Missing 1099-NEC form for work done - but I have receipts as proof

Even without a 1099-NEC, you're still required to report that income on your tax return. The good news is your receipts are perfect proof of the income you received! The person who paid you could potentially face penalties from the IRS for not issuing the 1099-NEC when required (for payments over $600 to non-employees). However, that's not your problem - it's their responsibility to follow those rules. For your taxes, you'll report this as self-employment income on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business). Even though you don't consider it a formal business, the IRS treats this kind of side work as self-employment. List your total earnings ($830) and any legitimate expenses related to the work. The resulting profit is subject to both income tax and self-employment tax.

I was in a similar situation last year when I was doing landscaping work on the side. I was stressing about not having my 1099 forms from a couple of clients, but then I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually helped me figure out exactly how to report my income without the official forms. I just uploaded my receipt images and bank statements to taxr.ai and it helped organize everything for my Schedule C filing. The tool even flagged which expenses were deductible for my situation. Honestly saved me so much headache trying to figure out what to do without those 1099s. I think they analyze your documents and give you specific tax advice based on your situation.

Alright guys, I have to share this follow-up! I was the skeptical one about taxr.ai but I decided to try it since my situation was similar - did some freelance design work and only got 1099s from half my clients. I uploaded my PayPal receipts, Venmo transactions and the 1099s I did have, and wow - the system organized everything perfectly. It flagged which clients should have sent 1099s based on payment amounts and gave me exact instructions for reporting both documented and undocumented income. Saved myself from paying a tax preparer $250! The best part was that it showed me several deductions I had no idea I could claim for my home office setup. Definitely recommend if you're missing documentation like the original poster.

For what it's worth, I've been on both sides of this situation. If you're really concerned about getting things sorted out with the IRS and can't get your neighbor to issue a 1099, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I used them when I had a similar issue and needed to talk to someone at the IRS directly. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS on my own with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed exactly how to file my taxes without the 1099s I was missing. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent told me it happens all the time and gave me specific instructions for my situation. Big relief to hear directly from them that I wouldn't have problems filing without those forms.

Well I'm officially eating my hat. After my skeptical comment about Claimyr I decided to try it myself yesterday because I've been trying to reach the IRS about a similar issue with unreported income (client paid me but never sent 1099). I got connected to an IRS agent in 22 minutes. TWENTY-TWO MINUTES! After trying for weeks on my own! The agent confirmed exactly what others here have said - I should report the income on Schedule C regardless of whether I received a 1099, and keep my receipts as proof of the income if there are ever any questions. For anyone missing 1099s who's worried about doing their taxes correctly, either get specific advice from the IRS directly or use good records of your income. The agent said they deal with this constantly and it's not as big a deal as I was making it out to be.

Just wanted to add: make sure you track your expenses related to the work too! You can deduct things like: - Materials you bought for the jobs - Mileage driving to and from work sites - Portion of your phone bill if used for this work - Tools purchased - Work clothes or protective equipment These deductions can really reduce your taxable income from the side gig. I do handyman work too and my deductions usually cut my taxable income by about 30%.

Has anyone else had the person get mad when you ask them for a 1099? I did about $900 worth of computer repair for a small business owner last year and when I asked for a 1099-NEC they acted like I was trying to scam them or something. Ended up just reporting the income anyway but it was awkward.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! I did photography work for several small businesses last year and only got 1099s from about half of them. The total was around $2,100, so definitely over the reporting threshold. What I've learned from researching this: you absolutely need to report ALL the income regardless of whether you got the forms or not. The IRS expects you to track and report everything you earned, even cash payments or situations where the payer didn't follow proper 1099 procedures. I ended up creating a simple spreadsheet with dates, client names, services provided, and amounts received. I kept all my invoices, payment confirmations, and bank deposit records. This documentation is actually more important than the 1099 forms themselves if you ever get questioned. One thing that surprised me - when I called the IRS directly (took forever to get through), they said mismatched or missing 1099s are incredibly common and usually don't cause major issues as long as you report your actual income accurately. They care way more about people underreporting income than they do about administrative paperwork gaps. Just make sure you're also tracking any legitimate business expenses you can deduct against that income!