Lanternhill Studio · Bank CSV Categorizer

How to Track 1099 Income in a Spreadsheet

Not tax advice. The thresholds below decide whether a payer has to send you a form. All of your income is reportable whether or not a 1099 arrives. Ask a tax professional about your situation.

Keeping your own log of payments by client lets you check the 1099s you get in January and spot missing or wrong ones.

1. Log every payment

Use columns Date (A), Payer (B), Amount (C) and Form (D), where Form is the form you expect: 1099-NEC from a client paying you for services, 1099-K from a payment app or marketplace, 1099-MISC for things like rent or prizes. Add one row per payment, starting in row 2.

2. List each payer once

In F2 (Google Sheets, or Excel for Microsoft 365):

=UNIQUE(FILTER(B2:B1000,B2:B1000<>""))

3. Total per payer for the year

In G2, next to the first payer, fill down for 2026 payments:

=SUMIFS($C$2:$C$1000,$B$2:$B$1000,F2,$A$2:$A$1000,">="&DATE(2026,1,1),$A$2:$A$1000,"<"&DATE(2027,1,1))

Count the payments too (useful for 1099-K) in H2:

=COUNTIFS($B$2:$B$1000,F2,$A$2:$A$1000,">="&DATE(2026,1,1),$A$2:$A$1000,"<"&DATE(2027,1,1))

4. Flag payers at the threshold

Current IRS thresholds, from "Am I required to file a Form 1099…", Publication 1099 (2026) and the Form 1099-K FAQs (checked Oct 31, 2026):

1099-NEC: $600 for payments made before 2026, $2,000 for payments made in 2026, and adjusted for inflation after 2026.
1099-MISC: the threshold depends on the box. Many boxes are now $2,000, but royalties are $10. Check the form instructions.
1099-K (payment apps and marketplaces): only if payments are over $20,000 and there are over 200 transactions in the year. Payment card transactions are reported at any amount.

For 1099-NEC payers in 2026, in I2:

=IF(G2>=2000,"At or above $2,000","Below $2,000")

For a 1099-K platform:

=IF(AND(G2>20000,H2>200),"Over 1099-K threshold","Below 1099-K threshold")

5. Match against the forms you receive

In January and February, compare each 1099 to your total for that payer. Payers can report on a different basis, such as when they sent the payment rather than when you got it. If a number looks wrong, ask the payer. If a form you expected doesn't come, you still report the income.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to report income if I don't get a 1099?

Yes. All of your income is reportable whether or not a 1099 arrives.

What is the 1099-NEC threshold for 2026?

$2,000 for payments made in 2026 ($600 for payments made before 2026), adjusted for inflation after 2026.

When does a payment app send a 1099-K?

Only if payments are over $20,000 and there are over 200 transactions in the year; payment card transactions are reported at any amount.

Skip the formulas: the free 1099 Income Tracker does this in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Want more than a quick fix?

Tax-Season Spreadsheet Bundle ($19 on Gumroad): mileage log, 1099 income tracker, expense categorizer and year-end summary in one workbook, plus the standalone Mileage Log 2026, 1099 Income Tracker 2026 and Monthly Budget templates (blank and sample copies of each). Not tax advice. Launch price: $14 with code LAUNCH14 through Nov 15, 2026.
Just need the 1099 tracker? 1099 Income Tracker 2026 ($6 on Gumroad), the single template on its own (blank and sample copies, Excel and Google Sheets). Not tax advice.
Small Business Sheets Kit ($14 on Gumroad): six spreadsheet templates for small service businesses.
Small Business Bookkeeping Spreadsheet ($12 on Gumroad) for logging income and expenses all year.
Rather hand it off? Our Year-End Books Cleanup on Fiverr ($70 package) cleans and categorizes up to 1,000 transactions into a tidy sheet for your accountant.

Just starting out? Grab the free Starter Expense Tracker (pay what you want, $0 is fine).