There are many reasons why shopping for Instacart makes for a positive experience, such as the flexible hours and inexpensive start-up cost.
However, because full-service shopping is contract work, official payment information can be trickier to come by.
So, can you get an Instacart paystub if you need to show proof of income for any reason? Keep reading to see what I discovered!
Can You Get an Instacart Paystub In [currentyear]?
Because full-service shoppers are not employees of Instacart, but rather independent contractors, the company does not issue regular pay stubs in [currentyear]. However, shoppers who need to show proof of income can access the Earnings area of the Shopper app. Instacart also sends out 1099 tax forms each year.
Let’s look more closely at how you obtain the equivalent of an Instacart pay stub, how you can check your earnings, and even how Instacart earnings are used at the anxiety-inducing tax time each year!
How Do You Get an Instacart Paystub?
While Instacart has a pool of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of full-service shoppers in the U.S., the company does not remit paystubs.
This is because full-service shoppers are actually independent contractors, the same (at tax time, anyway) as a freelance writer or self-employed photographer, for example.
However, there are many instances where proof of income is needed, whether it’s applying for low-income benefits, updating student loan payment information, or applying for a mortgage.
It used to be that if you needed to submit income information, you would have to keep track on your own – create an Excel spreadsheet and the like.
However, in 2021, Instacart heard its shoppers calls for a better way of keeping track of earnings.
So, the company debuted the Earnings section of the Shopper app, where shoppers can keep track of their earnings “and promotions progress in real-time.”
There, you can take screenshots of the necessary information, print them, and cross-reference them with the deposits into your checking account.
However, you must specify that you are an independent contractor – not an employee of Instacart – to institutions that require proof of income.
This way, they know not to expect actual paystubs.
For those who work freelance and have to submit proof of income in many instances, this should take the place of paystubs in most situations.
However, it’s still recommended that you speak to the institutions that require proof of income, in order to find out exactly what you need.
Nevertheless, the Earnings feature in the Shopper app should prove helpful.
How Do You Check Your Earnings on Instacart?
You can find a record of your earnings in the Earnings section of the Instacart Shopper app.
Here, you will see a breakdown of your completed batches, including the base pay from Instacart, plus any tips added on by the customer.
A cool feature of the breakdown is how many hours you were active each day, how many batches you completed, and how much you made overall.
Instacart organizes your earnings weekly, and you can press on that week to see a specific day.
Can Instacart Be Used as Income?
Federal tax law states that any non-employee who earned over $600 must be sent a tax form 1099, so Instacart earnings over $600 count as income and will be taxed.
However, if you’re using it for proof of income, there are a few things to bear in mind.
For example, if you’re applying for a mortgage, your freelance earnings would not be included in your income statement if you held the position at Instacart for less than three years.
That is likely the only circumstance under which your Instacart income will be considered for a major purchase, like a house or even a car.
However, if you’re applying for something like lower-income benefits, or you’re updating student loan information, obviously you won’t need to show the same robust earning history.
Rather, you will only have to show that you have an earning history from Instacart with the proof.
How Does Instacart Send 1099 Forms?
Instacart sends out 1099-NECs, the tax forms for independent contractors, each year during tax season.
According to Keeper Tax, you should expect an email, possibly from a third-party company, with your 1099.
However, if you miss that, you can contact Instacart for a mailed paper copy.
Alternatively, if you never receive one, go back and add up your earnings from the company.
It could be that you didn’t break $600, in which case, the income is not taxable and Instacart doesn’t have to send you a form.
How Do Instacart Shoppers File Taxes?
Instacart shoppers file their taxes as independent contractors, using the 1099-NEC form.
If you delivered with multiple apps, you will need a 1099 for each one.
And remember: the IRS gets an exact copy of your 1099, so it knows exactly how much income you should claim.
Failing to report the full amount – or failure to report at all – is NOT advisable.
To know more, you can also read our posts on how can you quit Instacart, Instacart background check, and when does Instacart pays.
Conclusion
Instacart does not send actual paystubs to its full-service shoppers, but the company has made it easier to keep track of earnings in the app.
At tax time, Instacart sends out 1099-NECs to all full-service shoppers who earned more than $600 – and sends the earnings report to the IRS, as well.
