If you were a household employee you were not self-employed and you do not report the income as self-employment income on Schedule C. If you were paid less than $2,600 (for 2023), the person who employed you does not have to give you a W-2 or 1099, and does not have to fill out any paperwork. You simply report the income as household employee wages that were not reported on a W-2. You should keep a record of the amounts you received, but the IRS is not likely to ask for it. You do not need any other verification.
If any one household employer paid you $2,600 or more (for 2023), they are required to give you a W-2 (not a 1099). You enter it in TurboTax like any other W-2 from a job.
Here's how to enter income earned as a household employee in TurboTax if the employer does not give you a W-2. The household employee wages will be reported on Form 1040 line 1b.
- Click Federal Taxes.
- Click Wages & Income.
- Click "I'll choose what I work on" or "Jump to a full list."
- On the screen "Your 2023 Income Summary," scroll all the way down to the last section, "Less Common Income."
- Click the Start, Update, or Revisit button for the last topic, "Miscellaneous Income, 1099-A, 1099-C."
- The next screen says "Let's Work on Any Miscellaneous Income."
- Click the Start, Update, or Revisit button for the first topic, "Other income not already reported on a Form W-2 or Form 1099."
- The next screen, "Other Wages Received," asks "Did you receive any other wages?" Select Yes and click Continue.
- On the next screen enter the total amount of wages you earned as a household employee.
- On the next two screen, for Sick or Disability Pay and Medicaid waiver payments, don't enter anything. Just click Continue.
- The next screen, "Any Other Earned Income," asks "Did you earn any other wages?" Select No and click Continue.
- This returns you to the screen "Let's Work on Any Miscellaneous Income." Click Continue.
