Can I file my Shopify income on a 1040 without waiting for a 1099?

So I'm in this weird situation with my Shopify store income. I've been waiting forever for my 1099 from Shopify but they're dragging their feet. Apparently they got some extension for sending out 1099s. The thing is, I know exactly what I made last year - I have all my sales records and everything. I'm somewhere between $600 and $20,000 in sales, which puts me in this confusing zone with all the threshold changes (first it was $600+, then back to $20,000+). I reached out to the IRS and they said some companies might still send 1099s for income over $600 but under $20,000, but it's not guaranteed. I'm getting impatient and really want to file my taxes now. My question is: If I know exactly what I earned, can I just report that income on my 1040 without waiting for the 1099? I figured as long as I'm honestly reporting all my income, it should be fine, right? Is this allowed or do I absolutely have to wait for the official 1099 from Shopify?

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19 comments

Carmen Sanchez

•8M

You can absolutely report your Shopify income on your 1040 without waiting for the 1099. The 1099 is just an information return that tells the IRS what you were paid - it doesn't change your obligation to report all income regardless of whether you receive a form. You'll report your Shopify income on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) which gets attached to your 1040. Make sure you're keeping good records of all your income and expenses related to your business. Since you already have your sales records, you're in good shape! The 1099 threshold changes have been confusing for everyone. Just be aware that even though the filing threshold for third-party payment processors to issue 1099-Ks returned to $20,000 (and 200 transactions), that doesn't change your obligation to report all income earned.

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Carmen Sanchez

•8M

If you later receive a 1099 that shows a different amount than what you reported, you should compare your records with the 1099 to determine which is correct. If there's a significant discrepancy and the 1099 is accurate (meaning you underreported your income), then yes, you would need to file an amended return using Form 1040-X. If you believe your records are correct and the 1099 is wrong, you should contact Shopify to request a corrected 1099. The IRS matches 1099 information with your tax return, so unexplained discrepancies might trigger questions or an audit.

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Zoe Papadakis

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year with my side hustle and was super stressed about getting it right. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to upload all my statements and confirm exactly what I needed to report. It automatically found all my business income and expenses even without having the 1099 form. The tool showed me exactly how to fill out Schedule C and gave me confidence I was reporting everything correctly. The AI actually explained that you don't need to wait for 1099s to file - you just need to report your actual income accurately. If you have detailed records of your Shopify sales, you're already ahead of the game!

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Zoe Papadakis

•8M

It's surprisingly good with deductions! You can upload receipts, bank statements, or credit card statements and it finds business expenses you might miss. It categorizes everything properly for Schedule C and explains which expenses qualify and why. I discovered I could deduct some home office expenses I didn't know about. For state taxes, yes it handles those too. I'm in New York which is also picky, and it walked me through how my business income flows to both federal and state returns. It shows exactly how the numbers transfer from your federal Schedule C to your state forms.

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Jamal Edwards

•8M

Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. Such a relief! I uploaded my Shopify dashboard exports and bank statements, and it identified all my business income and legitimate deductions without needing any 1099 forms. The breakdown of sales vs. shipping income vs. fees was really helpful, and it pointed out some deductions I was missing for packaging supplies and online advertising. It made filing Schedule C way less intimidating than I expected. Definitely filing now instead of waiting for forms that might never come!

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Mei Chen

•8M

After trying to get someone at the IRS to answer this exact question for HOURS (literally spent 3 days trying to reach them), I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed what others have said - you absolutely can file without waiting for the 1099. They said they see this all the time with gig workers and online sellers. Just report the income accurately on Schedule C and you're good. They also mentioned the IRS is being more lenient with the threshold confusion this year since the rules changed and then got pulled back.

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Mei Chen

•8M

It works by continuously calling the IRS for you and navigating through all their automated prompts. When it finally gets through, it texts you to jump on the call. You don't have to sit there redialing for hours. I was super skeptical too! I thought it sounded like a scam at first, but it's actually legitimate. They don't ask for any personal tax info - they just connect the call. The IRS phone system IS a disaster, that's exactly why this service exists. They basically have technology that keeps trying all the different IRS numbers and call paths until one works, which is impossible to do manually without losing your mind.

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Amara Okonkwo

•8M

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I had a similar situation with missing 1099s from my freelance work. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed I could file with my own records and didn't need to wait. They even gave me specific guidance on how to document everything in case of questions later. Honestly saved me weeks of stress waiting for forms and probably a late filing penalty too. Sometimes I hate being wrong but in this case I'm glad I was!

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Giovanni Marino

•8M

Don't overthink this! I've been running an Etsy shop for years and half the time the 1099s have errors anyway. The key is having your OWN solid bookkeeping that tracks: - All sales revenue - Platform fees - Payment processing fees - Shipping costs - Materials/inventory costs - Other business expenses Keep everything organized by category so it's easy to fill out Schedule C. If you do get a 1099 later and there's a big difference, THEN worry about amending. But I rarely see major discrepancies if your own records are good.

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Giovanni Marino

•8M

I personally use a combination of Wave (free accounting software) and a separate spreadsheet for inventory tracking. Wave connects to my bank accounts and automatically categorizes most transactions, which makes it super easy at tax time. For inventory, I track purchase date, cost, when items sell, and shipping expenses. This helps with both Schedule C and making sure I'm pricing things properly to actually make a profit. Some people like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, but Wave has been perfect for my small business needs and doesn't cost anything for the basic features.

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Landon Flounder

•4M

You're absolutely right to be proactive about this! I had the same concern with my online sales last year. The IRS actually expects you to report ALL income regardless of whether you receive a 1099 - it's your legal obligation whether the form shows up or not. Since you have your sales records from Shopify, you're in great shape. Just report your gross income on Schedule C and deduct any legitimate business expenses (Shopify fees, advertising, materials, etc.). The 1099 threshold confusion this year means many people are in your exact situation, and the IRS is well aware of it. One tip: save screenshots of your Shopify dashboard showing your total sales for the year. This creates a paper trail in case you ever need to prove your income reporting was accurate. Don't let the missing 1099 delay your filing - you've got everything you need to file correctly right now!

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