side-hustle and full-time tutor.
Most tutors track lesson income — and almost nothing else. iPads, styluses, online curriculum, prep books, software, mileage to in-person sessions. A typical 15-student tutor misses $2,000–$4,000 in deductions a year.
All parent/student payments to one checking. One card for curriculum, Zoom, iPad apps, prep books.
When money lands, note the student name and lesson count. End of year you'll know your top students, dropout patterns, and real hourly rate.
Curriculum subscriptions, practice tests, online whiteboard tools — pull from one card and tag.
Save 20–25% of every payment. Pay quarterly. A Roth IRA on top is tax-free growth on whatever you can put in.
SnapBooks tracks every lesson payment, platform payout, and supply receipt — so taxes are easy.
Start freeYes. Every Venmo, Zelle, cash, and check from a parent or student is self-employment income. Over $400 net for the year = self-employment tax owed.
Yes — Wyzant, Preply, Varsity Tutors, Outschool, Tutor.com fees are 100% deductible. Same for Zoom, scheduling tools, and the iPad you use to teach.
All deductible — workbooks, practice tests (SAT/ACT/AP), online curriculum subscriptions, language apps. Books bought for personal use don't count.
If a room is used regularly and exclusively for tutoring, yes. Simplified method: $5/sq ft up to 300 sq ft. Actual method usually deducts more if rent is high.
Almost no state taxes private tutoring services. Some states (Hawaii, NM, SD) do. Check your state revenue dept.