Q. One of the survey companies said I needed to fill out a W-9. Does this make sense to do that for surveys?
A. Yes. But the question is academic. If the company says you have to do it if you want the "job", you have a choice to make. If they send you a form 1099-Misc or 1099-NEC, you will have to report the income. If they sent the new 1099-NEC, the IRS will expect the income to be reported as self employment. If not, you can report it as other income.
Q. Does claiming gift cards for Amazon inconsistently count worthy to fill out a W-9?
A. That's a matter of opinion. I think not, but at least one survey company thinks yes.
You don't say whether 2020 is your first year doing this. If so, you may be OK reporting it as hobby income. Hobby income is still taxable income; it's just not subject to self employment (FACA) tax. Hobby income, though taxable, is not earned income. You can not claim the earned income credit, additional child tax credit, or qualify for an IRA contribution based on hobby income.
