Do I need to report cash income to the IRS? Working part-time and paid in cash

Yes, you absolutely need to report all income to the IRS regardless of whether it's paid in cash, check, direct deposit, or any other method. The IRS requires reporting of all income from whatever source derived. Based on what you've described, you're making approximately $28,000-$33,800 annually from this job, which definitely needs to be reported. The fact that you're depositing the cash into your bank account creates a paper trail that the IRS could potentially discover during an audit. Banks are required to report large cash deposits, and patterns of smaller deposits can trigger suspicion of "structuring" (deliberately making smaller deposits to avoid reporting requirements). Ask your employer if they plan to issue you a 1099-NEC form. If they don't, you'll need to report this income on Schedule C as self-employment income. This means you'll also be responsible for self-employment taxes (about 15.3%) on top of regular income tax. Keep good records of your work days and income to accurately report everything.

I was in this exact situation last year, working at a food truck getting paid cash under the table. I was stressing about what to do at tax time, especially with regular bank deposits that could raise flags. A friend recommended this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure things out. It analyzed my situation and helped me understand exactly what forms I needed and how to properly report everything without raising audit flags. The best part was it showed me what deductions I could take as a contractor to offset some of the tax burden. Even showed me how to properly document my cash income when I didn't have official paperwork from my employer. Way more helpful than the generic advice I was finding online that didn't apply to cash workers.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that someone mentioned above. I was really nervous about my cash landscaping income, but the service was actually super helpful! It showed me how to create my own income log to document everything properly, and helped me understand which of my tools and expenses I could deduct. I was shocked at how much I saved through legitimate deductions I didn't know about. The best part was the specific advice about how to properly report everything without raising audit flags. They even showed me how to handle the fact that I had already deposited most of the cash. Definitely feeling more confident about tax season now instead of anxious. Wish I had known about this sooner!

I work as a bartender with tons of cash income and had a NIGHTMARE experience trying to get through to the IRS with questions about reporting it properly. Kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with gave me the exact guidance I needed about reporting cash tips and how to properly document everything. Saved me from potentially serious penalties. They don't provide tax advice themselves - they just get you connected to the actual IRS so you can get official answers directly from the source.

Ok I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate about getting my amended return sorted out so I tried Claimyr anyway. I seriously CANNOT BELIEVE it worked. After weeks of failing to get through, I was connected to an IRS rep in about 15 minutes yesterday! The agent was able to see that my amended return was stuck in processing and put a note on my account to expedite it. She also answered all my questions about reporting my side gig income properly for next year. Having an actual conversation with a real IRS employee instead of guessing or relying on internet advice was exactly what I needed. I'm still shocked this actually worked when nothing else did.

Warning from personal experience: ALWAYS report your cash income! I worked as a server for 3 years and didn't report all my cash tips. The IRS eventually caught on because my lifestyle/spending didn't match my "official" income. Got hit with back taxes, penalties AND interest. Ended up owing way more than if I'd just paid properly from the start. Pro tip: set aside about 25-30% of your cash earnings immediately for taxes. I now keep a separate savings account just for tax money. Makes filing season way less painful when you're not scrambling to find the money you already spent.

I'm confused about something... if I'm getting paid cash but not getting a W-2 or 1099, how do I even report it? Like what forms do I use and what do I put for employer info if they refuse to give me anything official?