Gig sites tell you when they send a 1099. Their pages do not all print the same dollar line. Some say $600. Some say $2,000.
A 1099 is a tax form. It shows money a company paid you when you are not an employee. A 1099-NEC is the form for pay to contractors.
We read each page on November 1, 2026. One page was read on October 11, and we say which. Most pages do not name a year, and the year matters. We do not say any page is wrong.
What the IRS prints
The IRS gives two lines in one sentence. It says $600, and $2,000 for payments made after December 31, 2025.
So the date of the payment sets the line. A payment made in 2025 uses $600. A payment made in 2026 uses $2,000.
The IRS instructions for the 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC have a December 2026 revision. They say $2,000. They are for 2026 information filed in early 2027.
The same instructions say the minimum rose for tax years beginning after 2025. They say it may be adjusted for inflation. Inflation means prices rise over time.
What gig pages print
Most pages we read print $600 and name no year.
- DoorDash says a Dasher who earned $600 or more between January 1 and December 31 gets a 1099-NEC. A Dasher delivers orders for DoorDash.
- Cambly says that if your total earnings are $600 or more, it will provide a Form 1099-NEC.
- Wyzant says it gives tutors a Form 1099 whenever they make $600.00.
- Grubhub’s driver blog says drivers who make at least $600 during the calendar year receive one.
Some words differ. BestMark says “over $600.00” in one year. ACE Mystery Shopping says “exceed $599.00”. Neither uses the words “or more.”
Two pages give a clue about the year. DoorDash’s page names January 10, 2026. So it may be written for 2025 payments. Grubhub’s help center says “the previous year”. We read that page on October 11, not November 1, because the site blocked our tool.
None of these pages say what line applies to 2026 payments. We do not know if they plan to keep that line for 2026 payments. We did not find an answer.
Pages that already print $2,000
Two pages we read already say $2,000.
Market Force says it issues a 1099 when a shopper earns $2,000 or more during a calendar year. Papa says that if you earned $2,000 or more as a Papa Pal, you get a 1099. A Pal is a person Papa pays to help older adults.
Even the IRS pages differ
The IRS W-2 and W-3 instructions for 2026 say the pay reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000. A W-2 is the tax form for employees.
Another IRS page, on election workers, still says $600 or more. Its examples are from 2021.
That page shows why this post has a date. Two pages from one agency can say different things.
If you work the polls, see Work the Polls on Election Day.
How to read a 1099 line on a gig page
- Look for a year. If a page names none, do not assume which year its dollar line means.
- Check the date on the page, if it has one.
- Match the line to the year of your payments. The IRS splits at the date a payment was made.
- Look at the IRS page itself if the amounts matter to you.
Wyzant says it postmarks forms by January 31.
What this post does not cover
This post is about the dollar line that sites print. It is not tax advice. It does not tell you what you must report or file. A tax professional can answer that for your case.
We also do not cover the 1099-K, a different form. Read what a 1099-K actually reports.
For who takes tax out of pay, read who takes the tax out of your side gig pay.
Gigs mentioned here
- Deliver Food With Grubhub
- Tutor Students on Wyzant
- Teach English Online With Cambly
- Be a Mystery Shopper
- Visit Older Adults With Papa
Questions people ask
Which dollar line is right? The IRS prints both. It says $600, and $2,000 for payments made after December 31, 2025.
Is DoorDash wrong to print its line? We would not say so. Its sentence names no year. The page also carries 2025 and early 2026 dates.
Will the line change again? The IRS says the amount may be adjusted for inflation. The sites do not say what they will do.
Sources and dates
We checked each page on Nov 1, 2026, unless noted.
- IRS, FAQ on Form 1099-NEC and independent contractors.
- IRS, Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (12/2026).
- DoorDash, Dasher Guide to Taxes.
- Cambly, Filing Taxes and Reporting Income.
- Wyzant, How do I obtain information to file my taxes?.
- Grubhub for Drivers blog.
- Grubhub driver help center, checked Oct 11, 2026.
- BestMark, Find Mystery Shop Locations.
- ACE Mystery Shopping, Become a Shopper FAQ.
- Market Force, Tips For A Successful Shopper Journey.
- Papa, Understanding Pal Earnings.
- IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026).
- IRS, Election workers: Reporting and withholding.