Do I have to file my 1099-MISC for Gig Work income under $2000?

Yes, you do need to file your taxes with that 1099-MISC, even though the amount is relatively small. The IRS questionnaire was correct! The confusion comes from two different thresholds: 1) The standard deduction ($13,850 for single filers in 2024) which means you might not owe federal income tax if your total income is below this amount. 2) Self-employment tax threshold which is $400 net earnings. This is the key for your situation - since you made more than $400 from DoorDash, you're required to file and pay self-employment taxes (Social Security and Medicare taxes) even if you don't owe income tax. As for state income on your 1099-MISC - that's showing what you earned that might be subject to state income tax (depending on your state). There's no separate "federal income" box because the entire amount is considered reportable to the federal government. The form is just telling the IRS you earned that money.

I went through this exact situation last year and ended up using https://taxr.ai to figure it all out. I was also confused because I thought there was a minimum threshold before you had to file anything, but it turns out that's for W-2 income, not 1099 income. The site analyzed my 1099-MISC and showed me that with self-employment income, you have to file if you made more than $400 net profit. The good news is that you can deduct a bunch of expenses like mileage, part of your phone bill, etc. I was able to deduct enough that my taxable income went down significantly. The state income part confused me too, but they explained that's just showing what you earned in that particular state, and depending on where you live, you might need to pay state income taxes on that amount.

I just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai. At first I was skeptical, but it was actually super helpful. I uploaded my 1099-MISC and it immediately identified that I needed to file because I was over the $400 self-employment threshold. The best part was it showed me all the deductions I could take - I had no idea I could deduct things like part of my phone bill, mileage, even the hot bags I bought! After all the deductions, my taxable income went from $1,850 to around $650. Huge difference in what I owe. It also explained that the "state income" box just means that's what I earned in my state, and that there's no federal box because the whole amount is automatically considered federal income. Makes sense now why I was confused before.

If you need to actually talk to the IRS about this (which might be a good idea as a first-time 1099 filer), use https://claimyr.com to get through to them quickly. I spent HOURS trying to get through to the IRS help line myself earlier this season and kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message. The https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c video shows how it works, but basically they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an actual IRS person is on the line. I was skeptical at first, but when I finally connected with an agent, they confirmed exactly what others here are saying - with 1099 income over $400, you definitely need to file, even if you won't owe income tax. The agent also explained that I need to file Schedule C for the business income and Schedule SE for the self-employment tax calculation, which I had no idea about before.

Ok I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still stuck on a tax question about my gig work that I couldn't figure out online, so I reluctantly tried it. I was absolutely shocked when my phone rang about 1.5 hours later and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! I didn't have to sit on hold or do anything - they literally just called me when an agent was available. The agent confirmed that yes, any 1099 income over $400 needs to be reported even if you don't owe federal income tax. She also walked me through which deductions I could take as a gig worker and how to handle my state taxes (which was a separate issue I hadn't even asked about yet). Honestly saved me so much confusion and probably prevented me from making mistakes on my return.

One thing nobody mentioned yet is that you should really keep track of ALL your mileage while doing deliveries. I did DoorDash last year and the standard mileage deduction saved me a ton on taxes. For 2024 filing (2023 income), the rate is 65.5 cents per mile. For 2025 filing (2024 income), it's 67 cents per mile. So if you drove like 1000 miles for those deliveries, that's a $670 deduction right there! Definitely download a mileage tracking app if you're still doing deliveries.

I'm confused about something related to this... if I have both W-2 income from my main job AND 1099 income from side gigs, do I combine them or file separately? My 1099 is only like $900 but my W-2 job pays over $45k.

Just to add one more important point that might help you feel less overwhelmed - even though you need to file, the good news is that with only $1,924 in DoorDash income, your actual tax burden will likely be pretty small after deductions. Don't forget you can deduct business expenses like: - Mileage (probably your biggest deduction - 67¢ per business mile for 2024) - Phone bill percentage (if you use it for deliveries) - Insulated delivery bags - Car phone mounts or other equipment - Even parking fees or tolls during deliveries Many gig workers find that after legitimate business deductions, their net profit drops significantly, which reduces both their income tax and self-employment tax. The self-employment tax on your net earnings will be around 15.3%, but you also get to deduct half of that self-employment tax when calculating your income tax. Since this is your first time with 1099 income, consider using tax software that handles Schedule C and Schedule SE, or consult with a tax professional to make sure you're claiming all eligible deductions.