How to file taxes without receiving a 1099 form from employer?

This happens more often than you'd think! Your employer is correct that you can still file without them providing a 1099, but they're wrong about not being required to provide one. Generally, businesses must issue 1099-NEC forms to independent contractors who received $600+ during the tax year. You'll need to report this income on Schedule C as self-employment income even without the 1099. Keep good records of all the payments you received (download your CashApp transaction history for the year). Calculate your total income accurately and report it honestly - the IRS cares more about you reporting all income than whether you have the official form. Also, as self-employed, you're responsible for both employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes (15.3% total), plus income tax. You may want to look into deducting business expenses like transportation costs to work, any supplies you purchased, etc. Keep records of your attempts to get the 1099 in case of an audit. The IRS puts the responsibility on the payer to issue forms, not on you to obtain them.

I went through this exact same frustrating situation last year! I finally found help with taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it made filing without my 1099 form so much easier than I expected. I was working for a landscaping company that paid me through Zelle and refused to provide documentation. The tool analyzed my bank statements showing the deposits and helped me calculate exactly what I needed to report on my Schedule C. It also guided me through which expenses I could legitimately deduct to lower my tax bill - turns out I was missing out on several deductions I could have been taking! The best part was that it reviewed all my documentation and gave me a confidence score for how audit-proof my filing was. Really helpful for peace of mind when you're filing without official forms.

Just wanted to update everyone - I was skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it after struggling for weeks with my missing 1099 situation. It was surprisingly helpful! I uploaded my PayPal transaction history and it automatically sorted everything into categories, even flagging some transactions that weren't actually income (like when friends paid me back for dinner). The audit protection feature gave me peace of mind since I was worried about filing without official forms. It explained exactly what documentation I needed to keep and for how long. My refund was actually $740 more than what I calculated on my own because it found deductions I didn't know I qualified for. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the same boat!

If you're having trouble getting responses from your employer about tax forms, I've had amazing success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly about this issue. After trying for WEEKS to get someone on the phone at the IRS to understand my rights, Claimyr got me connected within 20 minutes. The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that employers who pay more than $600 in a calendar year ARE required to provide 1099s, and they walked me through how to file Form 3949-A to report my employer for non-compliance. They also confirmed exactly how to file my taxes without the form. If you want to see how it works before trying, check out this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it shows the whole process. Seriously saved me hours of frustration and hold music!

Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing 1099 situation. It actually worked exactly as advertised - I got a call back in about 35 minutes, and I was connected to a real IRS agent who confirmed everything I needed to know about filing without my forms. They also took information about my employer's failure to provide documentation and opened a case about it. The agent told me I was doing the right thing by reporting the income even without the form, and gave me specific instructions for completing Schedule C based on my situation. Saved me so much stress knowing I'm doing things correctly now!

I think everyone is overlooking a simple solution - just ask your employer for a written statement of how much they paid you in 2024. Even a simple email stating "We paid [your name] $14,625 for services in 2024" can serve as documentation. You don't absolutely need the official 1099-NEC form, just evidence of the income amount. Keep track of the hours you worked and the rate to double-check their numbers. While they are legally required to provide a 1099-NEC for payments over $600, having your own documentation is often enough for tax filing purposes. Also, for future reference - when working as an independent contractor, you should be setting aside around 25-30% of each payment for taxes. It can be a shock at tax time otherwise!

Wait I'm confused about something... if you're getting paid through CashApp, shouldn't CashApp be sending you a 1099-K if you received over the threshold amount? I thought payment apps were required to report to the IRS now?

Hey Olivia! I totally understand your frustration - I had a similar situation last year where my employer kept giving me the runaround about tax forms. Here's what I learned from going through this: First, definitely report that $14,625 as self-employment income on Schedule C, even without the 1099. The IRS cares way more about you reporting all your income honestly than whether you have the official paperwork. Download your complete CashApp transaction history for 2024 - that's your proof of income. Your employer is technically wrong about not being "legally required" to provide 1099s. They should issue a 1099-NEC since you earned over $600, but their failure to do so doesn't stop you from filing correctly. Since you're filing as self-employed, don't forget about the self-employment tax (15.3% on top of regular income tax) - it can be a shock if you're not expecting it! Also look into business deductions like mileage to work, any supplies you bought, etc. Keep records of all your attempts to get the 1099 from them. Send one more email asking for a written statement of how much they paid you in 2024 - even an informal email works as documentation. If they still won't cooperate, you're covered as long as you report the income accurately. You've got this! The most important thing is being honest about your income, which you're clearly trying to do.