Filing taxes without receiving a 1099 form from employer

You're actually fine to file without the 1099! The IRS requires companies to provide 1099s, but YOU can still file correctly without one. The key is that you report all of your income accurately. When using FreeTaxUSA (or any tax software), you'll still enter the income as self-employment income in the 1099-NEC/MISC section. You can simply enter the income amounts from your records and the company information. The software will generate a Schedule C for you based on what you enter. The IRS doesn't actually receive a copy of your 1099 forms with your return - they get them separately from companies and match them to what you report. Just make sure you're tracking your income carefully and reporting the full amount. Also be sure to claim all valid business expenses on your Schedule C to reduce your tax liability. Keep good records of everything in case of questions later.

I went through something similar last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a huge help with my contractor income situation. I had three clients - two sent 1099s but the third only provided bank statements and payment summaries. I was really stressed about how to handle it until a colleague recommended this tool. What I liked was that I could upload the PDF earning summary my client sent me (sounds similar to what you received), and it extracted all the payment information automatically. It organized everything by date and amount, which made it super easy to enter into FreeTaxUSA. It also helped me identify some business expenses I hadn't thought to deduct. The tool basically gave me confidence that I was reporting everything correctly even without the official 1099 form. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with multiple income sources or missing documentation.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after our exchange here. I decided to give it a try despite my initial skepticism, and wow - it was actually incredibly helpful. I uploaded the earnings PDF from my client plus my bank statements, and it organized everything perfectly. The best part was discovering I had about $2,800 in deductible business expenses that I hadn't realized qualified! The tool flagged several transactions that were business-related that I would have missed. I've already filed using FreeTaxUSA and the whole process was way smoother than I expected without having the official 1099. For anyone in a similar situation with missing tax forms or disorganized records, it seriously streamlined everything. Definitely made tax season less stressful!

If you're having trouble getting tax documents from companies, you should also know about Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I discovered it after spending WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about a missing 1099 issue similar to yours. Basically, what they do is help you actually connect with a live IRS agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was able to speak with someone at the IRS who confirmed that I could file with my own records if the company failed to provide a 1099, and they also gave me info on how to report the company for not issuing proper tax forms. After trying for days to get through the IRS phone system myself and giving up, I was connected to an agent in about 20 minutes using their service. Made a huge difference in getting my tax situation sorted out.

I'm back to eat my words about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a likely scam, I was still desperate to reach the IRS about my missing 1099 situation, so I decided to try it anyway. To my genuine surprise, it actually worked exactly as described. I received a call back in about 45 minutes with an IRS agent already on the line. The agent confirmed that I should go ahead and file using my own records and the information from my client's payment summary. They also told me I could file Form 3949-A to report the company for not issuing proper tax documents if I wanted to. I'm not someone who admits being wrong easily, but in this case, I was definitely wrong. For anyone struggling to get through to the IRS during tax season, this service is legitimately helpful. Saved me hours of frustration.

Just wanted to add that you should make sure to keep really good records of everything in case there are any questions later. I went through a similar situation a few years ago, and the company ended up filing the 1099 super late (like 6 months after tax day). The IRS sent me a letter because what I reported didn't match their records exactly - I had rounded some numbers and missed a small payment. It wasn't a big deal to resolve, but I had to show them all my records. Best practice is to keep screenshots of all payments, save that PDF they sent you, and keep all your expense receipts for at least 7 years. Better safe than sorry!

Does anyone know if we're supposed to check the box in FreeTaxUSA that says "I received this 1099" if we didn't actually get the form? I'm in the same situation and I'm not sure what to select on that screen.

Just to clarify something important - if your earnings from this company were over $600 for the year, they are actually REQUIRED by law to send you a 1099. You might want to follow up with them more firmly or contact the IRS to report them, especially if this is affecting multiple contractors as they indicated. You can still file your taxes correctly without the form as others have mentioned, but the company is definitely not following proper tax procedure here. "Issues with their bank" is not a valid excuse for failing to meet tax documentation requirements.

I've been through this exact situation and wanted to share what worked for me. When a company failed to provide my 1099 despite earning over $2,000 from them, I took a two-pronged approach. First, I filed my taxes accurately using my own records just like everyone here has mentioned - reported all income on Schedule C through my tax software (I used H&R Block but the process is the same). The key is being meticulous with your documentation. Second, I filed Form SS-8 with the IRS to get a determination on my worker status, since companies sometimes claim "contractor" to avoid proper tax reporting. Turns out I should have been classified as an employee, which explained why they were dodging the 1099 requirement. Even if your classification was correct, you can still file Form 3949-A to report tax law violations. The IRS takes missing 1099s seriously because it affects their ability to match income reports. Don't let them off the hook - their "accounting system issues" excuse doesn't hold water legally. Keep pushing them for the proper documentation while filing with your own records. You're doing everything right by reporting the income regardless of their failures.