EDD reporting requirements for Amazon Associates income - confused about small earnings

Yes, you absolutely need to report ANY income earned during your certification period, regardless of when you actually receive payment. EDD asks about EARNINGS not payments. The key question on the certification form is: "Did you work or earn any money, WHETHER YOU WERE PAID OR NOT?" So technically, you should report those Amazon affiliate earnings for the week they were earned (when the commission was generated), not when Amazon actually pays you.

I was in an almost identical situation with a different affiliate program last year. I called EDD multiple times and couldnt get a straight answer! One rep told me I only need to report when i get paid, another said I need to report when the sales happen. Its SO CONFUSING!!!!! I ended up reporting the income in the week it was earned (not when paid) just to be safe, but honestly with amounts that small it probably wouldnt trigger any issues either way. The whole system is broken IMO.

The technical answer is yes, you must report earnings when they are earned, not when paid. However, there's a practical side too. For tiny amounts like $2-5 per week, the impact on your benefits would be minimal. EDD uses a formula where the first $25 or 25% of your earnings (whichever is greater) doesn't count against your benefits. So if you're earning less than $25/week, it likely won't impact your payment amount, though you still need to report it for legal compliance.

I spent 4 HOURS trying to get through to EDD yesterday about a similar question (mine was about Etsy sales). They kept transferring me around and then I'd get disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to a specialist in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The EDD rep confirmed that for self-employment income like affiliate marketing, you report earnings in the week they are EARNED, not when you're paid. She also explained that if your earnings are variable week to week, you should keep detailed records of exactly which earnings occurred in which certification week.

They said to use the best estimate available at the time you certify, and if the final amount ends up different, you can contact EDD to correct it later. Just keep documentation of everything - screenshots of the dashboard, final payment statements, etc. The specialist mentioned that for very small amounts, minor estimation differences probably won't trigger any issues, but it's always better to report something than nothing.

my brother got hit with a HUGE overpayment notice last year because he didn't report some side gig income he thought was too small to matter. ended up owing like $3,500 back to edd plus some penalty. not worth the risk imo just report everything even if it seems stupid

they let him do a payment plan but its still a huge headache. he has to pay like $100 a month for years now. and they were charging interest until he got on the plan. just not worth the risk for a few bucks.

i thought amazon associates was that job where u work in their warehouse?? is that something different?

Just to add some clarity here: EDD has specific rules for self-employment income. The key things to remember are: 1. Report the income when EARNED, not when paid 2. For most claimants, the first $25 or 25% of earnings (whichever is greater) doesn't count against your weekly benefit amount 3. Keep detailed records of all earnings by week 4. If you're unsure about exact amounts, report your best estimate and be prepared to provide documentation if asked I'd recommend certifying accurately each week with your best estimate of that week's earnings. Better to be honest about $3 than risk an overpayment determination later.

I'm dealing with something similar with my blog monetization income. One thing I learned is that Amazon Associates earnings are considered "self-employment" income by EDD, so you need to track it carefully. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with columns for the date, estimated earnings, and which certification week it falls into. Even though the amounts seem tiny, consistency in reporting is key. I've been reporting my affiliate earnings (usually $5-15/week) for the past 2 months and it hasn't caused any delays in my certification process. The EDD system seems to handle small amounts pretty smoothly as long as you're upfront about them. Also, since Amazon's reporting dashboard can be confusing with their delayed payments, I take screenshots of my earnings summary each week when I certify. That way I have documentation if there are ever any questions later.

This is really helpful information everyone! I'm in a similar boat with YouTube ad revenue - making maybe $8-12 per month but Google only pays out after you hit $100, so I won't see actual payment for like a year at this rate. Based on what everyone's saying, I should definitely report the earnings when they're generated each week, not when I eventually get paid by Google. The spreadsheet idea from Christian is brilliant - I'm going to start tracking everything by certification week. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to report such tiny amounts, but the horror stories about overpayments are enough to convince me it's not worth the risk. Thanks for sharing all your experiences, this community is way more helpful than trying to get through to EDD directly!

As someone who's been navigating this exact situation for months, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely need to report those Amazon Associates earnings when they're earned, not when paid. I learned this the hard way after initially thinking the amounts were too small to matter. What really helped me was setting up a simple system: I check my Amazon Associates dashboard every Sunday (which is when I usually certify) and record the earnings that were generated during that specific certification week. Even if it's just $2.47, I report it. The good news is that with amounts this small, it typically won't affect your benefit amount due to the $25/25% rule others mentioned. One tip that saved me a lot of headaches: Amazon's dashboard shows earnings by the date the commission was earned (when someone clicked and bought), not when Amazon processes it. Use that "earned date" to figure out which certification week to report it in. I keep screenshots of my dashboard each week just in case EDD ever asks for documentation. The whole process feels ridiculous for such tiny amounts, but after hearing about people getting hit with massive overpayment notices, it's definitely not worth the risk. Better safe than sorry with EDD!