Dog Sitter/Walker

[woodyou]

If I am paying my mother $100 a week in cash to dog sit and dog walk while I am at work, how does she claim this?

[MindyB · Accepted solution]

She should report the income from dog sitting on Schedule C. For tax purposes, she’s self-employed. She is also able to deduct expenses from this work, such as dog treats and supplies.

Here's how to report the dog sitting business in TurboTax Online:

• Navigate to Federal > Wages & Income > Self-employment income and expenses > Start
• Answer "Yes" to the question "Did you have any self-employment income or expenses?"
• Give a description of the business, such as "Dog sitting" or a description of your choice
• Continue until the interview asks "how does your Dog sitting work fit into your big picture?", based on the information you provided, it's a side job and/or a business.
• Answer all the informational questions until you get to the screen  "Let's enter the income for your Dog sitting work."  Here, enter that she received common income- Other self-employed income, including cash and checks; then enter what she was paid.
• Once income is entered, type in expenses in the proper categories, TurboTax Online will recommend popular categories, but refer to your records to ensure you are deducting all of the expenses.

[woodyou]

Thank you! As the person paying her, do I need to file a 1099-NEC?

[Vanessa A]

No.  If your mother is self-employed as a dog walker you as an individual do not need to issue her a 1099-NEC.  She simply needs to track and report her income.