Shiftkey healthcare worker with no 1099 issued - how to report income?

Yes, you absolutely need to report all income earned regardless of whether you received a 1099 or not. The IRS requires reporting of all income from any source. What Shiftkey is doing is actually legal - companies that are considered "third-party payment networks" (like payment processors or marketplaces) only have to issue 1099-K forms when a worker exceeds $20,000 AND more than 200 transactions. This threshold changed recently and causes a lot of confusion. The good news is you can still file your taxes correctly. Download all your payment statements from the app and create a record of your earnings. You'll report this on Schedule C as self-employment income. Make sure to keep track of any business expenses that might be deductible (mileage, supplies, portion of phone bill, etc.) to reduce your taxable income. Also, don't forget you'll need to pay self-employment tax (about 15.3%) on this income.

I had the exact same issue with Shiftkey last year! I was totally panicking about not getting a 1099 form since I made around $17k. After stressing for weeks trying to figure out how to properly report everything, I found this awesome service called https://taxr.ai that literally saved my tax filing. What they do is analyze all your income data and generate proper documentation you can use for filing - even when companies don't provide standard forms. I just uploaded screenshots of my payment history from the app, and they organized everything into a proper income report that I could use for my Schedule C. They even helped identify deductions I didn't know I qualified for as a healthcare gig worker.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above. Honestly it was exactly what I needed! I was skeptical at first because I've tried other tax services that were confusing, but this was straightforward. I uploaded my Uber statements plus screenshots from another delivery app that didn't send me forms, and it organized everything perfectly. The best part was it found almost $1,700 in deductions I would have missed - stuff like a portion of my phone bill, car washes, and even a percentage of my insurance that apparently qualifies as a business expense. Filing was so much easier with everything properly organized, and I'm actually getting a refund instead of owing money like I thought I would. Definitely recommend for anyone dealing with multiple gig apps or missing 1099s!

If you're still struggling with this, I totally get it. Last year I had a similar issue with a different app and needed to talk directly to the IRS to confirm how to report everything correctly. But if you've ever tried calling the IRS, you know it's basically impossible to get through - I spent HOURS on hold and kept getting disconnected. I eventually found this service called https://claimyr.com that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you once they've gotten through to a real person. I was able to speak directly with an agent who confirmed exactly how to report my app income without a 1099 and what documentation I needed to keep. Saved me so much stress and uncertainty compared to just guessing or relying on internet advice!

Wanted to follow up about my experience with Claimyr since I was the skeptic in the replies. I ended up trying it yesterday out of desperation after spending 3+ hours on hold with the IRS and getting disconnected twice. I was shocked when I got a call back in under 15 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do with my situation (similar to the original poster - gig work with no 1099). They walked me through how to report everything correctly on Schedule C and what documentation I should keep in case of questions later. Seriously saved me so much time and frustration. I'm still surprised it actually worked as advertised, but I'm definitely using it again next time I need IRS help. Apologies for doubting - sometimes good services do exist!

Hey just wanted to add something important that nobody mentioned yet - if you made $13,500 as a self-employed person, you'll need to pay the self-employment tax which is about 15.3%. That's on TOP of your regular income tax. I learned this the hard way last year when I did some freelance work and ended up owing WAY more than I expected. You might want to set aside around 25-30% of your earnings for taxes to be safe. Also, if you haven't been making quarterly estimated tax payments, you might get hit with a penalty for underpayment.

I work for multiple gig apps and what I do is keep a spreadsheet with all my earnings throughout the year. Each month I download statements from the apps and update my records. This makes tax time so much easier! Also, don't forget to track your mileage if you're driving for work - that's a huge deduction. I use an app called Stride that tracks my miles automatically. For healthcare workers, you can also deduct things like scrubs, medical equipment you purchase yourself, continuing education, licenses/certifications, and sometimes even a portion of your phone bill if you use it for work.

I'm dealing with a similar situation with multiple healthcare staffing apps! One thing that really helped me was creating a simple monthly routine where I screenshot my earnings summary from each app right after I get paid. I store these in a dedicated folder on my phone labeled "Tax Documents 2024." Also, since you mentioned you're new to this type of work - don't forget about the home office deduction if you do any administrative work from home (like checking schedules, communicating with facilities, or managing your bookings). Even if it's just a corner of your bedroom where you handle work-related tasks, you might be able to deduct a portion of your rent/mortgage and utilities. The key thing is to be proactive about record-keeping going forward. The IRS cares more about you reporting all your income honestly than having perfect documentation, especially for legitimate gig work like healthcare staffing.

I can relate to your situation! I've been doing healthcare staffing through apps for about 3 years now and went through the same confusion my first year. Here's what I learned: First, definitely report all that income on Schedule C even without a 1099. The IRS actually expects this - they know many gig platforms don't issue forms for smaller amounts. Your payment records from the app are totally sufficient documentation. For organizing records, I create a simple spreadsheet with columns for: Date, Platform, Facility, Hours Worked, Gross Pay, and any expenses. I update it weekly while everything is fresh in my memory. This makes tax prep so much easier than scrambling at year-end. One thing that caught me off guard my first year was the self-employment tax (15.3%) on top of regular income tax. On $13,500, that's about $2,070 just for SE tax. I'd recommend setting aside 25-30% of your earnings going forward for taxes. Also, start tracking ALL work-related expenses now: mileage between facilities, parking fees, scrubs, stethoscope, any medical supplies you buy, license renewals, continuing education, even a portion of your phone bill if you use it for work communication. These deductions can significantly reduce your tax burden. Don't stress too much - this is very common in the healthcare gig economy and the IRS understands these situations!