Reporting Rover dogsitting income on DEO weekly claims - 1099 confusion

YES! You absolutely need to report ALL income when you claim weeks, including any 1099/gig work like Rover. When you do your weekly certification, there's a question specifically asking if you worked or earned any income during that week. You must report the gross amount (before Rover takes their cut) for the week you PERFORMED the work, not when you got paid. DEO compares reported income with IRS records eventually, so don't risk an overpayment situation by not reporting it.

i did instacart while on unemployment last year & reported everything. u gotta put down what u EARNED in the week u did the work, not when it hits ur bank. DEO will reduce ur benefit that week depending how much u made

Florida allows you to earn up to $58 per week without any reduction in benefits - this is called the earnings disregard. After that, they reduce your weekly benefit dollar-for-dollar. So if your weekly benefit amount is $275 and you earn $100 from Rover in a week, they'll deduct ($100-$58) = $42 from your benefit, meaning you'd receive $233 for that week. And yes, you must report the GROSS amount before Rover takes their commission, even though that feels unfair. Report earnings for the week you performed the service. The DEO system compares tax records, so they will eventually catch any unreported income.

Make sure you're still doing your 5 work searches each week too! Even with the Rover income you still have to meet all the other requirements to keep getting benefits.

I went through this EXACT situation with DoorDash last year while on unemployment. DEO's system is a NIGHTMARE for gig workers! I reported everything correctly but still ended up with an "overpayment notice" because their system couldn't properly categorize 1099 income. Spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone to fix it. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual DEO agent in under 30 minutes! They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. The agent fixed my claim immediately once I explained the situation. Saved me from having to repay $2,100 that I didn't actually owe!

The DEO doesn't care where your income comes from, they just care THAT you have income. I reported my Etsy shop earnings and it all went fine. Just be honest!!

One more important thing - make sure you're setting aside money for taxes on your Rover income. Unlike W-2 employment, 1099 work doesn't have taxes withheld. You'll need to pay both income tax AND self-employment tax (15.3%) on that income when you file. This can be a shock if you're not prepared for it.

I'm in the exact same situation with Uber Eats! From my experience, you absolutely must report all income when it's earned. I made the mistake of not reporting a few small deliveries last year thinking it wasn't enough to matter, and ended up with an overpayment notice for over $1,800! DEO has access to your tax records and they will catch any discrepancies. The key things to remember: - Report income in the week EARNED (when you do the dog sitting) - Report GROSS earnings (before Rover's cut) - Keep detailed records of all your gigs - You can earn up to $58/week without reduction in benefits - After $58, benefits reduce dollar for dollar If your weekly benefit is $240 and you earn $100 dog sitting, you'll get $240 - ($100-$58) = $198 that week.

my cousin got in trouble for not tellin DEO about his side gig. they made him pay back like $4000!!! dont mess with them fr

Has anyone else noticed that the CONNECT system is ridiculously confusing about where to report 1099/gig income? Like they intentionally make it complicated so they can hit you with overpayment notices later? 🙄

I've been doing Rover for about 6 months while on unemployment and learned this the hard way! Here's what I wish someone had told me from the start: 1. **Always report gross earnings** - even though it stings seeing that full amount when Rover takes their 20% cut 2. **Report for the week you do the work** - not when you get paid (this tripped me up initially) 3. **Keep a detailed log** - I use a simple spreadsheet with dates, client names, services provided, and gross earnings 4. **The $58 weekly allowance is your friend** - anything under that won't reduce your benefits at all 5. **Set aside 25-30% for taxes** - this includes both income tax and self-employment tax since you're basically running a small business The CONNECT system asks "Did you work or earn money?" during weekly certification - that's where you report it. Don't overthink it, just be honest about everything. DEO will eventually cross-reference with IRS data anyway, so it's not worth the risk of getting hit with an overpayment later. Good luck with your dog sitting business! It's actually pretty rewarding work beyond just the income.

Yes, you can definitely deduct business expenses for your dog sitting work! Since you're essentially running a small business, you can deduct things like: - Gas/mileage for traveling to clients (huge one!) - Dog treats, toys, or supplies you buy for the pets - Cleaning supplies if you're doing overnight sits - Phone expenses (portion used for Rover communications) - Any equipment like leashes, waste bags, etc. Keep ALL receipts and track your mileage - the IRS standard mileage rate is 65.5 cents per mile for 2023. Even small expenses add up quickly with gig work. I use a simple app to track my miles automatically. Also consider setting up a separate checking account for your Rover income and expenses - makes bookkeeping much easier come tax time. And if you're doing overnight sits, you might be able to deduct a portion of your phone/internet bills since you're using them for work. Just make sure everything is legitimately business-related and keep good records. The IRS is pretty reasonable about gig work deductions as long as you can justify them!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who does both Rover and TaskRabbit while on unemployment - the key is DOCUMENTATION! I keep screenshots of every booking confirmation, payment notification, and client message. When I had to speak with a DEO agent about a discrepancy in my claim, having all that documentation saved me from a potential overpayment situation. One thing I learned is that if you have a cancellation fee from Rover (like when a client cancels last minute), you still need to report that as income for the week it was earned, even though you didn't actually provide any service. DEO considers any payment from your 1099 work as reportable income. Also, don't forget that Florida has a partial benefit formula - if your weekly Rover earnings plus your reduced unemployment benefit end up being less than your full weekly benefit amount, you might actually come out ahead financially some weeks. It's worth doing the math to see if picking up an extra small gig is worth it or if you should wait for a bigger one. Stay organized and honest with your reporting - the system is definitely confusing but being upfront about everything is always the safest route!