SnapExpense MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for freelancer expense tracking. Integrates with Claude Desktop to provide AI-powered receipt scanning, tax deduction estimates, and IRS Schedule C category guidance.

Features

• scan_receipt - AI-powered receipt scanning using Claude Vision. Extracts vendor, amount, date, and suggests IRS tax category.
• estimate_deduction - Calculate estimated tax savings for any business expense, including federal income tax and self-employment tax.
• get_tax_categories - Browse all 19 IRS Schedule C categories with examples and deduction percentages.

Installation

Claude Desktop (Recommended)

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snapexpense": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@snapexpense/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows users: Use this format instead:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snapexpense": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@snapexpense/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Global Installation

npm install -g @snapexpense/mcp-server

Then configure Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snapexpense": {
      "command": "snapexpense-mcp",
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration

| Environment Variable | Required | Description | |---------------------|----------|-------------| | ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | Yes | Your Anthropic API key for Claude Vision (receipt scanning) |

Get your API key at console.anthropic.com

Usage Examples

Once configured, ask Claude:

• "Scan this receipt" (attach an image)
• "How much would I save on taxes for a $200 software subscription?"
• "Show me the IRS tax categories for business expenses"
• "What category does a client lunch fall under?"
• "Estimate my tax savings on $500 of office supplies"

Tools

scan_receipt

Scan a receipt image and extract:

• Vendor name
• Total amount
• Purchase date
• Suggested IRS Schedule C category
• Estimated tax savings

Parameters:

• image_url (string) - URL of the receipt image
• image_base64 (string) - Base64-encoded receipt image

estimate_deduction

Calculate estimated tax savings for a business expense.

Parameters:

• amount (number, required) - Expense amount in USD
• category (string, required) - Expense category (e.g., "Software", "Office Supplies")
• tax_bracket (number, optional) - Your tax bracket percentage (default: 25%)

Returns:

• Federal income tax savings
• Self-employment tax savings (15.3% on 92.35% of net SE income)
• Annual impact if recurring expense

get_tax_categories

Browse IRS Schedule C categories.

Parameters:

• filter (string, optional) - Filter categories by name or description

IRS Schedule C Categories

All 19 IRS Schedule C categories included:

| Category | IRS Line | Deductible | |----------|----------|------------| | Advertising & Marketing | Line 8 | 100% | | Car & Vehicle Expenses | Line 9 | 100% | | Commissions & Fees | Line 10 | 100% | | Contract Labor | Line 11 | 100% | | Depreciation | Line 13 | 100% | | Employee Benefits | Line 14 | 100% | | Insurance | Line 15 | 100% | | Interest | Line 16 | 100% | | Legal & Professional Services | Line 17 | 100% | | Office Expenses | Line 18 | 100% | | Rent/Lease | Line 20 | 100% | | Repairs & Maintenance | Line 21 | 100% | | Supplies | Line 22 | 100% | | Taxes & Licenses | Line 23 | 100% | | Travel | Line 24a | 100% | | Meals | Line 24b | 50% | | Utilities | Line 25 | 100% | | Home Office | Line 30 | 100% | | Other Expenses | Line 27a | 100% |

About SnapExpense

SnapExpense is an expense tracking app for freelancers and self-employed individuals.

Website: snapexpenses.com

Features:

• Snap a photo of any receipt
• AI extracts all details automatically
• Expenses categorized for IRS Schedule C
• Export reports for tax time

Development

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/willrenzo39/snap-expense.git
cd snap-expense/chatgpt-app

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development
npm run dev:stdio

# Build
npm run build

License

MIT

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Website: snapexpenses.com