I received a payment of exactly $600 for freelance work. They had me fill out a W-4, but I never received a 1099. Do I need to ask for one before completing my taxes?

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No. You report the income from your own records. The IRS considers undocumented cash income (no W-2 or 1099-MISC), for work performed, to be self employment income. Enter at "Business Income & Expenses" and TurboTax (TT) will complete Schedule C or C-EZ for you and allow you to deduct any expenses associated with this income. You'll also have to pay self employment tax (social security & medicare tax) on any profits greater than $400.

You may have to upgrade to the Self Employment version of TT. If you have no expenses to deduct, there's a chance you may be able to use TT Deluxe or Premier. Enter your income at the 1099-Misc screen (even if you didn't get a 1099-misc). You do not need the payer's ("employer's") Employer ID Number (EIN).

In TurboTax (TT), enter at:
- Federal Taxes tab

- Wages & Income

Scroll down to:

- Other Common Income

-Income from Form 1099-Misc

When asked why you got the 1099-Misc, select “Freelancer or Independent contractor”