03/21/2026
If you do not get a 1099 that does not mean you are not required to file a Schedule C. Income requirements to report income from the earners side are different than those that are paying the income.
The 1099 Forms are really just a requirement for the business that is paying the independent contractor which gives the IRS a heads up that they should be seeing a Schedule C coming for that income.
If you are building a business and plan to increase income as you go along then it might be wise to file and claim the deductions even if you did not have a profit. Keeping in mind that you can only go so many years at a loss before you are no longer allowed to claim the loss.
This is a great conversation to have with your tax professional about your specific situation to make sure you are filing when you should :)