Never received 1099-MISC from bankrupt company I freelanced for - what options do I have?

Thanks for the quick response! I do have all my payment records, including dates and amounts in my bank statements. But I'm a little confused about how to fill out the Schedule C without their EIN (Employer Identification Number). Do I need that information, or can I just put "bankrupt company" or something similar?

You actually don't need their EIN to file your Schedule C. The Schedule C is all about YOUR business activity, not theirs. You'll report your income, expenses, and calculate your profit. Just make sure you have the company name correct for your records. If you're filing Schedule C, you're essentially reporting as a self-employed person. The IRS is more concerned that you're reporting all your income rather than having the matching 1099 from the payer. As long as your reported income matches or exceeds what would have been on the 1099, you're in good shape.

Does it actually work with messy documentation? I've got payments spread across PayPal, Venmo, and direct deposits, and I'm worried about missing something when reporting.

I'm skeptical about tax software for contractors. How does it handle situations where the business info is incomplete? My client literally disappeared overnight and I have zero contact information for them now.

It absolutely works with messy documentation. You can upload statements from multiple sources, and it will categorize and organize everything. I had a mix of payment methods too, and it pulled everything together into one clear income report. For missing business information, that's actually where it was most helpful. The tool focuses on documenting YOUR income and expenses properly, so even with incomplete client info, you can still file correctly. It guides you through what information is essential vs. what you can work around. In your case, it would help you document the income while noting the business has ceased operations.

Wait, how does this actually work? Do they just call the IRS for you? Couldn't I just do that myself?

Yeah right. Nothing gets you through to the IRS faster. They probably just keep you on hold the same amount of time and charge you for it. The IRS is basically unreachable during tax season.

They don't just call for you - they use a technology that navigates the IRS phone system and secures your place in line. Then they call you when they're about to connect you to an agent. You're not paying for hold time - you're paying for the technology that gets you past the busy signals and disconnects. You could definitely try calling yourself, but the IRS answered only about 13% of calls last tax season with average hold times over 45 minutes when you actually get through. Most people just get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting. That's exactly why I tried it - I had already spent hours trying to get through on my own with no success.

But what happens if the amount the company reports paying you (if they filed anything before going bankrupt) doesn't match what you report? Could that trigger an audit?

That's a good question. If there's a discrepancy, it potentially could raise a flag in the IRS system. However, if you're reporting based on your actual income records (bank deposits, etc.), you're still doing the right thing. If the company reported incorrectly before going bankrupt, that's their mistake, not yours. Just make sure you have documentation of all the income you received - bank statements, invoices, contracts, emails confirming payments. If you're ever questioned, you can show you reported based on your actual earnings. The IRS is generally understanding when you can show you made a good-faith effort to report accurately.

CA resident here too. The Franchise Tax Board definitely wants documentation, but I found they accepted my own records (invoices + bank statements) when I couldn't get a 1099 from a client who went out of business. I included a brief statement explaining the situation with my filing.