Side gig company paying me by check/Zelle isn't providing a 1099-NEC form for tax filing - what's their advantage in not submitting to IRS?

You absolutely need to report all your income regardless of whether they provide you with a 1099-NEC or not. The IRS requires you to report all income even if you don't receive any tax forms. Not reporting income you earned is tax evasion and could lead to serious penalties. If I were in your position, I'd calculate exactly how much you earned from them in 2024. Go through your bank statements, Zelle records, and any check stubs or deposit records you have. Total it all up, and that's what you'll report on your Schedule C along with your other business expenses. The company should be issuing 1099-NECs for anyone they paid $600 or more during the year, and they're required to send these forms by January 31st. Their failure to provide you with this form doesn't exempt you from reporting the income.

I had a similar situation last year with a construction company I did design work for. After weeks of getting the runaround on my 1099, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was a game-changer. Their document analysis tool helped me determine exactly what I needed to report even without the official form. I uploaded my bank statements and payment records, and their system organized everything perfectly for tax reporting. They even highlighted which business expenses were deductible based on my situation. The most helpful part was getting clear guidance about reporting income without having the official tax form - which was exactly my problem.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - it actually worked great for my situation! I was super skeptical (as you could probably tell from my question), but I uploaded my Zelle transactions, check images I'd taken on my phone, and some payment notes I'd kept. The system organized everything clearly and showed I'd earned about $5,800 more than I thought from my side work last year! The tax liability calculator was especially helpful since it showed me exactly what I'd need to set aside for quarterly payments going forward. Ended up filing my taxes with confidence even though I still haven't received my 1099 from the company. The peace of mind was worth it - no more stressing about whether I'm reporting correctly!

If you're still trying to get your 1099 from this company, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year trying to get tax documents from a former employer, and after weeks of getting nowhere, I found this service. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour hold times. The IRS agent explained my rights regarding missing tax forms and gave me specifics on what the company is legally required to provide. There's actually a demo video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Seriously changed my perspective on dealing with tax document issues.

If you're still trying to get your 1099 from this company, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year trying to get tax documents from a former employer, and after weeks of getting

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After my frustration boiled over last week trying to call the IRS myself (2 hours on hold before getting disconnected AGAIN), I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got a call back in about 20 minutes and was connected right to an IRS agent. The agent confirmed that companies must provide 1099-NEC forms by January 31st, and explained that I could file Form 4852 as a substitute if my contractor refuses to provide documentation. They also explained that I can report my contractor to the IRS for failing to provide required tax forms. Completely changed my understanding of my options and rights in this situation. Sorry for being so negative before - I was just fed up with the whole process.

For what it's worth, your situation screams "the company is not reporting these payments to the IRS." Companies that pay contractors properly don't dodge providing 1099s - it's literally a basic business function. Here's what I think is happening: They're either classifying these payments as something else in their books or they're not recording them properly at all. Either way, it likely means they're trying to reduce their tax liability by not properly documenting contractor payments. As others have said, you MUST report your income regardless. I'd strongly recommend keeping documentation of your attempts to get the 1099 from them. Take screenshots of emails or texts where you're requesting the form. This creates a paper trail showing you were trying to comply properly.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you've been a contractor making that much ($24k) and haven't been making quarterly estimated tax payments, you might have an underpayment penalty coming. Since no taxes are being withheld, you're supposed to be making those quarterly payments yourself. The good news is you can avoid the penalty if you owe less than $1,000 after accounting for any withholding from other jobs, or if you paid at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's tax (whichever is smaller). Just something to be aware of when filing!