1099
The family of IRS forms reporting income outside a regular paycheck — freelance pay, bank interest, dividends, brokerage proceeds. If you earned it without a W-2, a 1099 probably documented it.
By Findley's Finance · Last reviewed: September 2026
Why it matters
W-2 workers have taxes withheld automatically; 1099 earners do not, which surprises first-time freelancers at tax time. The most common form is the 1099-NEC for contractor pay, but there are variants for interest (INT), dividends (DIV), and broker transactions (B). No withholding means you owe quarterly estimated taxes — the price of being your own boss.