Report 1099-NEC or 1099-K?

Income earned from self-employment such as gigs or freelance work is taxable, but the 1099-NEC and 1099-K forms don't always show up.

Most businesses are required to send Form 1099-NEC both to the taxpayer and the IRS if payments total $600 or more a year—but some businesses don't comply with the law.

Other businesses, including many sharing-economy platforms such as Amazon, EBAY and PayPal, often use Form 1099-K to report payments to taxpayers and the IRS. But they don’t have to send 1099-Ks until total payments exceed $20,000 and there are more than 200 transactions a year.

Some businesses send 1099-NEC while others send 1099-K forms, which can produce confusing results for the taxpayer.