Some aspects of the tax code are certainly harder to understand than others. Based on the questions you posted, you are filing a Schedule C as a self-employed person because the business that paid you did not consider you to be their employee. If you were an employee, you would have received a W-2 instead of a Form 1099-NEC.
That being said, because you received the Form 1099-NEC it is reported on a Schedule C for self-employment. The Schedule C is reporting income and expenses from your business. Your business is to provide a service for the hot sauce company. In simple terms, you did materially participate in your own Schedule C business because you worked to make that income and you did not sit back and have someone else do it for you.
@PlzStopLobbying2MakeTaxesHard
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