New Spouse and I both did food delivery, and the turbotax screens are FRUSTRATING ME!

[wardlem]

My husband and I both did gig work (for the first time) with DoorDash and Uber Eats. When I'm filling everything out, it asks "did you..."....and I can't tell if it wants me to include the gig work information seperately for each of us (and for separate delivery companies), or if I'm supposed to include both of our income/expenses at the same time. I answer the questions the way they are asked, but it keeps looping me back around repeatedly! And SOMETIMES it will ask me if I want to import, but if I do, it keeps asking me to review the information over and over and over again. I just got done clearing my info and starting over. I thought that would just be better, but it's doing the same thing in different ways. I'm losing my mind. 

So how do you enter gig work through multiple companies for 2 spouses filing jointly? Is there a guide somewhere? After using turbotax for most of my adult life, I'm ready to never see this website again.

[Critter-3]

Ok ... the interview works in a linear motion ... it doesn't skip about.  

So unless you formed a partnership or incorporated  you will simply enter one person's Sch C information and then the other person's Sch C info.   On the first Sch C you will enter all the income and expenses  and when you are done you can start a new Sch C for the spouse.  After you are done you can edit either Sch C  to make corrections.   If you share a car then you need to split the expenses accordingly or you each take the standard mileage rate on the business miles you each drive.  

You may want to upgrade to one of the LIVE options this year to get educated on your situation  and  make sure your return is done correctly this year.

[Opus 17]

You need to have 2 separate businesses, and each business will be on a separate schedule C.  If you are in the "self" schedule C, only enter expenses and income for self.  You must exit the self schedule C and enter the spouse schedule C to enter spouse's income and expenses.  If you need to go back and change or add something to the self business, you have to exit the spouse business and re-open the self business. 

Gig work is rarely joint, unless you have specifically formed a partnership where you are running one business with more than one person contributing.  And if that's the case, you need to file a business return for the partnership (form 1120) BEFORE you file your personal tax returns. Partnership returns were due March 15, not April 15, and if you didn't get a specific extension for the Partnership return, the late fees are $200 per month per partner.  Partnership returns have other complications (like the need for a special tax number).  You don't want to go down that road unless you have professional tax help. 

[wardlem]

Thank you for your reply. Since we each used uber eats and doordash, are the vehicle/communications/etc expenses supposed to be separated between the 2 companies, split up proportionately, or something else? 

The user interface has been very glitchy, and has asked me to review the exact same items over and over again. I've never had this happen in over a decade of using TurboTax.

[Opus 17]

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@wardlem wrote:

Thank you for your reply. Since we each used uber eats and doordash, are the vehicle/communications/etc expenses supposed to be separated between the 2 companies, split up proportionately, or something else? 

The user interface has been very glitchy, and has asked me to review the exact same items over and over again. I've never had this happen in over a decade of using TurboTax.

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Each person in business needs a separate schedule C for each different business they do.  However, you can combine business activities if the nature of the business activities, income and expenses are similar.  Its really your choice in this case, you could have one schedule C for "delivery" that combines your uber eats and door dash income and expenses, or you could keep them separate.

(On the other hand, if your side gigs were rideshare and landscaping, you would generally not combine them on a single schedule C.)

In your situation I would suggest it is appropriate to file one schedule C per spouse that combines all the ride-share and delivery type activities, since you are basically a contractor providing the same service to multiple clients.