What records should I keep from my first sale?

From your first sale, keep enough records to prove what you earned, what you spent, who paid you, and what taxes may apply. You do not need a perfect system on day one. You do need a habit. Good records help you file taxes, claim deductions, understand profit, apply for financing, and answer questions from a CPA or tax agency later. The easiest approach is to save documents as you go instead of trying to rebuild everything months later.

Steps

1. Save proof of income. Keep invoices, receipts, order confirmations, payment processor reports, bank deposits, marketplace statements, and cash payment notes. The record should show the date, amount, customer or platform, and what was sold.

2. Save proof of expenses. Keep receipts for supplies, software, equipment, shipping, advertising, professional help, education, travel, and other business costs. Note the business purpose if it is not obvious.

3. Track sales tax separately if it applies. If you collect sales tax, do not treat it like business income you can spend freely. Track what you collected, where the sale happened, and when it may need to be remitted.

4. Keep customer agreements and project notes. Save signed contracts, scopes of work, estimates, approval emails, refund terms, and change requests. These help if there is a dispute or if you need to confirm what was promised.

5. Record mileage and home office details as they happen. If you drive for business, keep a mileage log. If you use part of your home for business, keep basic notes and related bills so a tax professional can help you decide what is deductible.

6. Store everything in one place. A folder, spreadsheet, bookkeeping app, or cloud drive can work. The best system is the one you will actually use every week.

If you are still stuck

Open your Stratify roadmap and check the bookkeeping and tax tasks for your business type. You can also ask the AI coach what records matter most for your first few sales.