How to report self-employment income with missing 1099-NEC from unresponsive company?

This is actually a pretty common situation! The good news is that you're absolutely right to report the income regardless of whether you received the 1099-NEC. You should report all of your husband's independent contractor income on Schedule C. That's the correct form for self-employment income, whether or not you have official 1099 forms. The IRS is primarily concerned that you report all income, not necessarily that you match each 1099 exactly. When you complete Schedule C, you'll list the total gross receipts from all sources ($68,000 in your case). You don't need to identify the specific payers on Schedule C. You can also deduct legitimate business expenses on this form, though the reimbursements wouldn't count as deductible expenses since they've already been paid back to you.

After dealing with the exact same frustrating situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was honestly a game-changer for my missing 1099 nightmare. I was freaking out because I had three clients who hadn't sent proper documentation despite multiple reminders. The tool helped me organize all my bank deposits and invoices so I could accurately report everything on Schedule C without the official forms. It even flagged a payment I completely forgot about! Their document verification feature confirmed I was categorizing everything correctly for self-employment reporting.

I was totally skeptical about tax tools for my missing 1099 situation, but I finally tried taxr.ai after struggling with three clients who never sent paperwork. It actually saved me from a potential audit! The system helped me correctly categorize everything on Schedule C and even found discrepancies between my records and the few 1099s I did receive. What really impressed me was how it created a paper trail showing I reported EVERYTHING, which gave me peace of mind knowing I was protected if those missing forms ever showed up in the IRS system. Way better than the spreadsheet nightmare I was using before.

If you're still having trouble getting responses from this company, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar issue last year with a company that wouldn't send my 1099, and I ended up needing to contact the IRS to verify what had been reported under my SSN. Spent DAYS trying to get through on the phone with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait (you can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). The agent confirmed what forms had been filed with my SSN, which helped me know exactly what was reported and what wasn't.

I'll admit I was dead wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to verify what 1099s had been filed under my name before submitting my return with "missing" forms. Decided to try it as a last resort and it actually worked exactly as described. Got connected to an IRS rep in about 15 minutes who confirmed that two of my clients HAD filed 1099s (with incorrect amounts!) and one hadn't filed at all. Saved me from a potential audit nightmare because I was able to address the discrepancies in my return. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!

Just wanted to add that you should definitely keep detailed records of all attempts to contact the company about the missing 1099-NEC. Save emails, call logs, etc. If there's ever a question, you can prove you made good faith efforts to get the proper documentation. Also, if you have contracts, invoices, bank deposits, or any other documentation showing the payments, keep those organized too. Having a solid paper trail is crucial when you're dealing with missing forms.

Don't overthink this! Schedule C is definitely the right place for self-employment income, received 1099 or not. I've had missing 1099s for years from some clients and never had an issue. Just make sure the total you report matches or exceeds what was actually paid to you, and you'll be fine. The IRS mainly cares that you're not UNDER-reporting income.

Just went through this exact situation last tax season! You're absolutely doing the right thing by reporting the income on Schedule C regardless of the missing 1099-NEC. One thing I'd add that helped me - consider sending one final certified letter to the company requesting the 1099, keeping the receipt. This creates an official paper trail showing you made every reasonable effort to obtain proper documentation. Even if they don't respond, you'll have proof for your records. Also, make sure to separate the $68,000 in actual income from the $350 in reimbursements when reporting. The reimbursements shouldn't be included as income since they were just covering your expenses. Only report the true payment for services as self-employment income on Schedule C. The IRS matching system is pretty forgiving when you report MORE than what's on file rather than less. Even if that 1099 shows up later, you're already covered since you reported everything accurately.