# Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015

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Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
by Adrian Dungan

F

or Tax Year 2015, there were approximately 25.2 million
individual income tax returns that reported nonfarm sole
proprietorship activity, a 2.4-percent increase from 2014.
Total nonfarm sole proprietorship profits rose to $331.8 billion in 2015, a 4.7-percent increase over the previous year. In
constant dollars, total profits increased by 3.5 percent for 2015.
Total profits as a percentage of business receipts were 23.0 percent for 2015, the second highest level in this data series which
begins with 1988. The largest percentage increase in profits was
reported by the real estate sector, which increased 15.1 percent
or $3.7 billion. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector accounted for 25.1 percent of total profits, the largest of any sector. Total profits in the sector rose to $83.3 billion,
a 6.5-percent increase for 2015.
For sole proprietorships as a whole, receipts increased 3.6
percent, while deductions increased 3.2 percent. The construction sector reported the largest percentages of total business

receipts (15.9 percent) and total business deductions (17.1 percent). The real estate sector reported the largest rise in business
receipts, with a 13.6-percent increase. The administrative support and waste management services sector experienced the
largest downturn in receipts, losing $3.2 billion or 4.3 percent.
The transportation and warehousing sector reported the largest
drop in deductions, with a decline of $2.9 billion or 3.2 percent.

Returns and Receipts

Between 2014 and 2015, the number of individual income tax
returns reporting nonfarm sole proprietorship activity increased
2.4 percent to 25.2 million (Figure A).1 The transportation
and warehousing sector had the largest percentage increase in
number of returns among all sectors for 2015 (25.0 percent).
No sector has experienced such a large percentage increase or
decrease since at least 1988. Growth in ride-sharing businesses,
such as Uber and Lyft, could have contributed to this large

Figure A
NonfarmSole
SoleProprietorship
ProprietorshipReturns,
Returns,Receipts,
Receipts,
and
Deductions,
Selected
Industrial
Sector,
Nonfarm
and
Deductions,
byby
Selected
Industrial
Sector,
Tax Years 2014 and 2015
Tax Years
and 2015 amounts are in billions of dollars]
[Number
of returns2014
is in thousands—money

[Number of returns is in thousands--money amounts are in billions of dollars]

Number of returns
Selected industrial sector

All nonfarm industries
Construction
Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
Real estate and rental and leasing
Professional, scientific, and technical services
Administrative and support and waste management
services
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Other services
All other sectors

2014

Total business receipts

2015

Percentage
change

2014

Total business deductions [1]

2015

Percentage
change

2014

2015

Percentage
change

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

24,631.8
2,732.0
347.4
2,399.0
1,295.6
626.1
1,144.6
3,329.4

25,226.2
2,696.8
371.1
2,460.6
1,619.6
636.2
1,214.7
3,486.6

2.4
-1.3
6.8
2.6
25.0
1.6
6.1
4.7

1,393.9
213.2
57.1
187.9
105.9
81.0
68.1
180.9

1,443.6
229.7
58.0
184.8
102.8
90.1
77.4
196.3

3.6
7.7
1.7
-1.7
-2.9
11.1
13.6
8.5

1,078.5
177.9
52.2
177.4
91.1
60.7
43.8
102.8

1,112.8
189.7
53.0
173.5
88.2
69.7
49.3
113.1

6.7
1.5
-2.2
-3.2
14.9
12.7
10.0

2,639.8
2,145.7
1,545.6
3,269.8
3,156.9

2,472.0
2,181.4
1,499.7
3,512.2
3,075.4

-6.4
1.7
-3.0
7.4
-2.6

74.7
120.1
40.0
103.5
161.4

71.5
121.9
39.1
112.1
160.0

-4.3
1.5
-2.2
8.3
-0.9

52.4
70.6
30.3
76.1
143.3

50.7
72.1
29.7
82.7
141.1

3.2

-3.2
2.1
-1.9
8.7
-1.5

[1] Total business deductions are calculated before subtraction of nonallowable "passive" activity losses and inclusion of any "passive loss" carryover from prior years.
NOTES: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percentages were calculated before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

1
For 2015, the 25,226,245 nonfarm sole proprietorship returns accounted for an estimated 28,311,383 nonfarm businesses. For purposes of the statistics, if a proprietor owned more than one
Figure A
Adrian Dungan
business,
the- statistics
for each business were combined with those of the proprietor’s dominant business and included in the industrial group for that business activity. When this occurred, the
sum of net incomes (for businesses reporting a positive net income) reduced by the sum of net deficits (for businesses reporting a deficit) yielded the profits for a specific industrial group.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was used to classify data by industries for 2015.
These classifications were applied on a “per business” (rather than on a “per establishment”) basis for Statistics of Income by combining various industry groups, although businesses were
further combined as described above.
While the wording of the industry titles used for the sole proprietorship statistics diverge somewhat from those appearing in NAICS, the definitions are consistent.
The North American Industry Classification System for industrial coding was introduced in Tax Year 1998. Prior to 1998 industries were classified using the Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC). Due to coding changes, comparisons between data by industry from 1998 through 2015 with 1997 and prior years may show inconsistencies. A reason for this was that several types of
sole proprietorships under the NAICS system were classified in completely different industrial groups, which makes prior-year comparisons under the SIC system inappropriate. For example, in
1997, finance, insurance, and real estate were classified as one industry under the SIC system, while, under the NAICS system, the group has been split into two industrial sectors. The industrial
sectors based on the NAICS codes are reported in Tables 1 and 2.

Statistics of Income Bulletin | Fall 2017

www.irs.gov/taxstats

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
increase in the number of returns with transportation and warehousing income. The sector with the largest number of returns
was the other services sector, mainly comprised of personal and
laundry services, which had a 7.4-percent increase to 3.5 million
returns.
Total business receipts (the sum of “income from sales and
operations” and “other business income”) for all nonfarm sole
proprietorship industries increased 3.6 percent, from $1,393.9
billion to $1,443.6 billion.2 The industry with the largest percentage gain in business receipts for 2015 was the real estate
sector with an increase of 13.6 percent. The finance and insurance sector had the second largest percentage gain, increasing
by 11.1 percent from $81.0 billion to $90.1 billion. Construction
experienced the largest dollar increase in receipts, which rose by
$16.4 billion. The industry that showed the largest decrease in
business receipts for 2015 was the administrative support and
waste management services sector, which declined by 4.3 percent. In constant dollar terms, total business receipts for nonfarm
sole proprietorships in 2015 increased 2.5 percent to $1,312.4
billion (Figure B),3 still below the peak level of $1,360.6 billion
for 2007.

The cost of sales and operations, which represented 38.8
percent of total 2015 business deductions ($431.7 billion), increased 3.6 percent from 2014 (Figure C). Total business “expenses” (total business deductions minus the cost of sales and
operations) were $681.1 billion for 2015, a 2.9-percent increase
from the 2014 amount. The main components of total business
expenses are highlighted in Figure D. The two largest components were car and truck expenses accounting for $89.8 billion
(13.2 percent) and salaries and wages accounting for $89.4 billion (13.1 percent).
Historically, constant dollar depreciation increased almost
every year from 1993 through 2003.6 From 2004 to 2012, it generally declined (Figure E), but it increased between 2012 and
2015. Increases in 2003, 2008, and 2010 coincided with legislative changes to section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code
that substantially impacted the amount of certain investment
property that could be expensed in a given year (rather than
depreciated over time). Under the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2003, the maximum allowable section
179 deduction vaulted from $24,000 for 2002 to $100,000 for
2003. The change led to a constant dollar depreciation increase
of 11.7 percent for 2003, which was the highest growth in depreciation of any year between 1988 and 2015. But the initial jump
in depreciation was followed in subsequent years by trends
of decreased depreciation, which is consistent with deductions being accelerated into the year of expensing. From 2004
through 2007, constant dollar declines of depreciation were reported for all 4 years. This downward trend was pronounced in
2005, as constant dollar depreciation fell by 11.7 percent, followed by decreases of 3.2 percent in 2006 and 1.0 percent in
2007. During this same 4-year period, section 179 limits gradually increased for inflation, finally rising to $125,000 for 2007.7
For 2008, the section 179 limit was doubled to $250,000, and

Deductions

Total business deductions (“cost of sales and operations” plus
business expenses, including expenses for home office) in current dollars increased 3.2 percent from $1,078.5 billion for 2014
to $1,112.8 billion for 2015 (Figure A).4, 5 In constant dollars,
total business deductions increased 2.1 percent for 2015.
Deductions for the construction sector, the largest sector in
terms of total business deductions, increased 6.7 percent from
$177.9 billion for 2014 to $189.7 billion for 2015. The finance
and insurance sector had the largest percentage increase of total
business deductions, increasing 14.9 percent to $69.7 billion.

2
Statistics for “business receipts, total” in Table 2 represent the total receipts of the business, mainly gross receipts from sales and operations. Business receipts also include miscellaneous business receipts, such as incidental sales of scrap, shown separately in the statistics as “other business income.” However, business receipts exclude incidental investment income received through
the business. Examples of such incidental investment income are interest, dividends, income or loss from rents or royalties, and capital or ordinary gain or loss from the sale of investment and
business property. Sole proprietors report incidental investment income, in combination with nonbusiness related investment income, as part of their total income on their individual income tax
returns.
3
Based on the overall implicit price deflator for Gross Domestic Product (GDP). See U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business. Indices used
for this article were:

Year

Indices

Year

Indices

Year

Indices

Year

Indices

1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994

61.982
64.392
66.773
68.996
70.569
72.248
73.785

1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001

75.324
76.699
78.012
78.859
80.065
81.887
83.754

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008

85.039
86.735
89.12
91.988
94.814
97.337
99.246

2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

100
101.221
103.311
105.214
106.913
108.828
109.998

4
Sole proprietors report personal, i.e., nonbusiness, income and expense items apart from business income or loss, which is reported on the attached Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business
(or, to a lesser extent, on Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit From Business). Salaries paid to owners are neither deducted as wages paid on Schedule C nor included as wages received on the Form 1040.
Similarly, sole proprietors deduct charitable contributions made through the business as personal expenses on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions. However, the owner of a sole proprietorship
may choose to deduct any foreign taxes paid as a business expense, unless the owner elects to claim these taxes as a credit against U.S. income tax.
5
Business deductions include the home office business deductions. After 1990, home office expenses were calculated separately on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, and
the deductible portion brought forward to the Schedule C. In some cases, these expenses were limited. Starting with 2013, sole proprietors could also use a simplified method to determine these
costs by reporting on the Schedule C square footage (up to 300 square feet) used for the home office. The taxpayer then could take $5 per square foot as the expense. Prior to 1990, these expenses
were not limited and were included with other expenses, such as depreciation deductions, utilities, and “other” expenses on Schedule C.
6
Under section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code, the cost of certain tangible property may be treated as a current expense rather than a capital expenditure subject to depreciation deductions.
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA93) increased the maximum amount of investment that could immediately be deducted on property placed in service after 1992, from
$10,000 to $17,500. The increase in the constant dollar depreciation deductions for 1993, and subsequent decline in 1995, may be attributed, in part, to this provision of OBRA93. Following the
enactment of this provision, the 179 deduction for all individuals (not just sole proprietors) filing Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization, increased 32.4 percent to $13.5 billion for 1993.
7
Under the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the maximum amount of a section 179 deduction increased from $24,000 for 2002 to $100,000 for 2003; $102,000 for 2004;
$105,000 for 2005; and $108,000 for 2006. This was further expanded to $125,000 for 2007 by the Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 (PL 110-28). The Jobs Creation and
Worker Assistance Act of 2002 introduced 30-percent bonus depreciation, and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 increased the bonus percentage to 50 percent, for
property placed in service by January 1, 2005. While bonus depreciation was available to sole proprietors, it was generally not as advantageous as immediate expensing and, therefore, likely
had less effect on their depreciation deductions.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

3

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Figure B
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorship Receipts, Deductions, and Profits, Tax Years 1988–2015

Nonfarm
Sole
Proprietorship
Receipts, Deductions, and Profits, Tax Years 1988–2015
[Money
amounts are
in billions
of dollars]
[Money amounts are in billions of dollars]

Total business receipts
Tax year

1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Total business deductions [1]

Constant dollars [2]

Current
dollars

Amount

Percentage
change

(1)

(2)

672.0
692.8
730.6
712.6
737.1
757.2
790.6
807.4
843.2
870.4
918.3
969.3
1,021.0
1,016.8
1,029.7
1,050.2
1,139.5
1,222.9
1,278.4
1,324.4
1,317.4
1,178.4
1,195.5
1,265.9
1,301.6
1,341.6
1,393.9
1,443.6

1,084.2
1,075.9
1,094.2
1,032.8
1,044.5
1,048.1
1,071.5
1,071.9
1,099.4
1,115.7
1,164.4
1,210.7
1,246.8
1,214.1
1,210.8
1,210.8
1,278.6
1,329.4
1,348.3
1,360.6
1,327.5
1,178.4
1,181.1
1,225.4
1,237.1
1,254.8
1,280.8
1,312.4

Net income less deficit (profits)

Constant dollars [2]

Current
dollars

Amount

Percentage
change

(3)

(4)

(5)

[3]
-0.8
1.7
-5.6
1.1
0.3
2.2
[4]
2.6
1.5
4.4
4.0
3.0
-2.6
-0.3
[4]
5.6
4.0
1.4
0.9
-2.4
-11.2
0.2
3.7
1.0
1.4
2.1
2.5

545.7
560.2
589.2
571.2
583.1
600.8
623.8
638.1
666.5
683.9
716.2
761.4
806.4
799.6
808.9
820.2
892.4
953.4
1,001.1
1,044.3
1,053.7
934.5
929.0
984.2
997.6
1,040.4
1,078.5
1,112.8

880.4
870.0
882.4
827.9
826.3
831.5
845.5
847.2
868.9
876.6
908.1
951.0
984.8
954.7
951.2
945.6
1,001.3
1,036.4
1,055.9
1,072.9
1,061.7
934.5
917.8
952.7
948.1
973.1
991.0
1,011.7

Constant dollars [2]

Current
dollars

Amount

Percentage
change

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

[3]
-1.2
1.4
-6.2
-0.2
0.6
1.7
0.2
2.6
0.9
3.6
4.7
3.5
-3.0
-0.4
-0.6
5.9
3.5
1.9
1.6
-1.0
-12.0
-1.8
3.8
-0.5
2.6
1.8
2.1

126.3
132.7
141.4
141.5
154.0
156.5
166.8
169.3
176.8
186.6
202.3
207.9
214.7
217.4
221.1
230.3
247.6
269.9
278.0
280.6
264.5
244.8
267.7
282.6
304.9
302.3
317.1
331.8

203.8
206.1
211.8
205.1
218.2
216.6
226.1
224.7
230.5
239.3
256.5
259.7
262.2
259.6
260.0
265.5
277.8
293.4
293.2
288.2
266.5
244.8
264.5
273.6
289.8
282.7
291.3
301.7

[3]
1.1
2.8
-3.2
6.4
-0.8
4.4
-0.6
2.6
3.8
7.2
1.3
1.0
-1.0
0.2
2.1
4.6
5.6
-0.1
-1.7
-7.5
-8.1
8.0
3.4
5.9
-2.4
3.0
3.5

[1] Total business deductions are calculated before subtraction of nonallowable "passive" activity losses and any "passive loss" carryover from prior years. However, these losses (after subtraction) and any
carryover are reflected in net income less deficit. Therefore, total business receipts minus total business deductions may not always equal net income less deficit.
[2] Current dollars are the value of a dollar at the time it was measured. Constant dollars are based on the overall implicit price deflator for gross domestic product computed and reported by the U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, in the Survey of Current Business. The deflator represents the annual average of current-weighted prices, based on 2009 = 100.
[3] Not calculated.
[4] Less than 0.05 percent.
NOTE: Percentages were calculated before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

there was a 2.5-percent increase in constant dollar depreciation.
The $250,000 limit remained for 2009 and depreciation dropped
17.3 percent, which was the largest decrease since at least 1988.
For 2010, the section 179 limit was again doubled to $500,000,
and constant dollar depreciation increased but only by 0.4 percent from $34.5 billion to $34.7 billion. The limit was increased
as part of stimulus packages in response to the Great Recession.8
The section 179 limit remained $500,000 for Tax Years 2011
through 2015. For 2011, constant dollar depreciation dropped

by 0.7 percent and for 2012 it dropped another 5.6 percent down
to $32.5 billion, the lowest level over the 26 years of this study.
For 2015, constant dollar depreciation rose by 4 percent to $34.9
billion, the highest amount since 2008.
Beginning with Tax Year 1992, certain smaller businesses
could elect not to itemize depreciation and other business deductions by filing the Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business,
a simplified version of Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business.
(Schedules C and C-EZ are the sources of nonfarm sole

8
For 2008, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 increased the maximum expensing deduction under section 179 to $250,000. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended
that level through 2009. For all individual tax returns that filed Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization, the Section 179 property deducted as an expense increased by 5.1 percent to $49.8
billion for 2008. For 2009, when the maximum 179 deduction remained at $250,000, the amount deducted for all returns decreased by 17.2 percent to $41.3 billion. The amount deducted as
section 179 property on returns that had a Schedule C dropped 19.6 percent to $16.2 billion between 2008 and 2009. For 2010, the amount taxpayers were able to deduct as section 179 property
increased to $500,000. This was in accordance with the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010. The amount deducted by returns with a Schedule C increased to $18.8 billion, representing
a 15.6-percent increase from 2009. For 2010, the amount deducted on all individual returns increased to $49.6 billion, a 20.3-percent increase from 2009. By 2015, this had increased to $71.7
billion. These numbers do not reflect depreciation solely deducted on the Schedule C, as this could also include depreciation taken on the Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss, the Schedule
F, Profit or Loss from Farming, and the Form 4835, Farm Rental Income and Expenses.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

4

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Figure C
Components of Nonfarm Sole Proprietorship Business
Components
Nonfarm
Sole
Proprietorship
Deductions,
Taxof
Years
2014 and
2015

Figure D
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Components of Business
Expenses as a Percentage of Total Business Expenses,
Tax Year 2015

Business Deductions, Tax Years 2014 and 2015

[Money
amounts are in millions of dollars]
[Money amounts are in millions of dollars]
Business deductions

Business deductions, total [1]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Business expenses, total
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation [2]
Employee benefit programs
Home office business deductions [2]
Depreciation, Form 8829
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business
indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and
equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Salaries and wages
Supplies
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business expenses [3]
Schedule C-EZ business expenses

2014

2015

Percentage
change

(1)

(2)

(3)

1,078,490.0
416,840.5
41,257.8
33,097.1
256,014.3
56,559.5
73,156.6
43,244.8
661,649.5
14,999.7
92,320.0
14,236.3
53,539.8
898.4
36,568.9
3,007.7
9,469.9
1,234.8
18,707.9
12,058.7
9,539.2
3,190.3

1,112,822.8
431,691.7
41,587.9
36,945.5
264,670.3
61,108.3
70,954.4
43,574.8
681,131.1
15,771.7
89,810.4
16,754.2
54,170.6
475.5
38,432.8
2,928.2
9,817.4
1,228.2
19,513.5
12,847.0
9,913.8
3,253.6

3.2
3.6
0.8
11.6
3.4
8.0
-3.0
0.8
2.9
5.1
-2.7
17.7
1.2
-47.1
5.1
-2.6
3.7
-0.5
4.3
6.5
3.9
2.0

5,627.4

5,934.7

5.5

12,776.5
1,108.5

12,944.8
1,145.9

1.3
3.4

10,090.8

10,601.3

5.1

36,746.5
18,494.6
86,743.0
36,662.7
19,358.4
15,344.2
31,640.5
113,958.2
4,578.1

37,570.2
18,746.9
89,416.4
38,460.6
19,812.0
16,588.8
31,482.2
119,846.0
4,892.4

2.2
1.4
3.1
4.9
2.3
8.1
-0.5
5.2
6.9

Business expenses
Total interest

1.3

Office expenses

1.9

Advertising expenses

2.3

Travel

2.4

Commissions

2.5

Repairs

2.8

Insurance

2.9

Taxes paid

2.9

Utilities

4.6

Depreciation [1]

5.6

Supplies

5.6

Rent paid on machinery, equipment,
and other business property

7.1

Contract labor

8.0

Salaries and wages

13.1

Car and truck expenses

13.2

Other business deductions [2]

23.8
0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percentage of total business expenses
[1] Depreciation claimed on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, is included in
“home office business deductions” and excluded from “depreciation” shown above. See footnote [2]
below.
[2] Includes depletion; employee benefit programs; legal and professional services; pension and
profit-sharing plans; meals and entertainment; home office; and other business expenses. Other
business deductions also includes all Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business, deductions ($4.9
billion).
NOTES: Total business expenses equals all business deductions minus cost of sales and
­operations.
Percents are based on an estimated total business expense of $681.1 billion. Detail may not add to
100 percent because of rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

[1] Total business deductions are before subtraction of nonallowable "passive" activity losses and
any "passive loss" carryover from the prior years.
[2] Depreciation claimed on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, is included in
"home office business deductions" and excluded from "depreciation" shown above.
[3] Other business expenses includes some expenses from electronically filed Schedule C-EZ
returns.
NOTES: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percentage increases were calculated
before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

deductions, the detailed deductions in Table 2, based only on
Schedule C returns, are slightly understated and do not sum to
the total deductions in Figure C.
For Tax Year 2015, approximately 5.4 million taxpayers
filed the Schedule C-EZ, marking a 7.9-percent increase from
the number filed for 2014. In the administrative and support and
waste management services sector (the sector with the highest
percentage of Schedule C-EZ filers), taxpayers filed 0.8 million
Schedule C-EZ returns, or 31.8 percent of the total sole proprietorship returns for that sector (Figure F).9 For 2015, business
receipts from Schedule C-EZ filers totaled $43.1 billion, or 3.0
percent of total business receipts reported. Business deductions
reported on Schedule C-EZ returns accounted for only 0.4 percent of total business deductions for all industries, or $4.9 billion of the total $1,112.8 billion. Despite having the largest concentration of Schedule C-EZ filers, the receipts and deductions

proprietorship statistics.) For Tax Year 2015, taxpayers could
use Schedule C-EZ if they: had business expenses of $5,000 or
less; used the cash accounting method; had no inventories; did
not report a loss from the business; had only one business as
a sole proprietor; had no employees; were not required to file
Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization, for the business;
claimed no deduction for home business expenses; and had no
prior-year disallowed passive activity losses from the business.
Since taxpayers using Schedule C-EZ did not itemize business

9
Based on the NAICS system, the full name of the administrative and support services sector is administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector. The waste
management and remediation services portion make up a small percentage of the overall numbers reported under this classification, which are detailed in Table 1.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

5

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Figure E
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorship Net Income, Deficit, and Depreciation, Tax Years 1988–2015
[Money amounts are in billions of dollars]
Tax
year

1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Current dollars [1]

Constant dollars [1]

Percentage change in constant dollars [1]

Net income

Deficit

Depreciation [2]

Net income

Deficit

Depreciation [2]

Net income

Deficit

Depreciation [2]

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

145.5
152.4
161.7
162.4
173.5
177.0
187.8
191.7
200.1
210.5
226.2
233.4
245.2
250.2
257.3
269.1
290.5
314.8
326.8
335.1
325.3
308.9
323.2
337.0
357.1
357.4
374.5
392.1

19.2
19.7
20.2
20.9
19.5
20.5
21.0
22.5
23.4
23.8
23.9
25.5
30.5
32.8
36.2
38.8
42.9
44.8
48.7
54.5
60.8
64.1
55.5
54.3
52.2
55.1
57.5
60.3

26.1
24.5
23.7
23.1
23.3
25.0
26.2
26.2
27.4
28.6
29.1
30.6
32.2
33.4
36.6
41.8
42.9
39.1
39.0
39.6
41.4
34.5
35.1
35.6
34.2
35.4
36.6
38.4

234.7
236.7
242.2
235.4
245.9
245.0
254.5
254.5
260.9
269.8
286.8
291.5
299.5
298.7
302.6
310.2
325.9
342.2
344.6
344.3
327.7
308.9
319.3
326.2
339.4
334.3
344.2
356.5

[3]
0.8
2.3
-2.8
4.5
-0.4
3.9
0.0
2.5
3.4
6.3
1.6
2.7
-0.3
1.3
2.5
5.1
5.0
0.7
-0.1
-4.8
-5.8
3.4
2.2
4.0
-1.5
2.9
3.6

[3]
-1.2
-1.1
0.1
-8.8
2.7
0.3
4.8
2.1
0.2
-0.7
4.8
17.2
5.1
8.7
5.1
7.7
1.2
5.5
9.0
9.3
4.7
-14.4
-4.1
-5.7
4.0
2.4
3.8

[3]
-9.6
-6.7
-5.7
-1.4
4.8
2.6
-1.9
2.4
2.8
0.7
3.6
2.7
1.5
8.0
11.7
-0.0
-11.7
-3.2
-1.0
2.5
-17.3
0.4
-0.7
-5.6
1.7
1.5
4.0

31.0
30.6
30.3
30.3
27.6
28.4
28.5
29.8
30.5
30.5
30.3
31.8
37.3
39.2
42.5
44.7
48.2
48.7
51.4
56.0
61.2
64.1
54.8
52.6
49.6
51.6
52.8
54.8

42.1
38.0
35.5
33.5
33.0
34.6
35.5
34.8
35.7
36.7
36.9
38.3
39.3
39.9
43.1
48.1
48.1
42.5
41.1
40.7
41.8
34.5
34.7
34.5
32.5
33.1
33.6
34.9

[1] Current dollars is the value of a dollar at the time it was measured. Constant dollars is based on the overall implicit price deflator for gross domestic product computed and reported by the U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, in the Survey of Current Business. The deflator represents the annual average of current-weighted prices, based on 2009 = 100.
[2] Excludes depreciation claimed on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home.
[3] Not calculated.
NOTE: Percentage changes were calculated before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Figure F
All Nonfarm Sole Proprietorship Returns and Those with Schedule C-EZ, by Selected Industrial Sector, Tax Year 2015
All Nonfarm
Proprietorship
Returns
and ofThose
[Number
of returns isSole
in thousands—money
amounts
are in millions
dollars] with Schedule C-EZ, by Selected Industrial Sector, Tax Year 2015
[Number of returns is in thousands, money amounts are in millions of dollars]
Selected industrial sector

Number of returns

Total business receipts

Total

With
Schedule
C-EZ

Percentage
of total

On
Schedule
C-EZ

Percentage
of total

(5)

(6)

Total
(4)

Total business deductions [1]
Total

On
Schedule
C-EZ

Percentage
of total

(7)

(8)

(9)

(1)

(2)

(3)

All nonfarm industries

25,226.2

5,391.7

21.4

1,443,585.0

43,066.4

3.0

1,112,822.8

4,892.4

0.4

Construction
Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
Real estate and rental and leasing
Professional, scientific, and technical services
Administrative and support and waste
management services
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Other services
All other sectors

2,696.8
371.1
2,460.6
1,619.6
636.2
1,214.7
3,486.6

487.7
42.2
354.2
259.5
76.8
124.3
627.2

18.1
11.4
14.4
16.0
12.1
10.2
18.0

229,686.2
58,023.6
184,752.9
102,761.7
90,052.4
77,364.5
196,280.7

4,859.2
297.0
2,190.0
1,570.8
810.2
1,611.0
6,866.0

2.1
0.5
1.2
1.5
0.9
2.1
3.5

189,743.7
52,978.7
173,475.6
88,161.0
69,741.2
49,321.5
113,100.9

511.3
21.5
288.6
298.4
89.5
197.7
622.3

0.3
[2]
0.2
0.3
0.1
0.4
0.6

2,472.0
2,181.4
1,499.7
3,512.2
3,075.4

786.8
585.5
351.3
851.1
845.3

31.8
26.8
23.4
24.2
27.5

71,549.7
121,896.9
39,117.9
112,054.6
160,044.0

5,774.4
5,910.7
1,624.2
7,125.7
4,427.3

8.1
4.8
4.2
6.4
2.8

50,703.6
72,052.2
29,726.7
82,716.8
141,100.9

657.4
505.0
281.1
885.8
533.7

1.3
0.7
0.9
1.1
0.4

[1] Total business deductions are calculated before subtraction of nonallowable "passive" activity losses and any "passive loss" carryover from prior years.
[2] Less than 0.05 percent.
NOTES: Certain smaller sole proprietorships could elect not to itemize business expenses by filing Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business. See the text of this article for a full list of the requirements to be eligible to file Schedule C-EZ.
Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percentages were calculated before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

6

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
from Schedule C-EZ filers in the administrative and support and
waste management services sector accounted for only 8.1 percent of that sector’s total business receipts and 1.3 percent of
that sector’s total business deductions.

Figure G
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorship Profits, by Selected Industrial
Sector, Tax Years 2014 and 2015
[Money amounts are in billions of dollars]

Profits and Losses

2014

Percentage
change
(3)

2015

(1)

(2)

All nonfarm industries

317.1

331.8

4.7

Construction
Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
Real estate and rental and leasing
Professional, scientific, and technical
services
Administrative and support and waste
management services
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Other services
All other industries

35.6
4.9
10.7
14.9
20.4
24.5

40.0
5.1
11.4
14.6
20.4
28.2

12.5
4.3
5.8
-1.8
[1]
15.1

78.2

83.3

6.5

22.4

20.9

-6.7

49.5
10.0
27.5
18.5

49.9
9.5
29.4
19.2

0.8
-5.2
7.2
3.7

[1] Less than 0.05 percent.
NOTES: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Percentage changes were calculated
before rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Figure H
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Selected Industrial Sector
Profits as a Percentage of Total Profits, Tax Year 2015
Selected industrial sector
Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)

Limited Liability Companies

Tax Year 2001 was the first year for which data became available on the number of limited liability companies (LLCs) among
nonfarm sole proprietorship returns. LLC entities have limited
liability (like corporations), but they may be taxed as sole proprietorships (for which income and expenses flow through to
the owner to be taxed), if they are owned by a single individual.
For 2001, there were 126,437 sole proprietorship returns that indicated status as an LLC or just 0.7 percent of total sole proprietorship returns (Figure J). In contrast, for Tax Year 2015, there
were 1,715,430 such sole proprietorships, which accounted for
6.8 percent of the total nonfarm sole proprietorship returns, a
13-fold increase since 2001. The share of total nonfarm sole proprietorship business receipts attributed to LLCs has also risen
during this period from approximately 2.3 percent for 2001,
to 24.5 percent for 2015 (Figure K). Similarly, the portion of
total net income (less deficit) of all nonfarm sole proprietorships

10

Net income less deficit (profits)

Selected industrial sector

For 2015, of the 12 industrial sectors analyzed, 9 of them reported increased sole proprietorship profits (net income less
deficit). Figure B presents total profits for all industries (in both
current and constant dollars) since 1988, while Figures G and
H present profits by industrial sector for 2014 and 2015.10 Total
profits increased 4.7 percent from $317.1 billion for 2014 to
$331.8 billion for 2015. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector reported the largest percentage of total profits of all nonfarm sole proprietorships, with 25.1 percent ($83.3
billion), and had a 6.5-percent increase in profits for 2015. The
second largest sector by profits, health care and social assistance, also reported an increase in profits, rising 0.8 percent to
$49.9 billion. The largest percentage increase in profits was realized in the real estate sector, which jumped 15.1 percent for a
gain of $3.7 billion.
In constant dollars, total profits rose by 3.5 percent for 2015
(Figure B). Figure I shows net income less deficits as a percentage of business receipts for 1988 through 2015. In general, this
percentage has increased over time from a low of 18.8 percent
for 1988, the exceptions being the periods leading up to the recession in the early 2000’s and the Great Recession starting in
2008. Since 2010, net income less deficit as a percentage of total
business receipts has been between 22.4 percent (2010) and 23.4
percent (2012); for 2015, it was 23.0 percent. Figure E presents net income and deficit separately for 1988 through 2015, in
current and constant dollars. For 2015, net income (in constant
dollars) increased by 3.6 percent and deficit (in constant dollars)
increased by 3.8 percent.

1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

2.9

Retail trade

3.4

Transportation and warehousing

4.4

All other industries

5.8

Finance and insurance

6.1

Administrative and support and waste
management and remediation services

6.3

Real estate and rental and leasing

8.5

Other services

8.9

Construction

12.1

Health care and social assistance

15.0

Professional, scientific, and technical services

25.1
0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percentage of total profits
NOTES: Percentages are based on estimated total profits of $331.8 billion.
Detail may not add to 100 percent because of rounding.
Profits is a designation for “net income less deficit,” shown elsewhere in this article.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Net income minus deficit (loss) before Federal income tax yields profits. Proprietors compute their tax on total “taxable income,” which includes their business profits, plus any other income.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

7

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Figure I
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Net Income Less Deficit (Profits) as a Percentage of Total Business Receipts, Tax Years 1988–2015
Percentage

25

24
23.4

23

22.7

23.0

22.4
22.0

22

21.5

21.4
20.9

21

20

21.1
20.7

21.4

21.2

21.0

20.8

19.9
19.2

22.5

21.7

21.7
21.5

21.0 21.0

22.3

22.1

21.9

20.1

19.4

19 18.8

18

1988

1989 1990

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Tax year
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Figure J
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Number of Returns Filed by Those Registered as Limited Liability Companies (LLCs),
Tax Years 2001–2015
Tax year
2015

1,715,430

2014

1,619,099

2013

1,474,592

2012

1,324,196

2011

1,125,132

2010

1,059,910

2009

991,809

2008

842,819

2007

746,885

2006

606,889

2005

455,734

2004

309,665

2003

220,615

2002

145,839

2001

126,437
0

200,00

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

1,800,000

Number of returns filed by nonfarm sole proprietorships registered as LLCs
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

8

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
attributable to LLCs increased from 1.0 percent for 2001 to 13.7
percent for 2015.

the finance and insurance sector having the largest percentage
increase in deductions at 14.9 percent.

Summary

Data Sources and Limitations

Profits for the 25.2 million returns with sole proprietorship activity for Tax Year 2015 increased by 4.7 percent from 2014, to
a level of $331.8 billion. In constant dollars, total nonfarm sole
proprietorship profits for 2015 increased 3.5 percent. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector had the largest
profits of any sector, at $83.3 billion, representing 25.1 percent
of total sole proprietorship profits, followed by the health care
and social assistance sector, at $49.9 billion or 15.0 percent of
total profits. The largest percentage increases in profits were
by real estate (15.1 percent) and construction (12.5 percent).
The professional, scientific, and technical services sector experienced the largest increase in dollar value for profits, gaining
$5.1 billion. For all sole proprietorships, business receipts increased 3.6 percent, and the largest industrial sector, based on
business receipts, was the construction sector, accounting for
15.9 percent of total business receipts (Figure L). Real estate
had the largest percentage increase in receipts at 13.6 percent.
In terms of dollar amount, the retail trade sector and administrative support and waste management services sector both experienced the largest downturn in receipts from 2014 to 2015.
Both sectors dropped $3.2 billion in total business receipts. For
all sole proprietorships, deductions increased 3.2 percent with

The 2015 sole proprietorship estimates are based on a stratified
probability sample of unaudited individual income tax returns,
Form 1040 (including electronically filed returns), processed
by the Internal Revenue Service during Calendar Year 2016.
Returns in the sample were stratified based on: (1) the presence
or absence of Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business (Sole
Proprietorship), or Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit From Business,
and Schedule F, Farm Income and Expenses; (2) the larger
of positive income or negative income (i.e., “adjusted gross
income” before statutory adjustments); and (3) tax year. The returns were selected at rates that ranged from 0.1 percent to 100
percent. The 2015 nonfarm sole proprietorship data are based on
a sample of 90,765 returns and a population of 25,571,122 returns.11 The corresponding data for 2014 were based on a sample
of 91,665 returns and a population of 25,010,078 returns.
Since the data presented in this article are estimates based on
a sample of returns filed, they are subject to sampling error. To
properly use the statistical data estimates provided, the magnitude of the potential sampling error must be known; coefficients
of variation (CVs) are used to measure that magnitude. Figure M
presents estimated coefficients of variation for total business receipts, total business deductions, depreciation, net income, and

Figure K
All Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships and Those Registered as Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Number of Returns, Business Receipts,
Number
of Returns,
Receipts, and Profits for All Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships and Those Registered As Limited Liabil
and
Profits,
Tax YearsBusiness
2001–2015
Tax Years
2001
- 2015
[Money
amounts are
in millions
of dollars]

[Money amounts are in millions of dollars]

Number of returns
Tax
year

All nonfarm
sole
proprietorships

Nonfarm sole
proprietorships
registered
as LLCs

(1)

(2)

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

18,338,190
18,925,517
19,710,079
20,590,691
21,467,566
22,074,953
23,122,698
22,614,483
22,659,976
23,003,656
23,426,940
23,553,850
24,074,684
24,631,831
25,226,245

126,437
145,839
220,615
309,665
455,734
606,889
746,885
842,819
991,809
1,059,910
1,125,132
1,324,196
1,474,592
1,619,099
1,715,430

Total business receipts
LLCs as
a percentage
of all
nonfarm sole
proprietorships

All nonfarm
sole
proprietorships

Nonfarm sole
proprietorships
registered
as LLCs

Net income less deficit

LLCs as
a percentage
of all
nonfarm sole
proprietorships

All nonfarm
sole
proprietorships

Nonfarm sole
proprietorships
registered
as LLCs

LLCs as
a percentage
of all
nonfarm sole
proprietorships

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

0.7
0.8
1.1
1.5
2.1
2.7
3.2
3.7
4.4
4.6
4.8
5.6
6.1
6.6
6.8

1,016,834,678
1,029,691,760
1,050,202,446
1,139,523,760
1,222,880,231
1,278,359,791
1,324,403,080
1,317,443,005
1,178,437,093
1,195,538,629
1,265,939,196
1,301,569,749
1,341,571,082
1,393,884,201
1,443,584,972

23,357,818
39,239,656
55,626,849
82,850,651
119,603,018
151,746,232
185,837,712
205,646,039
205,194,197
220,116,934
244,024,850
291,350,534
316,224,871
342,093,644
370,123,809

2.3
3.8
5.3
7.3
9.8
11.9
14.0
15.6
17.4
18.4
19.3
22.4
23.6
24.5
25.6

217,385,116
221,113,286
230,308,100
247,567,189
269,919,995
278,032,643
280,557,010
264,508,362
244,821,815
267,699,702
282,649,926
304,895,911
302,269,621
317,058,087
331,832,538

2,259,135
3,378,774
3,847,617
6,743,666
10,902,821
14,270,523
16,235,182
18,215,151
18,522,837
23,915,511
27,093,827
35,841,019
37,151,475
43,427,440
48,902,901

1.0
1.5
1.7
2.7
4.0
5.1
5.8
6.9
7.6
8.9
9.6
11.8
12.3
13.7
14.7

SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

11
The difference between the number of returns in the population and the total number of returns in Tables 1 and 2 is mainly due to returns in which Schedule C income was moved to other
income or wages to avoid double counting of taxpayers for Gross Domestic Product calculations. In addition, data from amended and tentative returns are not reflected in these statistics.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

9

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
deficit by selected industrial sector. Generally, the smaller the
coefficient of variation, the more reliable the estimate is judged
to be. The SOI Sampling Methodology and Data Limitations
section of the Bulletin, available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irssoi/sampling.pdf, discusses the reliability of estimates based on
samples and the use of coefficients of variation for evaluating
the precision of estimates based on samples.

Figure L
Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Selected Industrial Sector
Receipts as a Percentage of Total Business Receipts,
Tax Year 2015
Selected industrial sector
Arts, entertainment, and recreation

2.7

Wholesale trade (merchant
wholesalers)

Adrian Dungan is an economist with the Individual Special Studies Section.
This article was prepared under the direction of Michael Weber, Chief,
with technical assistance provided by Michael Strudler, Chief, Individual
Returns Processing and Data Perfection Section.

4.0

Administrative and support and waste
management and remediation services

5.0

Real estate and rental and leasing

5.4

Finance and insurance

6.2

Transportation and warehousing

7.1

Other services

7.8

Health care and social assistance

8.4

All other industries

11.1

Retail trade

12.8

Professional, scientific, and
technical services

13.6

Construction

15.9
0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percentage
NOTES: Percentages are based on estimated total business receipts of $1.4 trillion. Detail may not
add to 100 percent because of rounding.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Figure M
NonfarmSole
SoleProprietorships:
Proprietorships:Coefficients
Coefficients
of Variation
Selected
Items,
by Selected
Industrial
Nonfarm
of Variation
forfor
Selected
Items,
by Selected
Industrial
Sector, Tax Year 2015
Sector, ofTax
Year
2015
[Coefficients
variation
are in
percentages]

[Coefficients of variation are in percentages]

Coefficients of variation
Industrial sector

All industries
Construction
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
Real estate and rental leasing
Professional, scientific, and
technical services
Administrative and support and waste
management services
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Other services
All other industries

(
5
4
(
5

Total business
receipts

Total business
deductions

Depreciation [1]

Net income

Deficit

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

0.56
2.04
4.18
2.24
2.66
1.98
2.64

0.63
2.15
4.25
2.25
2.66
1.86
2.84

1.51
4.06
9.25
5.35
4.53
8.51
5.70

0.73
2.42
6.77
3.48
3.52
3.63
3.22

1.46
5.76
9.91
4.00
6.06
6.68
5.25

1.68

2.04

4.39

1.90

4.53

2.98
1.90
3.48
2.47
2.13

3.51
2.12
3.64
2.79
2.16

7.20
4.73
8.10
5.91
3.52

2.92
2.27
4.23
2.50
2.89

6.54
6.96
5.64
5.20
3.51

[1] Excludes depreciation claimed on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home.
SOURCE: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, July 2017.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

10

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with and without net income
Industrial sector

All nonfarm industries
Agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing
Animal production (including breeding of cats and dogs)

Number
of returns

Business
receipts

(1)

(2)

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
deduction [1,2]
and
equipment [1]
(3)

25,226,245 1,443,584,972

(4)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

(5)

(6)

Payroll [1,4]

Net income
less deficit

(7)

(8)

39,661,004

10,601,311

37,570,230

9,188,381

126,361,910

331,832,538

269,704

21,580,554

1,989,805

168,386

198,663

219,987

1,888,165

1,364,994

44,625

1,675,720

233,484

7,428

27,889

32,090

126,634

-386,676

Forestry and logging (including forest nurseries,
timber tracts)

52,006

5,420,278

711,327

61,763

7,032

64,651

355,497

402,644

Fishing, hunting, and trapping

66,144

3,351,232

387,518

37,769

81,118

45,965

109,146

428,393

Support activities for agriculture and forestry

106,930

11,133,324

657,476

61,426

82,624

77,281

1,296,887

920,632

134,638

9,306,426

796,598

88,893

79,618

206,759

862,637

553,002

109,099

6,046,578

530,261

34,922

58,085

169,212

270,172

30,474

Other mining

6,239

647,678

63,397

13,592

6,413

14,661

143,213

15,695

Support activities for mining

19,300

2,612,171

202,940

40,378

15,120

22,886

449,252

506,832

Mining
Oil and gas extraction

Utilities

20,235

924,882

82,512

22,102

13,781

10,180

23,216

41,715

2,696,797

229,686,192

6,118,898

1,165,228

1,698,123

1,049,440

27,002,287

40,030,430

Construction of buildings

622,635

66,392,857

1,139,438

268,798

332,812

306,847

7,228,308

9,410,793

Heavy and civil engineering construction

38,439

7,567,237

583,983

74,884

47,754

107,165

907,989

611,747

2,035,724

155,726,097

4,395,477

821,547

1,317,557

635,428

18,865,989

30,007,890

Construction

Specialty trade contractors
Manufacturing

380,959

33,903,588

1,175,925

143,382

903,364

331,019

4,103,545

3,762,370

Food manufacturing

54,971

5,377,616

198,653

14,088

218,531

114,380

641,243

162,602

Textile and textile product mills

13,115

532,763

18,121

**

* 23,702

* 2,663

* 72,418

54,582

Apparel

22,701

972,743

35,462

** 10,922

44,149

8,950

72,511

107,717

Leather and allied products
Wood products
Paper products
Printing and related support activities

6,038

176,370

3,908

0

* 2,678

* 73

* 29,180

37,990

** 31,955

** 3,794,505

** 122,269

** 5,982

** 80,229

** 32,281

** 374,717

** 416,498

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

31,950

2,085,533

92,137

13,517

74,582

16,761

188,005

186,646

Petroleum and coal products

1,030

528,116

* 3,263

* 3,098

* 5,990

* 148

* 82,674

18,578

Chemical manufacturing

15,976

1,386,552

46,266

3,397

16,074

7,893

158,679

214,481

Plastic and rubber products

3,188

759,727

17,134

2,762

5,408

6,403

37,942

133,968

Nonmetallic mineral products

9,178

1,023,181

51,367

7,541

9,334

12,532

85,045

121,936

Primary metal industries

2,781

770,125

* 16,984

**

* 22,038

* 2,644

* 71,395

63,839

Fabricated metal products

36,733

4,376,694

164,106

** 35,402

79,448

40,077

638,590

557,860

Machinery

24,012

1,829,677

80,801

4,767

48,881

9,932

257,125

252,530

Computer and electronic products

16,891

667,712

63,772

* 11,656

* 12,330

* 7,254

45,174

59,065

Electrical equipment, appliances, and components

8,239

761,912

15,037

* 3,110

40,788

5,987

172,521

75,320

Transportation equipment

11,931

1,067,202

16,002

* 5,052

30,264

5,479

173,181

34,272

Furniture and related products

23,881

2,318,745

59,815

* 3,512

45,448

19,951

347,495

499,728

66,390

5,474,416

170,827

18,576

143,490

38,544

655,651

764,759

371,148

58,023,627

708,226

284,200

844,734

263,778

2,572,739

5,071,951

Miscellaneous manufacturing
Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)
Durable goods, including machinery, wood,
metals, etc.

189,507

29,317,164

397,654

195,982

430,414

130,478

1,504,317

2,943,721

Nondurable goods, including food, fiber, chemicals, etc.

142,190

25,045,757

282,572

79,472

360,246

126,160

909,384

1,673,860

Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers

39,451

3,660,706

28,000

8,746

54,074

7,141

159,038

454,370

2,460,635

184,752,906

2,616,699

541,738

5,786,798

1,142,985

9,628,578

11,360,234

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

132,250

37,635,397

361,906

60,000

525,524

242,757

1,426,821

1,251,582

Furniture and home furnishing stores

25,876

2,954,134

43,598

17,957

140,743

35,019

289,157

299,957

Electronic stores and household appliance stores

13,704

2,233,038

37,804

19,148

59,053

9,356

171,169

151,288

Building material and garden equipment and supplies
dealers

26,585

6,784,281

153,969

14,327

83,657

48,632

627,085

414,917

Food and beverage stores

92,538

26,935,363

283,809

102,480

996,687

104,840

1,848,560

747,211

Health and personal care stores

136,758

8,923,329

80,966

27,631

287,825

27,503

657,291

803,211

Gasoline stations

16,546

17,521,652

192,826

18,146

261,847

97,711

819,203

334,160

Clothing and accessories stores

164,182

9,149,962

152,478

21,645

760,734

53,841

642,099

602,268

Sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores

104,898

6,342,421

123,128

12,344

299,642

64,218

401,993

316,647

General merchandise stores

28,966

3,799,649

74,878

7,340

157,628

15,910

149,878

223,775

618,370

29,286,938

539,907

130,769

1,684,701

250,056

1,858,235

2,399,449

1,099,962

33,186,741

571,432

109,952

528,757

193,144

737,088

3,815,769

Retail trade

Miscellaneous store retailers
Nonstore retailers
Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

11

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with net income
Industrial sector

All nonfarm industries
Agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing
Animal production (including breeding of cats and dogs)

Number
of returns

Business
receipts

(9)

(10)

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]
(11)

18,784,750 1,236,419,550

(12)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

(13)

(14)

Payroll [1,4]

Net income

(15)

(16)

25,368,501

8,305,956

28,955,085

5,773,984

102,383,686

392,114,132

162,932

17,358,619

1,176,052

119,442

132,304

123,367

1,429,957

2,861,307

15,058

1,172,805

97,775

* 4,856

13,924

7,204

107,819

160,882

Forestry and logging (including forest nurseries,
timber tracts)

34,903

4,397,941

486,540

34,768

5,751

47,389

208,357

603,345

Fishing, hunting, and trapping

38,197

2,693,902

213,730

30,533

68,110

25,137

37,995

718,558

Support activities for agriculture and forestry

74,775

9,093,972

378,007

49,284

44,519

43,637

1,075,786

1,378,523

86,250

6,160,323

391,506

63,943

28,087

57,736

408,686

2,029,813

68,706

3,716,558

223,121

20,385

19,697

37,266

104,676

1,324,481

Mining
Oil and gas extraction
Other mining

3,787

420,310

39,277

11,482

* 1,033

5,779

76,372

92,407

Support activities for mining

13,756

2,023,455

129,108

32,075

7,358

14,691

227,639

612,925

Utilities

13,251

414,382

15,752

* 20,195

1,132

1,911

* 11,192

138,217

2,255,773

207,050,445

4,811,334

920,192

1,385,688

671,068

23,442,059

44,671,269

Construction of buildings

525,132

58,371,503

944,472

215,069

233,228

200,170

5,876,598

10,700,534

Heavy and civil engineering construction

24,543

5,781,889

405,562

40,178

38,057

60,941

556,512

1,017,041

1,706,098

142,897,054

3,461,301

664,944

1,114,402

409,957

17,008,949

32,953,693

Construction

Specialty trade contractors
Manufacturing

255,192

27,990,543

753,245

99,342

660,329

167,097

3,020,319

5,474,341

Food manufacturing

33,139

4,280,267

115,611

8,966

162,856

25,307

401,191

545,686

Textile and textile product mills

4,566

401,085

* 4,084

**

* 6,382

* 574

* 54,672

98,214

Apparel

14,231

878,198

33,407

** 7,085

** 41,279

7,678

** 62,412

220,220

Leather and allied products
Wood products
Paper products
Printing and related support activities
Petroleum and coal products
Chemical manufacturing

4,375

107,230

* 991

0

**

0

**

60,478

** 23,302

** 3,381,784

** 71,996

** 4,566

** 63,026

** 22,749

** 286,778

** 464,660

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

20,932

1,759,811

71,433

11,801

68,298

7,589

133,101

324,041

708

404,117

* 2,708

* 2,888

* 5,444

* 148

* 81,274

37,635

11,218

1,076,933

34,954

** 1,722

11,968

5,065

108,435

299,724

Plastic and rubber products

3,112

635,801

2,047

**

* 2,009

* 4,883

* 15,811

148,012

Nonmetallic mineral products

5,319

836,153

40,338

* 5,659

* 3,733

11,404

81,559

134,240

Primary metal industries

* 759

* 681,813

* 11,581

**

* 21,949

**

* 60,288

* 86,012

Fabricated metal products

28,720

3,805,463

139,006

** 32,968

58,147

** 33,578

546,953

649,092

Machinery

14,657

1,617,208

40,411

* 2,097

45,207

2,286

202,466

360,608

Computer and electronic products

11,478

637,905

* 53,287

** 8,448

* 8,804

* 1,155

* 41,832

127,658
141,292

Electrical equipment, appliances, and components

6,135

613,191

9,848

**

* 30,736

* 5,034

* 135,754

Transportation equipment

7,319

902,446

* 4,642

**

* 13,893

* 2,709

* 140,004

149,128

Furniture and related products

18,066

1,696,939

30,307

* 3,354

* 18,468

13,527

218,741

584,738

47,157

4,274,201

86,594

9,789

98,130

23,410

449,049

1,042,904

Wholesale trade (merchant wholesalers)

Miscellaneous manufacturing

228,243

48,155,851

392,613

224,649

585,088

150,606

1,853,048

6,748,135

Durable goods, including machinery,
wood, metals, etc.

124,224

24,824,776

180,579

169,687

329,704

68,975

1,037,727

3,783,680

Nondurable goods, including food, fiber, chemicals, etc.

82,997

20,635,025

189,367

46,495

230,487

76,803

716,194

2,236,505

Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers

21,022

2,696,050

22,667

8,467

24,897

4,829

99,126

727,951

1,357,591

150,886,928

1,351,025

395,660

3,826,149

703,257

7,070,337

19,771,114

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

87,472

31,563,002

201,416

46,605

391,418

162,937

1,159,779

2,033,275

Furniture and home furnishing stores

13,567

2,369,314

34,528

16,059

87,362

29,295

211,384

400,132

Electronic stores and household appliance stores

8,034

1,788,205

31,728

* 14,977

32,764

* 6,780

90,534

225,370

Building material and garden equipment and supplies
dealers

15,607

5,843,654

130,068

9,561

70,091

39,276

536,622

575,134

Food and beverage stores

59,840

21,620,317

171,628

82,480

701,468

62,984

1,346,703

1,333,974

Health and personal care stores

72,016

7,786,885

52,765

20,589

228,299

12,245

473,539

1,172,851

Gasoline stations

9,062

13,967,629

125,963

16,606

210,253

73,602

653,682

477,350

Clothing and accessories stores

93,339

7,161,030

76,768

11,319

514,757

27,746

437,851

1,341,491

Sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores

56,578

5,017,395

56,856

9,157

162,233

47,754

248,000

617,813

General merchandise stores

18,132

3,143,634

32,547

* 6,298

114,018

6,015

119,042

332,319

Miscellaneous store retailers

354,957

22,871,430

216,077

85,735

950,845

128,215

1,338,062

4,440,818

Nonstore retailers

568,987

27,754,433

220,681

76,274

362,642

106,408

455,138

6,820,587

Retail trade

Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

12

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with and without net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]

Business
receipts

(1)

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Net income
less deficit

Payroll [1,4]

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

1,619,557

102,761,658

6,336,024

3,575,912

975,022

776,840

4,939,364

14,644,792

Air and rail transportation

16,929

1,483,508

357,954

27,551

33,410

42,868

120,331

-119,745

Water transportation

6,033

821,651

141,647

10,456

5,792

20,925

138,068

-13,007

Truck transportation

643,728

71,977,704

4,506,460

1,746,982

467,206

523,628

3,150,163

10,317,281

** 655,423

** 15,828,842

** 733,354

** 1,701,521

** 248,180

** 108,947

** 439,904

** 3,088,182

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

9,556

205,165

59,933

* 6,255

12,429

4,314

15,520

-43,914

Transportation and warehousing

Other transit and ground transportation
Pipeline transportation
Scenic and sightseeing transportation

(2)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

(8)

Support activities for transportation (including motor
vehicle towing)

90,138

6,444,137

440,721

30,060

114,516

57,669

773,817

506,217

Couriers and messengers

189,460

5,128,999

69,503

44,654

33,543

10,723

112,520

842,761

Warehousing and storage facilities
Information

8,290

871,652

26,453

8,433

59,946

7,767

189,043

67,017

337,957

13,324,032

399,508

125,903

298,375

60,644

1,163,831

3,404,466

Publishing industries (except internet)

77,200

2,387,458

19,392

5,313

15,022

5,619

341,742

696,077

Motion picture and sound recording

112,826

4,513,228

203,986

66,824

137,455

30,950

390,795

1,146,531

Broadcasting (except internet) and telecommunications
and internet service providers

47,574

2,972,726

97,144

45,160

76,594

18,349

236,775

535,549

Data processing, internet publishing and broadcasting,
and web search portals

100,357

3,450,620

78,985

8,606

69,305

5,727

194,519

1,026,308

636,234

90,052,429

785,584

223,648

1,600,301

478,944

4,987,805

20,374,787

Credit intermediation and related activities

39,213

2,496,173

47,110

15,898

75,400

65,892

220,120

519,728

Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial
investments

174,952

55,641,731

309,870

70,770

563,044

202,686

1,911,167

7,677,886

Investment bankers and securities dealers

12,810

4,682,136

17,612

2,147

31,785

11,739

64,267

377,763

Securities brokers

10,176

4,347,726

11,829

6,663

20,622

13,932

124,041

716,284

Commodity contracts brokers and dealers

3,031

1,256,297

2,278

** 262

12,908

1,365

12,998

285,357

Finance and insurance

Securities and commodity exchanges

1,317

* 241,726

* 1,947

**

* 1,350

* 1,245

* 13,855

-7,806

Other financial investment activities (investment advice)

147,617

45,113,846

276,205

61,697

496,380

174,405

1,696,006

6,306,287

Insurance agents, brokers, and related activities

422,069

31,914,526

428,604

136,980

961,857

210,366

2,856,518

12,177,173

Insurance agencies and brokerages

311,554

25,787,872

323,805

121,767

787,501

194,657

2,631,584

9,708,920

Other insurance related activities and other financial
vehicles
Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate

110,515

6,126,654

104,799

15,213

174,356

15,709

224,934

2,468,253

1,214,655

77,364,512

2,979,279

438,972

1,136,900

899,442

2,900,683

28,155,705

1,167,939

73,280,887

1,675,520

372,756

1,052,160

775,732

2,496,785

28,279,959

Lessors of real estate (including miniwarehouses
and self storage)

52,178

2,167,383

241,224

21,711

88,836

149,221

130,656

397,935

Offices of real estate agents, brokers, property
managers, and appraisers

858,484

51,266,124

874,184

248,369

690,336

299,561

1,496,484

22,736,781

Other activities related to real estate

257,276

19,847,380

560,112

102,676

272,988

326,950

869,646

5,145,243

Rental and leasing services

45,550

4,081,997

1,303,759

66,216

84,741

123,710

403,897

-125,338

Automotive equipment rental and leasing

15,330

845,424

258,879

13,255

5,992

23,609

93,317

-18,662

Consumer electronics and appliances rental

** 2,671

** 61,185

** 18,188

** 2,080

** 1,803

** 2,506

* 11,171

** -20,817

Formal wear and costume rental

**

**

**

**

**

**

0

**

* 468

* 129,065

* 5,231

0

* 23,294

**

* 33,478

* 5,209

General rental centers and other consumer
goods rental

11,906

840,516

123,551

20,327

16,931

16,687

71,339

15,905

Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment
rental and leasing

15,176

2,205,807

897,910

30,555

36,722

80,908

194,592

-106,973

Video tape and disc rental

Lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets (except
copyrighted works)

* 1,166

* 1,628

0

0

0

0

0

* 1,084

Professional, scientific, and technical services

3,486,604

196,280,689

3,652,709

869,435

4,453,976

905,327

17,240,946

83,310,522

Legal services

345,480

41,751,406

364,822

158,717

1,796,184

270,231

4,830,430

17,880,784

Offices of certified public accountants

46,475

4,668,714

81,513

20,099

172,179

39,881

710,565

2,014,303

Other accounting services

356,199

9,918,085

226,708

120,567

261,111

66,556

1,295,254

4,012,368

Architectural, engineering, and related services

249,754

14,981,519

451,258

116,039

248,167

71,184

1,692,306

5,057,324

Architectural services

102,545

7,014,316

242,745

71,117

134,588

34,153

1,029,398

1,977,655

Engineering services

85,798

5,208,684

132,270

36,667

88,239

25,208

446,707

1,962,846

Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

13

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]

Business
receipts

(9)

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Payroll [1,4]

Net income

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

1,291,740

88,501,948

4,011,789

3,189,959

665,947

537,672

3,678,570

18,571,192

Air and rail transportation

12,784

888,584

33,110

7,203

9,845

7,655

57,389

262,094

Water transportation

3,974

680,676

82,912

* 8,765

* 5,076

13,477

111,262

54,134

Truck transportation

526,589

62,136,990

3,064,422

1,471,067

352,040

384,495

2,333,838

11,903,911

** 527,448

** 14,406,181

** 508,780

** 1,639,928

** 159,050

** 82,955

** 350,506

** 4,098,204

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

5,120

128,035

* 4,607

**

* 4,782

**

* 8,139

30,753

Transportation and warehousing

Other transit and ground transportation
Pipeline transportation
Scenic and sightseeing transportation

(10)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

(16)

Support activities for transportation (including motor
vehicle towing)

63,771

5,234,367

253,010

17,443

74,597

32,456

622,507

926,344

Couriers and messengers

145,268

4,310,874

44,095

39,749

24,118

9,745

88,609

1,171,839

Warehousing and storage facilities

6,785

716,242

20,852

5,805

36,439

6,887

106,320

123,913

221,965

10,756,551

242,764

99,721

175,543

28,507

678,956

4,306,285

Publishing industries (except internet)

47,659

1,711,538

11,743

3,331

6,644

* 188

68,365

876,673

Motion picture and sound recording

75,555

3,647,403

132,570

49,298

78,218

17,544

317,067

1,503,387

Broadcasting (except internet) and telecommunications
and internet service providers

27,478

2,317,146

36,677

43,945

37,665

5,835

134,482

734,614

Information

Data processing, internet publishing and broadcasting,
and web search portals

71,273

3,080,465

61,774

3,147

53,017

4,941

159,041

1,191,610

435,076

55,338,532

543,146

174,131

1,284,488

303,418

4,321,855

22,984,870

Credit intermediation and related activities

25,584

2,120,755

30,987

14,301

42,000

38,621

197,673

757,647

Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial
investments

113,498

24,687,173

184,425

42,392

407,033

86,291

1,473,120

9,077,325

Investment bankers and securities dealers

11,527

1,771,262

15,889

2,077

30,977

9,832

58,373

470,006

Securities brokers

8,781

2,845,859

9,555

** 6,854

13,509

5,049

92,884

747,409

Commodity contracts brokers and dealers

2,353

844,750

1,991

**

** 12,647

** 581

** 20,725

307,714

Finance and insurance

Securities and commodity exchanges

* 147

* 61,624

* 806

**

**

**

**

* 19,517

Other financial investment activities (investment advice)

90,689

19,163,678

156,184

33,461

349,900

70,828

1,301,138

7,532,679

Insurance agents, brokers, and related activities

295,994

28,530,604

327,734

117,438

835,455

178,507

2,651,062

13,149,898

Insurance agencies and brokerages

218,936

23,102,751

253,510

108,318

717,048

171,668

2,493,022

10,327,983

Other insurance related activities and other financial
vehicles

77,058

5,427,853

74,224

9,120

118,407

6,838

158,040

2,821,915

833,811

68,020,579

1,485,297

297,175

806,737

457,752

2,046,003

32,575,890

Real estate

808,086

65,347,348

1,024,811

267,719

764,919

404,568

1,802,981

31,976,539

Lessors of real estate (including miniwarehouses
and self storage)

26,721

1,566,631

116,003

7,990

50,350

79,089

72,718

698,597

Offices of real estate agents, brokers, property
managers, and appraisers

611,623

46,997,714

616,645

196,560

535,532

184,806

1,157,362

24,659,560

Other activities related to real estate

169,742

16,783,003

292,164

63,169

179,036

140,673

572,902

6,618,383

Rental and leasing services

24,561

2,671,603

460,485

29,456

41,818

53,184

243,022

598,266

Automotive equipment rental and leasing

10,167

466,041

125,942

** 4,902

2,272

11,085

** 28,098

114,969

Consumer electronics and appliances rental

* 1,017

* 35,297

* 9,400

**

0

* 100

**

* 4,459

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Video tape and disc rental

* 437

* 95,246

**

0

**

0

**

* 9,411

General rental centers and other consumer
goods rental

5,389

646,056

** 66,125

* 4,352

** 29,587

7,661

** 85,281

169,788

Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment
rental and leasing

7,551

1,428,963

259,019

20,202

9,959

34,338

129,644

299,639

Real estate and rental and leasing

Formal wear and costume rental

Lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets (except
copyrighted works)

* 1,163

* 1,628

0

0

0

0

0

* 1,086

Professional, scientific, and technical services

2,591,709

180,800,625

2,534,555

700,528

3,708,496

662,304

15,021,758

90,521,156

Legal services

285,859

40,061,723

316,860

145,560

1,667,542

234,904

4,429,387

18,468,701

Offices of certified public accountants

36,532

4,373,623

47,388

18,179

147,852

29,907

665,623

2,109,037

Other accounting services

283,516

9,128,897

185,162

107,762

199,242

52,407

1,141,892

4,372,144

Architectural, engineering, and related services

186,468

13,787,291

338,777

85,416

184,307

52,553

1,576,989

5,824,518

Architectural services

77,497

6,539,612

185,090

63,370

103,358

30,069

958,424

2,168,697

Engineering services

60,711

4,621,482

108,183

13,878

56,778

10,826

411,160

2,342,326

Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

14

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with and without net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns

Business
receipts

(1)

(2)

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]
(3)

(4)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Payroll [1,4]

Net income
less deficit

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Drafting, building inspections, and geophysical
surveying

44,376

1,843,853

21,860

* 2,049

11,896

5,486

127,718

964,613

Surveying and mapping (except geophysical) services

10,471

536,601

13,971

* 5,921

* 4,944

* 250

* 63,223

99,617

Testing laboratories

6,564

378,064

40,412

* 284

* 8,500

* 6,087

* 25,260

52,593

270,473

10,263,624

269,256

39,981

263,794

33,017

557,836

2,885,560

Specialized design services
Computer systems design services

286,069

12,186,926

191,694

35,177

141,674

47,325

1,705,179

4,839,241

1,932,153

102,510,415

2,067,457

378,855

1,570,868

377,132

6,449,377

46,620,942

Management, scientific, and technical
consulting services

918,517

53,060,774

817,705

163,995

702,851

187,114

2,835,008

28,089,465

Scientific research and development services

40,461

1,162,391

20,558

2,405

13,601

10,992

66,557

570,060

Advertising and related services

144,018

8,748,762

153,891

58,915

152,366

23,094

481,910

2,584,673

Other professional, scientific, and technical services

Market research and public opinion polling

53,368

1,795,982

15,060

3,060

28,350

* 1,262

97,127

1,009,292

Other miscellaneous services

775,788

37,742,507

1,060,243

150,479

673,701

154,669

2,968,774

14,367,451

2,471,954

71,549,687

2,451,611

544,959

775,448

350,572

8,058,863

20,878,960

2,447,895

68,965,754

2,266,906

532,466

754,690

326,603

7,757,194

20,491,927

24,059

2,583,933

184,705

12,493

20,758

23,969

301,669

387,033

855,798

12,462,997

307,997

71,587

794,438

48,973

812,423

4,259,346

2,181,372

121,896,872

2,229,755

592,343

5,240,048

751,595

17,983,164

49,914,827

1,255,515

98,911,498

1,795,466

482,769

4,390,204

598,131

15,002,476

41,508,962

179,425

31,912,367

424,971

135,809

1,196,190

149,349

4,256,628

15,050,488

Offices of physicians, mental health specialists

37,200

3,715,513

37,942

13,102

184,700

11,437

203,249

2,318,509

Offices of dentists

77,693

25,302,439

720,985

63,002

1,024,751

270,442

6,170,617

8,067,229

Offices of chiropractors

33,912

3,669,163

112,125

27,649

310,037

36,905

323,826

1,433,925

Offices of optometrists

22,796

4,048,270

79,244

13,079

271,129

25,559

761,914

1,205,976

Offices of mental health practitioners and
social therapists

197,753

10,351,783

123,234

62,627

677,364

19,776

923,337

5,137,273

7,905

1,428,120

8,355

7,926

122,956

8,383

198,397

551,073

Outpatient care centers and other miscellaneous
health practitioners

259,314

8,471,604

151,230

45,142

432,507

27,304

707,955

3,884,445

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

17,709

795,063

17,781

4,751

18,199

2,579

102,032

309,260

Home health care services

386,214

7,680,503

76,214

95,508

125,793

37,988

1,128,643

2,976,991

Other ambulatory health care services (including
ambulance services, blood and organ banks)

35,594

1,536,673

43,385

14,174

26,580

8,409

225,878

573,793

Hospitals

9,787

1,284,437

16,423

6,045

26,124

7,329

211,178

522,188

Nursing and residential care facilities

81,300

4,626,400

113,369

26,240

237,640

68,530

1,160,950

819,912
7,063,766

Administrative and support and waste management
services
Administrative and support services
Waste management and remediation services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Ambulatory health care services
Offices of physicians (except mental health specialists)

Offices of podiatrists

Social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries

834,770

17,074,537

304,497

77,289

586,079

77,604

1,608,560

1,499,737

39,117,870

1,672,912

285,042

1,341,279

216,440

2,178,580

9,471,518

1,346,487

29,498,640

1,123,558

** 168,596

746,171

** 126,969

1,128,867

9,150,994

Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions

8,028

370,610

* 3,795

**

* 7,151

**

* 32,292

67,348

Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries

145,222

9,248,620

545,559

116,446

587,957

89,471

1,017,422

253,176

Accommodation, food services, and drinking places

486,163

61,958,635

1,914,086

481,061

3,975,082

732,270

11,087,619

3,248,628

Accommodation

58,393

6,646,123

701,779

7,659

236,936

404,078

907,198

148,368

Travel accommodation (including hotels, motels, and
bed and breakfast inns)

38,853

5,160,174

542,983

5,684

142,058

333,844

754,461

88,237

RV (recreational vehicle) parks and recreational camps

9,999

669,227

99,781

373

* 12,955

47,834

41,103

-18,629

Rooming and boarding houses
Restaurants (full & limited service) and drinking places

9,542

816,722

59,015

* 1,602

81,923

22,399

111,633

78,760

427,770

55,312,512

1,212,308

473,402

3,738,146

328,192

10,180,421

3,100,260

Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

15

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns

Business
receipts

(9)

(10)

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]
(11)

(12)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Payroll [1,4]

Net income

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

Drafting, building inspections, and geophysical
surveying

37,008

1,770,185

9,743

* 1,975

* 11,335

5,408

119,481

1,014,204

Surveying and mapping (except geophysical) services

6,127

497,264

10,419

** 6,193

* 4,944

* 250

* 62,712

196,211

Testing laboratories

5,125

358,748

25,342

**

* 7,892

* 6,000

* 25,211

103,079

176,730

8,822,654

175,481

26,509

204,214

19,446

423,292

3,405,631

Specialized design services
Computer systems design services

205,353

11,106,575

131,553

21,728

84,666

39,263

1,429,545

5,534,885

1,417,251

93,519,862

1,339,334

295,375

1,220,672

233,825

5,355,031

50,806,239

Management, scientific, and technical
consulting services

666,023

49,520,803

520,101

112,015

511,482

111,890

2,339,086

30,236,614

Scientific research and development services

33,193

1,044,489

10,334

* 2,292

8,182

291

43,469

713,767

Advertising and related services

108,708

7,896,722

107,558

50,519

115,015

13,767

422,090

2,861,696

Other professional, scientific, and technical services

Market research and public opinion polling

40,000

1,748,190

9,471

* 2,634

20,244

* 69

85,563

1,067,866

Other miscellaneous services

569,327

33,309,658

691,870

127,916

565,749

107,808

2,464,823

15,926,297

2,038,986

64,228,410

1,797,452

332,853

534,096

248,083

6,252,994

24,611,905

2,018,643

61,979,508

1,632,954

323,699

519,651

226,953

6,031,976

24,158,762

20,343

2,248,903

164,498

9,154

14,445

21,130

221,018

453,143

659,976

11,143,884

182,165

49,113

639,244

26,185

649,676

5,411,369

Health care and social assistance

1,822,471

113,357,220

1,831,486

402,744

4,633,627

621,777

15,730,931

52,897,187

Ambulatory health care services

1,020,922

92,835,656

1,486,330

349,984

3,998,568

518,481

13,518,074

43,537,640

Offices of physicians (except mental health specialists)

147,778

29,632,784

320,911

119,538

1,071,911

119,397

3,757,287

15,316,264

Offices of physicians, mental health specialists

33,780

3,573,200

28,814

12,149

174,212

10,143

156,781

2,343,718

Offices of dentists

69,364

24,576,218

638,452

62,027

985,621

251,831

5,963,774

8,231,845

Offices of chiropractors

29,222

3,619,542

110,616

27,335

298,303

36,301

319,423

1,479,086

Offices of optometrists

17,559

3,798,862

77,586

10,969

259,703

25,421

705,815

1,215,123

Offices of mental health practitioners and
social therapists

158,571

9,539,261

84,825

48,597

602,657

16,950

765,628

5,396,270

6,943

1,361,832

8,324

7,926

122,586

8,383

197,642

552,122

Outpatient care centers and other miscellaneous
health practitioners

210,402

7,771,532

127,764

21,558

372,782

19,929

524,726

4,289,814

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

13,147

711,525

12,995

* 4,460

16,885

2,310

82,906

338,597

Home health care services

303,607

6,920,405

41,886

26,386

79,051

21,597

883,463

3,770,005

Other ambulatory health care services (including
ambulance services, blood and organ banks)

30,548

1,330,495

34,157

9,039

14,857

6,220

160,629

604,797

Hospitals

8,273

912,977

8,560

4,622

2,887

1,462

60,344

552,760

Nursing and residential care facilities

67,662

3,689,771

83,632

* 13,669

* 177,122

* 39,723

* 814,971

988,145

Social assistance

725,615

15,918,815

252,963

34,469

455,050

62,111

1,337,541

7,818,642

981,481

32,740,300

702,048

197,018

923,011

121,044

1,403,739

13,857,603
12,632,252

Administrative and support and waste management
services
Administrative and support services
Waste management and remediation services
Educational services

Offices of podiatrists

Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries

882,592

25,564,126

** 500,279

109,846

** 515,339

68,135

** 734,396

Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions

5,999

358,975

**

0

**

0

**

99,005

Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries

92,890

6,817,199

201,769

87,172

407,673

52,909

669,343

1,126,346

Accommodation, food services, and drinking places

314,810

47,900,310

944,094

327,095

2,879,792

373,266

7,875,355

6,106,848

Accommodation

31,063

4,140,449

262,600

2,645

72,285

179,282

542,603

758,396

Travel accommodation (including hotels, motels, and
bed and breakfast inns)

21,770

3,171,758

195,134

1,535

65,358

141,140

418,386

576,635

RV (recreational vehicle) parks and recreational camps

4,855

393,827

36,255

* 104

* 743

* 27,002

21,583

37,154

Rooming and boarding houses

4,438

574,864

31,211

* 1,006

* 6,185

11,140

102,634

144,608

283,747

43,759,861

681,494

324,450

2,807,506

193,985

7,332,752

5,348,452

Restaurants (full & limited service) and drinking places
Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

16

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with and without net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns
(1)

Business
receipts

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Payroll [1,4]

Net income
less deficit

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

3,512,160

112,054,576

3,243,624

924,979

7,357,323

711,191

8,801,884

29,421,897

Auto repair and maintenance

360,747

26,737,863

976,849

175,401

1,168,884

251,012

2,856,345

3,197,705

Automotive mechanical and electrical repair
and maintenance

197,540

13,470,265

516,128

129,861

622,956

138,249

1,082,031

1,486,057

Automotive body shops

70,691

7,129,098

136,181

22,254

235,611

51,311

975,175

1,034,770

Other services

(2)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

(8)

Other auto repair and maintenance (including oil
change, lubrication, and car washes)

92,517

6,138,501

324,540

23,287

310,318

61,452

799,140

676,879

Miscellaneous repairs

398,593

17,561,761

605,074

69,474

400,000

114,731

1,544,527

3,750,311

2,493,940

64,043,682

1,628,057

664,344

5,709,652

342,817

4,333,703

20,786,485

Personal and laundry services
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and
change,similar organizations
Unclassified establishments

258,879

3,711,270

33,644

* 15,759

78,787

* 2,632

* 67,309

1,687,396

589,940

6,582,839

199,251

53,543

96,957

31,994

125,582

2,562,396

Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

17

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by
Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples —money amounts are in thousands of dollars]
Businesses with net income
Industrial sector

Number
of returns
(9)

Business
receipts

Rent paid
Depreciation on machinery
and
deduction [1,2]
equipment [1]

Interest paid
deduction [1,3]

Payroll [1,4]

Net income

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

2,772,117

99,806,433

2,105,952

659,594

6,054,020

494,906

7,384,451

35,056,821

Auto repair and maintenance

269,084

22,918,340

671,735

133,046

973,733

184,142

2,460,207

4,228,356

Automotive mechanical and electrical repair
and maintenance

145,682

11,434,994

343,173

111,727

530,594

104,656

911,004

2,178,361

Automotive body shops

58,682

6,485,807

117,159

4,705

214,247

40,038

898,677

1,124,664

Other services

(10)

Rent paid
on other
business
property [1]

(16)

Other auto repair and maintenance (including oil
change, lubrication, and car washes)

64,720

4,997,539

211,403

16,614

228,892

39,447

650,526

925,331

Miscellaneous repairs

306,566

15,748,344

425,203

52,615

332,941

87,687

1,353,202

4,373,888

2,004,463

57,804,081

993,715

469,823

4,692,429

222,582

3,569,361

24,394,806

192,004

3,335,668

15,298

* 4,110

54,917

* 496

* 1,682

2,059,771

461,376

5,807,666

96,229

32,601

31,309

24,026

103,800

3,518,808

Personal and laundry services
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and
change,similar organizations
Unclassified establishments

*Estimate should be used with caution because of the small number of sample returns on which it is based.
**Data combined to prevent disclosure of taxpayer information.
[1] Excludes amounts reported on Schedule C-EZ filed by certain small businesses not required to itemize their business deductions. Therefore, totals shown may be slightly understated.
[2] Includes depreciation claimed on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home.
[3] Interest paid is the sum of mortgage interest and other interest paid on business indebtedness.
[4] Payroll is the sum of salaries and wages plus the cost of labor reported as part of cost of sales and operations.
NOTE: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.
Source: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns July 2017.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

18

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH AND WITHOUT NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income (loss) [1]
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business expenses
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Carryover of excess casualty losses and depreciation,
Form 8829 [3]
Net income less deficit [1,2]
Net income [1,2]
Deficit [2]
Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

All
nonfarm
industries

Agriculture,
forestry,
hunting and
fishing

Mining

Utilities

Construction

Manufacturing

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

25,226,245
1,443,584,972
1,423,134,601
20,450,371
1,112,822,766
431,691,688
41,587,894
36,945,498
264,670,333
61,108,307
70,954,423
43,574,766
15,771,694
89,810,369
16,754,234
54,170,585
475,514
38,432,775
2,928,225
19,513,476
12,846,985
9,913,823
3,253,641
5,934,740
12,944,789
1,145,891
10,601,311
37,570,230
18,746,938
38,460,573
89,416,413
19,812,028
16,588,826
31,482,198
119,845,961
9,817,446
1,228,229
18,401

269,704
21,580,554
21,204,216
376,339
20,272,458
8,113,389
512,998
492,926
5,958,669
450,598
1,191,151
492,954
103,931
1,054,152
114,804
1,040,643
1,440
1,977,625
16,671
405,841
113,409
76,779
59,782
160,205
82,077
4,793
168,386
198,663
743,371
604,542
1,395,239
302,576
168,620
307,026
2,949,210
84,365
12,180
0

134,638
9,306,426
8,942,029
364,398
8,762,485
1,884,486
156,949
251,288
360,695
132,917
1,173,559
190,922
13,860
283,838
36,170
247,156
381,172
794,538
25,599
164,874
159,761
31,043
78,177
128,582
41,437
5,949
88,893
79,618
147,696
99,539
611,349
237,508
111,637
109,697
2,955,505
23,110
2,060
0

20,235
924,882
904,896
19,986
885,964
357,455
* 6,465
**
* 209,419
* 6,176
155,091
* 20,701
10,581
40,411
* 11,891
29,768
* 406
82,506
* 1,102
15,295
18,355
4,015
* 4,453
5,727
12,235
* 160
22,102
13,781
18,331
10,401
22,209
17,516
11,327
24,176
141,589
* 2,097
**
0

2,696,797
229,686,192
227,725,092
1,961,099
189,743,676
92,632,479
4,481,961
16,892,056
25,249,598
32,765,461
18,075,877
4,832,474
1,072,445
16,051,922
1,019,904
19,524,528
41,018
6,013,180
325,225
4,080,647
1,120,301
875,896
286,812
762,628
1,008,011
45,404
1,165,228
1,698,123
2,206,595
9,926,003
10,110,231
2,230,167
1,218,905
3,273,565
11,577,296
965,864
105,718
**

380,959
33,903,588
33,594,451
309,138
30,212,332
16,721,374
2,235,154
1,717,634
10,013,449
3,115,775
2,086,722
2,447,360
357,695
1,112,971
224,273
678,621
756
1,150,795
117,302
363,466
289,858
126,863
81,199
249,820
232,986
20,778
143,382
903,364
399,413
989,212
2,385,911
551,232
285,608
709,775
1,914,584
167,765
25,129
0

1,521,839
331,832,538
392,114,132
60,281,594

52,620
1,364,994
2,861,307
1,496,313

5,843
553,002
2,029,813
1,476,811

0
41,715
138,217
96,502

97,396
40,030,430
44,671,269
4,640,838

36,772
3,762,370
5,474,341
1,711,972

19

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015

Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business deductions
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Excess--casualty depreciations, Form 8829 [3]
Net income [1,2]
Returns with Schedule C-EZ:
Number of returns
Business receipts
Business deductions
Net income
Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

All
nonfarm
industries

Agriculture,
forestry,
hunting and
fishing

Mining

Utilities

Construction

Manufacturing

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

18,784,750
1,236,419,550
1,219,802,269
16,617,281
844,622,482
330,052,100
25,840,408
30,553,030
198,054,598
51,268,202
51,740,128
27,404,267
11,599,228
67,322,317
13,041,369
45,950,216
257,705
24,547,475
2,271,029
15,250,503
9,187,521
7,858,948
2,018,820
3,755,163
9,879,460
1,060,534
8,305,956
28,955,085
13,873,611
29,803,171
71,830,656
15,498,814
12,073,641
22,838,005
84,503,521
8,087,190
821,026
15,339
255,531
392,114,132

162,932
17,358,619
17,090,326
268,292
14,498,789
6,514,499
331,514
388,653
4,886,392
409,393
814,662
316,116
73,056
648,210
75,765
835,388
*4
1,171,210
13,256
255,307
72,313
58,348
28,060
95,307
63,868
4,548
119,442
132,304
498,982
413,677
1,041,304
205,642
102,459
184,998
1,820,704
45,430
4,842
0
* 771
2,861,307

86,250
6,160,323
5,973,064
187,259
4,134,645
981,653
29,733
90,276
258,358
101,445
545,445
43,604
8,121
216,297
29,382
211,035
187,771
390,971
12,589
103,429
62,212
22,661
16,200
41,535
23,052
2,331
63,943
28,087
96,226
69,555
318,410
116,060
77,880
71,588
946,372
19,744
535
0
**
2,029,813

13,251
414,382
414,105
* 277
276,336
* 125,280
**
**
* 115,647
**
* 3,013
**
* 3,281
26,491
* 323
* 18,908
* 351
15,746
* 433
5,578
1,555
* 581
* 516
* 1,395
1,952
**
* 20,195
1,132
4,900
5,562
* 11,181
5,200
2,222
7,603
9,842
* 1,941
**
0
0
138,217

2,255,773
207,050,445
205,252,602
1,797,843
162,395,788
79,957,974
2,666,780
14,962,030
21,215,420
29,031,517
14,915,551
2,833,325
875,750
13,729,475
906,946
17,766,683
38,136
4,731,791
261,699
3,452,630
857,560
741,959
183,679
487,389
840,227
36,727
920,192
1,385,688
1,789,408
8,685,789
8,480,029
1,873,956
980,647
2,661,131
9,389,394
856,965
79,543
**
42,957
44,671,269

255,192
27,990,543
27,755,472
235,072
22,554,519
13,142,946
1,426,551
1,267,367
8,234,751
2,347,521
1,468,149
1,601,392
177,366
755,973
146,136
562,249
* 325
736,324
89,766
275,443
167,708
95,693
51,158
115,939
171,803
18,923
99,342
660,329
277,742
660,457
1,752,953
406,776
173,264
519,920
1,339,500
123,155
16,921
0
* 2,432
5,474,341

5,391,652
43,066,410
4,892,414
38,173,996

41,580
249,389
24,919
224,470

23,430
108,672
21,294
87,378

7,105
42,362
* 8,075
34,287

487,707
4,859,151
511,296
4,347,855

52,334
374,706
33,330
341,375

20

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH AND WITHOUT NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income (loss) [1]
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business expenses
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Carryover of excess casualty losses and depreciation,
Form 8829 [3]
Net income less deficit [1,2]
Net income [1,2]
Deficit [2]
Footnotes at end ot table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

Wholesale trade
(merchant
wholesalers)

Retail trade

Transportation
and
warehousing

Information

Finance
and insurance

Real estate
and rental and
leasing

Professional,
scientific,
and technical
services

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

371,148
58,023,627
57,501,371
522,256
52,978,692
38,325,851
4,061,811
631,124
32,610,640
1,955,415
3,273,739
4,206,878
516,420
1,546,260
533,966
719,398
680
668,354
78,784
329,742
404,618
198,313
55,205
208,573
292,996
36,296
284,200
844,734
333,096
688,714
1,941,615
406,423
609,857
643,553
3,100,882
188,651
39,872
** 6,011

2,460,635
184,752,906
182,869,991
1,882,916
173,475,585
116,288,745
21,224,489
1,520,227
104,082,711
6,194,162
5,407,670
22,140,515
2,027,979
5,965,679
1,973,436
1,604,032
5,597
2,500,538
202,480
1,316,463
892,707
549,991
392,669
750,316
1,127,515
45,293
541,738
5,786,798
1,157,338
3,266,886
8,108,352
2,643,745
1,296,506
3,823,698
10,260,145
658,356
116,161
0

1,619,557
102,761,658
101,504,747
1,256,911
88,160,963
10,142,930
337,739
1,648,918
3,085,624
928,503
4,389,472
247,327
301,654
23,494,421
1,617,266
6,508,118
14,672
6,319,239
72,541
3,670,927
482,342
2,179,969
244,301
532,539
470,163
6,541
3,575,912
975,022
6,089,429
1,460,487
3,290,446
1,420,952
1,178,511
1,586,101
12,026,951
201,130
16,785
0

337,957
13,324,032
13,123,379
200,652
9,974,662
3,324,471
93,188
496,152
1,132,867
119,282
1,580,759
97,777
261,519
651,284
196,518
731,679
**
370,123
25,831
77,231
206,886
106,812
10,354
50,291
132,385
3,948
125,903
298,375
68,084
253,323
667,678
108,122
292,975
344,190
1,393,571
220,294
29,385
0

636,234
90,052,429
88,122,057
1,930,372
69,741,179
35,907,584
372,951
195,947
27,281,115
174,624
8,219,624
336,677
1,088,529
2,934,523
3,263,199
1,283,836
2,073
746,745
196,798
560,309
872,761
571,016
106,203
372,741
993,931
117,612
223,648
1,600,301
259,177
536,949
4,791,858
642,996
964,440
1,188,922
10,142,516
282,997
38,839
* 411

1,214,655
77,364,512
75,473,382
1,891,130
49,321,541
11,069,482
2,766,189
403,599
5,167,794
931,073
4,999,406
3,198,581
2,328,587
5,497,294
2,999,277
1,594,568
2,272
2,884,781
133,933
642,793
1,218,125
654,733
457,207
442,235
1,101,406
45,087
438,972
1,136,900
845,109
903,634
2,497,083
892,532
835,221
1,877,144
7,900,590
724,851
94,498
**

3,486,604
196,280,689
192,541,685
3,739,004
113,100,935
25,147,148
1,143,142
3,574,912
9,249,067
3,083,209
9,272,662
1,175,844
2,860,193
7,550,989
1,833,685
6,778,075
17,652
3,309,421
644,229
1,782,806
3,056,127
1,511,017
293,841
611,486
2,871,298
310,048
869,435
4,453,976
1,025,389
2,874,114
13,666,034
2,124,940
4,647,041
4,381,376
17,251,576
2,606,703
343,287
3,651

120,599
5,071,951
6,748,135
1,676,185

186,461
11,360,234
19,771,114
8,410,880

11,745
14,644,792
18,571,192
3,926,400

27,520
3,404,466
4,306,285
901,819

39,362
20,374,787
22,984,870
2,610,084

111,919
28,155,705
32,575,890
4,420,185

415,724
83,310,522
90,521,156
7,210,634

21

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015

Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business deductions
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Excess--casualty depreciations, Form 8829 [3]
Net income [1,2]
Returns with Schedule C-EZ:
Number of returns
Business receipts
Business deductions
Net income
Footnotes at end ot table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

Wholesale trade
(merchant
wholesalers)

Retail trade

Transportation
and
warehousing

Information

Finance
and insurance

Real estate
and rental and
leasing

Professional,
scientific,
and technical
services

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

228,243
48,155,851
47,730,543
425,308
41,422,794
31,185,277
2,770,505
433,340
27,070,209
1,402,193
2,313,414
2,804,383
216,924
1,091,941
420,691
518,683
123
381,318
55,766
234,453
235,430
152,024
22,012
128,594
196,625
30,007
224,649
585,088
217,498
527,063
1,419,708
292,887
415,100
422,406
2,316,339
110,930
11,295
** 6,011
** 308
6,748,135

1,357,591
150,886,928
149,219,248
1,667,681
131,127,043
93,507,138
13,699,738
1,076,727
84,248,120
4,787,160
4,335,319
14,639,925
1,377,238
3,323,204
1,493,982
1,244,785
3,035
1,294,613
148,079
906,850
560,528
331,215
240,938
462,319
674,651
43,151
395,660
3,826,149
770,790
1,935,205
5,993,610
1,877,624
719,583
2,308,240
6,936,031
473,417
56,412
0
21,536
19,771,114

1,291,740
88,501,948
87,434,977
1,066,971
69,939,286
8,026,329
287,717
1,337,203
2,441,529
768,379
3,349,537
158,036
221,203
18,974,427
1,401,759
5,390,889
14,240
3,998,316
52,424
2,912,292
368,553
1,928,263
185,955
351,717
355,401
5,147
3,189,959
665,947
4,931,697
1,110,051
2,341,367
1,149,026
963,066
1,194,474
9,724,121
185,462
13,473
0
* 1,651
18,571,192

221,965
10,756,551
10,606,980
149,571
6,460,277
2,247,031
67,415
261,945
853,269
46,889
1,085,839
68,326
148,001
392,911
157,836
505,567
0
225,212
8,752
46,518
107,719
81,684
* 2,798
25,709
79,333
3,467
99,721
175,543
46,350
183,446
417,011
75,062
208,123
223,131
787,029
159,576
17,552
0
**
4,306,285

435,076
55,338,532
54,275,311
1,063,221
32,359,222
8,014,766
281,632
171,018
3,945,272
122,701
3,753,290
259,148
950,352
2,149,639
2,251,646
929,814
1,670
514,657
165,969
463,006
515,371
456,242
79,932
223,487
796,374
112,209
174,131
1,284,488
208,038
424,108
4,150,836
537,353
720,505
957,444
5,967,213
226,194
28,489
* 411
* 6,763
22,984,870

833,811
68,020,579
66,413,459
1,607,120
35,452,972
8,372,366
1,245,568
316,702
4,225,108
529,799
3,600,656
1,545,468
1,914,211
4,109,872
2,555,548
1,284,826
1,524
1,422,477
85,362
427,583
797,870
535,741
216,271
241,480
856,391
41,291
297,175
806,737
490,646
665,238
1,729,301
618,796
589,353
1,332,897
5,251,962
612,272
62,820
**
16,521
32,575,890

2,591,709
180,800,625
177,521,919
3,278,706
90,338,877
20,615,680
575,030
3,222,014
7,629,288
2,462,981
7,378,657
652,290
2,260,855
5,520,234
1,374,176
5,740,543
4,974
2,284,736
530,834
1,422,093
2,480,123
1,198,977
221,157
441,148
2,370,900
290,132
700,528
3,708,496
798,737
2,185,917
11,799,744
1,790,735
3,697,245
3,328,178
12,815,977
2,148,359
249,819
* 1,556
76,116
90,521,156

42,205
297,045
21,510
275,535

354,199
2,189,979
288,582
1,901,397

259,457
1,570,756
298,402
1,272,354

79,011
514,991
52,809
462,181

76,796
810,184
89,516
720,669

124,275
1,611,035
197,723
1,413,312

627,157
6,866,026
622,336
6,243,690

22

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH AND WITHOUT NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income (loss) [1]
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business expenses
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Carryover of excess casualty losses and depreciation,
Form 8829 [3]
Net income less deficit [1,2]
Net income [1,2]
Deficit [2]
Footnotes at end of table.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

Administrative
and
support and
waste
management
services

Educational
services

Health care
and social
assistance

Arts,
entertainment,
and recreation

Accommodation,
food services,
and drinking
places

Other
services

Unclassified
establishments

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

2,471,954
71,549,687
70,608,444
941,243
50,703,589
13,000,750
328,079
2,687,445
4,650,269
2,398,574
3,267,235
330,852
660,279
7,015,506
429,220
3,540,787
1,634
2,391,876
120,504
1,237,706
638,306
441,307
114,097
236,475
681,477
52,667
544,959
775,448
1,084,300
2,647,757
5,371,418
877,691
743,042
1,609,973
5,271,119
557,897
59,735
** 4,495

855,798
12,462,997
12,333,478
129,520
8,223,780
672,130
136,487
119,891
308,977
55,139
196,398
144,762
235,873
984,402
97,619
382,938
* 995
263,980
22,597
108,611
162,375
153,096
17,385
31,588
222,433
11,158
71,587
794,438
94,832
464,468
692,531
153,035
366,949
450,018
1,355,904
238,707
44,017
0

2,181,372
121,896,872
120,088,742
1,808,129
72,052,242
5,881,723
400,541
1,333,655
1,541,150
1,227,293
1,801,418
422,334
1,126,733
3,949,123
458,915
2,860,287
347
2,098,312
612,599
1,967,549
1,440,061
1,163,788
251,426
500,169
1,739,093
396,768
592,343
5,240,048
989,485
4,510,020
16,649,509
2,223,364
1,165,048
2,663,633
11,549,091
1,517,761
131,443
* 1,472

1,499,737
39,117,870
37,885,485
1,232,385
29,726,657
5,641,055
723,160
399,060
2,449,787
451,921
2,386,203
769,076
664,383
2,228,059
865,172
1,149,704
231
1,604,229
78,252
308,449
561,834
433,500
81,094
135,346
389,252
16,127
285,042
1,341,279
516,286
1,199,289
1,779,520
436,084
1,440,191
1,033,529
6,633,854
623,825
68,683
**

486,163
61,958,635
61,303,631
655,003
58,742,620
23,188,454
756,846
2,033,137
18,532,942
1,580,731
1,053,980
769,181
887,655
1,161,939
308,737
784,038
1,687
1,903,123
92,260
930,638
433,954
175,968
404,230
328,040
261,047
9,551
481,061
3,975,082
1,225,182
1,817,574
9,054,482
2,786,153
219,323
2,927,030
5,244,724
80,057
10,963
**

3,512,160
112,054,576
110,929,691
1,124,885
82,716,777
22,761,083
1,771,840
2,470,687
12,582,530
5,255,898
2,358,384
1,678,256
1,184,878
7,488,667
710,366
4,437,373
2,875
3,156,469
160,009
1,485,489
714,384
574,182
299,469
411,722
1,218,877
16,215
924,979
7,357,323
1,431,851
5,946,988
6,331,197
1,731,142
921,855
4,366,211
7,554,383
642,995
87,155
**

589,940
6,582,839
6,477,834
105,004
4,026,628
631,099
77,905
** 76,841
203,029
281,555
65,073
72,296
68,500
798,928
59,818
275,037
** 7
196,939
1,510
64,641
60,821
85,534
* 15,736
16,258
66,170
* 1,498
53,543
96,957
111,974
260,673
49,749
25,850
111,769
162,583
622,470
30,022
** 2,318
** 2,361

65,169
20,878,960
24,611,905
3,732,946

73,398
4,259,346
5,411,369
1,152,023

59,267
49,914,827
52,897,187
2,982,360

107,144
9,471,518
13,857,603
4,386,086

19,849
3,248,628
6,106,848
2,858,220

88,817
29,421,897
35,056,821
5,634,924

2,237
2,562,396
3,518,808
956,412

23

Fall 2017

Sole Proprietorship Returns, Tax Year 2015
Table 2. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Income Statements, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2015—Continued
[All figures are estimates based on samples--money amounts are in thousands of dollars]

Net income status, item

BUSINESSES WITH NET INCOME
Number of returns [1]
Business receipts, total [1,2]
Income from sales and operations [1]
Other business income
Business deductions, total [1,2]
Cost of sales and operations, total
Inventory, beginning of year
Cost of labor
Purchases
Materials and supplies
Other costs
Inventory, end of year
Advertising expenses
Car and truck expenses
Commissions
Contract labor
Depletion
Depreciation
Employee benefit programs
Insurance
Legal and professional services
Meals and entertainment deducted
Mortgage interest
Other interest paid on business indebtedness
Office expenses
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Rent paid on machinery and equipment
Rent paid on other business property
Repairs
Supplies
Salaries and wages
Taxes paid
Travel
Utilities
Other business deductions
Home office business deductions, total
Depreciation, Form 8829 [3]
Casualty loss, Form 8829 [3]
Excess--casualty depreciations, Form 8829 [3]
Net income [1,2]
Returns with Schedule C-EZ:
Number of returns
Business receipts
Business deductions
Net income

Administrative
and
support and
waste
management
services

Educational
services

Health care
and social
assistance

Arts,
entertainment,
and recreation

Accommodation,
food services,
and drinking
places

Other
services

Unclassified
establishments

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

2,038,986
64,228,410
63,598,666
629,744
39,619,953
10,679,381
255,281
1,988,463
4,444,977
2,047,181
2,208,182
264,703
446,266
5,303,927
360,391
3,017,104
1,563
1,754,563
91,896
985,963
478,083
329,736
81,020
167,063
456,097
43,253
332,853
534,096
772,514
1,923,951
4,264,531
696,755
537,587
1,152,930
4,076,460
478,022
42,889
** 4,412
8,542
24,611,905

659,976
11,143,884
11,057,982
85,902
5,747,055
542,051
34,324
107,856
253,588
33,280
156,428
43,424
146,355
610,902
84,348
305,981
* 835
158,982
19,850
70,423
116,950
97,159
8,716
17,469
135,673
5,592
49,113
639,244
61,830
300,905
541,820
125,980
220,874
276,433
863,237
178,567
23,183
0
* 9,392
5,411,369

1,822,471
113,357,220
111,692,226
1,664,994
60,481,147
5,021,194
296,418
1,143,144
1,285,359
1,086,947
1,511,127
301,800
928,496
2,821,362
375,330
2,448,261
330
1,715,621
516,526
1,680,846
1,196,279
977,784
199,128
422,649
1,550,150
383,501
402,744
4,633,627
810,770
3,932,199
14,587,786
1,945,319
945,516
2,205,320
8,918,177
1,377,970
115,865
* 1,472
25,674
52,897,187

981,481
32,740,300
31,767,147
973,153
18,924,536
4,290,970
390,313
324,591
1,914,243
309,245
1,746,580
394,001
388,245
1,264,537
692,492
810,563
99
658,620
50,600
177,642
337,704
279,800
50,012
71,032
235,776
14,690
197,018
923,011
290,080
706,832
1,079,149
295,891
961,443
644,216
3,743,050
483,286
43,428
**
13,578
13,857,603

314,810
47,900,310
47,456,890
443,420
41,807,198
17,797,063
436,217
1,372,316
14,651,886
1,070,435
734,758
468,548
601,036
660,061
120,940
552,602
* 1,480
936,960
50,301
647,176
259,395
101,586
203,561
169,705
145,108
8,703
327,095
2,879,792
750,484
1,274,391
6,503,039
2,043,035
132,708
2,006,874
3,513,687
59,782
7,133
**
7,381
6,106,848

2,772,117
99,806,433
98,824,342
982,091
64,788,862
18,453,299
977,675
2,019,006
10,189,395
4,458,042
1,762,624
953,442
846,749
5,357,611
560,090
3,665,781
* 1,244
2,060,592
115,730
1,156,006
537,444
428,052
214,568
280,338
893,253
15,313
659,594
6,054,020
1,010,566
4,651,305
5,365,445
1,428,549
567,742
3,265,615
5,797,206
524,378
45,360
**
19,924
35,056,821

461,376
5,807,666
5,717,011
90,655
2,293,182
577,202
** 67,998
** 70,381
191,787
** 253,096
* 56,897
** 56,335
15,722
365,243
33,590
140,554
0
94,767
* 1,196
27,265
34,721
41,445
* 13,139
10,887
32,827
** 1,548
32,601
31,309
46,353
147,520
33,432
14,168
58,325
74,608
287,221
21,739
** 1,468
** 1,477
** 1,982
3,518,808

786,784
5,774,395
657,397
5,116,998

298,795
1,195,696
174,132
1,021,564

585,461
5,910,657
505,048
5,405,609

351,285
1,624,170
281,070
1,343,100

68,558
427,381
60,634
366,747

851,062
7,125,700
885,792
6,239,908

274,452
1,514,116
158,548
1,355,568

* Estimate should be used with caution because of the small number of sample returns on which it is based.
** Data combined to prevent disclosure of taxpayer information.
[1] Includes returns with Schedule C-EZ attached. Schedule C-EZ was filed for certain small businesses, i.e., those with net incomes, business expenses of $5,000 or less, used the cash accounting method, with
no inventories or employees, and with no deduction for a home office business and no allowable "passive" activity losses. Because only a total is reported for business deductions on Schedule C-EZ, the totals
shown in the statistics exceed the sum of the detailed deductions; the detailed deductions are, therefore, slightly understated.
[2] Total business deductions are before subtraction of nonallowable "passive" activity losses and any "passive loss" carryover from the prior years. However, these losses (after subtraction) and any carrryover are
reflected in net income or deficit. Therefore, total business receipts minus total business deductions may not always equal net income or deficit.
[3] These are selected line items from Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, and do not represent the total of the home office business deduction found on the Schedule C.
NOTE: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.
Source: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, Sole Proprietorship Returns, June 2017.

Statistics of Income Bulletin

24

Fall 2017

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/agency%3Airs%3Aebf7915b85c0222a. Public record. Not legal advice.