Running A Gig Or Two? What You Need to Know!

Manasa Nadig

A Gig, I thought, always had a kind of 1950’s/ 1960’s hipster vibe. This was something you did on the side while waiting for real life to catch up! The Gig is gaining more legitimacy these days, I believe. It means a free-lance or a side job you hold down out of interest or necessity. It is also called a “Gig Economy,” or a “Shared Economy,” and sometimes people hold down more than one or two gigs.

Just this morning, USA TODAY said that the number of multiple job holders hit an eight-year high this September. They say that the burgeoning gig economy is putting a premium on free-lance work and short-term projects. So what is a “Gig Economy”? It is defined as “An environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.”

Tax Obligations

If you participate in the Gig or the Shared Economy, there are certain tax obligations you have to fulfill. Income to you from participating in this activity may be reported to the IRS via Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions, Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or some other income statement.

In order to correctly report the income received, one has to first determine if one is an employee or an independent contractor. (More about that in my post here) There are related tax issues here: payments received may be in forms of money, goods, property or services. You may be able to deduct gig expenses if you are an independent contractor or a self-employed individual, subject to the normal tax limitations and rules.

Airbnb and Temporary Rentals

If you participate with Airbnb and rent your home out, in most cases the rental income must be reported, unless the rental is for less than 15 days in a year. The total expenses should be divided between rental use and personal use; there are other restrictions on the total amount of expenses allowed.

Etsy & Others

If you sell items on sites like Etsy, or other online platforms that cater to artists selling their own creations, your income is taxable. Etsy and such other sites will report your income through them to the IRS via Form 1099-K of which you will be given a copy. You will be able to deduct certain expenses from your income. You may also have a sales tax obligation if selling on Etsy. If your Etsy store is a hobby then you are restricted from claiming more expenses than income.

Ebay, Amazon & Other E-Stores

The same rules as Etsy sellers apply to sellers on Ebay, Amazon and other e-stores. The Internal Revenue Service has given “Tax Tips for Online Auction Sellers” on its website. Amazon has some stringent seller requirements which are different than that of Ebay.

*Working for Uber, Lyft, TaskRabbit, Doordash and many such service providers fall into the above categories.

Form 1099-K

The Form 1099-K was introduced in the year 2011, and regulations require that US payment processors file a Form 1099-K for sellers who exceed $20,000 in gross sales and the total number of transactions exceed 200. The same regulations also require that the payment processors have the sellers’ tax identification numbers on file regardless of sales volume.

It could be that you have not yet hit the $20,000 sales mark or have had more than 200 transactions. We would still recommend that you keep good accounting records and report income & expenses to the IRS whether you conduct this as a business full time or even if this is just a hobby for you. Sometimes being able to claim a business loss against higher income can turn into a “gain” as it reduces your other income from taxes.

If you run a gig or two or three, do talk to your Enrolled Agent or tax professional.


As always, read my disclaimer here. Please consult a qualified tax professional for your unique tax needs. More of my contact information is on my website.

I am Manasa Nadig, enrolled to practice and represent taxpayers with the Internal Revenue Service. I have been in the business of Tax Preparation & Tax Planning since 1999. My firm, MN Tax Solutions, LLC is based in Michigan, USA. Please connect with me on TaxConnections for more information about myself & the services provided by my firm.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ 

Subscribe to TaxConnections Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.