Where should I file my Instawork gig income for taxes?

Yes, you need to report all income regardless of whether you received a tax form or not. The $600 threshold is just for when companies are required to send you a 1099, but you still owe taxes on all income. For Instawork specifically, this would be considered self-employment income. You'll need to report it on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business). In TurboTax, look for the self-employment or "gigs & freelance" section - there should be an option for income without a 1099. Since you earned less than $400, you won't owe self-employment taxes, but you'll still need to report it as income. Make sure to track any expenses related to these gigs as they may be deductible!

After struggling with how to report my gig income for months, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it was seriously game-changing for my situation. I had income from multiple apps (Instawork, TaskRabbit, and some Uber) and was totally confused about how to handle it all. The tool analyzed all my earnings info and broke down exactly where each type of income needed to go on my return. For my Instawork specifically, it confirmed it goes on Schedule C and even suggested deductions I hadn't thought about based on the type of gigs I was doing. Saved me a ton of research time and made me confident I wasn't missing anything important.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried https://taxr.ai after posting my question and wow, it actually delivered! I uploaded screenshots of my earnings from all my gig platforms and it immediately identified that my Instawork income needed to go on Schedule C. It even pointed out that I could deduct mileage for driving to different gig locations (something I had no idea about) and explained how to track this going forward. The explanation of how each platform's income should be categorized differently was super clear. Really took the stress out of figuring out all these different income streams!

If you're having trouble figuring out exactly how to report this income and get worried about doing it wrong, you might want to try calling the IRS directly for guidance. I know that sounds terrible (it did to me too), but I used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual human at the IRS after trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with walked me through exactly how to report my gig income on Schedule C, what qualifies as a business expense for different types of gigs, and confirmed I didn't need a 1099 to report the income. Having that official guidance gave me peace of mind that I wasn't missing anything.

I want to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still struggling with my tax questions and getting nowhere, so I reluctantly tried it. Within 15 minutes, I was talking to an actual IRS agent who answered all my questions about reporting my gig income. The agent confirmed that yes, all income needs to be reported regardless of whether I got a 1099, and walked me through the exact process in my tax software. They even helped me understand which expenses were legitimate deductions for my specific gig work. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone, and saved me hours of research and stress.

Something nobody has mentioned yet - make sure you're tracking your expenses properly throughout the year. I did Instawork gigs last year and wasn't keeping good records, which made tax time a nightmare. Even for small amounts of income, having documentation of your business expenses can make a big difference. I recommend using an app to track mileage if you drive to gigs and keeping receipts for anything you buy specifically for the work. Even if it's only a few hundred bucks in income, those deductions add up!

Just to add, even though you made less than $400 which means you don't owe self-employment tax, you still have to report it as income. I made this mistake last year thinking I didn't need to report small gig income and got a letter from the IRS later. Apparently Instawork reports payments to the IRS even when they don't send you a 1099.

I had a similar situation with Instawork last year! Made about $420 total and was super confused about the reporting requirements. What I learned is that even though the amount seems small, you definitely need to report it on Schedule C as self-employment income. The good news is that since you're under $400, you won't owe the additional self-employment tax (15.3%), but you'll still owe regular income tax on it. In TurboTax, go to the "Business Income" section and look for something like "Other Income" or "Income without a 1099" - that's where you'll enter your Instawork earnings. One tip that saved me some money: track any expenses you had related to the gigs. I was able to deduct mileage for driving to different locations, plus some supplies I had to buy for specific shifts. Even small deductions help offset the tax on that income!

This is exactly the situation I was in last year! I made around $340 from Instawork and was so confused about whether I needed to report it. After doing some research and talking to a tax preparer, here's what I learned: Yes, you absolutely need to report all income regardless of the amount or whether you got a 1099. The IRS expects you to report every dollar you earned. For Instawork, this goes on Schedule C as self-employment income. The silver lining is that since you're under $400, you won't owe the 15.3% self-employment tax - just regular income tax on that $385. In TurboTax, look for the "Self-Employment" or "Business Income" section and there should be an option for income without tax documents. One thing I wish I had known earlier: start tracking your expenses now! I was able to deduct mileage to gig locations, parking fees, and even some work clothes I had to buy. Those deductions helped offset the tax liability significantly. Even though $385 seems small, properly reporting it and claiming legitimate deductions shows the IRS you're being compliant and thorough.

I've been in a similar situation with gig work income! Even though $385 seems like a small amount, you definitely need to report it. The IRS requires you to report ALL income regardless of whether you received tax documents or not. For Instawork specifically, this counts as self-employment income that goes on Schedule C. In TurboTax, look for the "Business Income" or "Self-Employment" section - there should be an option for "Income without a 1099" or similar wording. The good news is since you earned less than $400, you won't owe the additional 15.3% self-employment tax, but you'll still need to pay regular income tax on it based on your tax bracket. Don't forget to track any business expenses! Even for gig work, you can deduct things like mileage to job sites, required uniforms or equipment, and phone/internet costs if you use them for finding gigs. These deductions can help reduce the tax impact of that income.