Are you babysitting in your home? If YOU are being paid to babysit, it does not matter where the money is coming from that pays YOU. Yes, you need to enter your babysitting income on your tax return. You are self-employed, and you are required to pay federal self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare as well as ordinary income tax. You might be able to use the Free File software so that you do not have to pay for the expensive Self-Employed software.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/what-is-the-self-employment-tax/00/25922
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2902389-why-am-i-paying-self-employment-tax
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901340-where-do-i-enter-schedule-c
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2903027-how-do-i-report-income-from-self-employment
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3398950-what-self-employed-expenses-can-i-deduct
If you qualify to use it, there is another full-featured free version of the software:
Try Free File:
You qualify if your income was $36,000 or less, or $69,000 or less if active duty military, or if you qualify for Earned Income Credit
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-turbotax-free-file-program
Note: If you do not qualify to use Free File then you will have to upgrade to Deluxe or higher in the paid versions of the software.
Online Deluxe $60 State software $50
Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free
https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
