Shoebox: a receipt sorter for gig workers that never uploads a receipt

Description and use

Shoebox is an offline receipt sorter for gig workers that uses a local Qwen3‑VL 8B model to classify receipts under IRS Schedule C lines, explain decisions, and export a CSV—all without uploading data.

Problem

Gig workers and freelancers need to sort and categorize hundreds of receipts for tax deductions but face high costs for bookkeepers or privacy concerns with cloud expense apps.

Outcome

All seven sample receipts were correctly classified (7/7), totals matched expectations, processing cost was $0.00 per receipt, and the tool runs entirely offline after the initial model download.

Workflow

• Place receipt photos in a folder
• Run python3 shoebox.py ./receipts --work "<job description>"
• Open http://localhost:8765 to review results
• Correct any misclassifications and tick "Looks right"
• Export the CSV for tax software or accountant

Evidence

Shoebox is a receipt sorter for gig workers and freelancers that runs entirely on your laptop.

Source

The coffee result is my favorite. The receipt had a note printed on it, "Met client re: logo revisions." The model used it to file the purchase as a business meal and applied the 50% limit for meals.

Source

Results are cached in shoebox.json inside the folder, keyed by image hash, so re-runs only read new photos.

Source