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Contractors & 1099s

This page tracks the people and companies a business pays for services, so you can meet your 1099-NEC obligations without scrambling in January.

The IRS requires you to issue a Form 1099-NEC to anyone you pay $600 or more in a year for services — and to do that you first need their W-9 (legal name, tax classification, taxpayer ID, and address). QLife Money lets you send each contractor a secure self-service link where they fill in and sign their own W-9 (no account needed on their end); the completed W-9 lands back here as 'W-9 on file.' A contractor whose link has been sent but not yet filled in shows 'W-9 requested'. Contractors belong to a business, so you need at least one business first. Pick a business and a year at the top; each contractor shows how much you've paid them that year and whether they've crossed the $600 threshold.

How to

Add a contractor

  1. Choose the business at the top, then click '+ Add contractor'.
  2. In the Add contractor window enter their Name, an optional Business name, their Tax classification, Email (used to send the W-9 link), 'How you pay them' (Zelle, Check, ACH / bank, Venmo, Cash, or Other), and a Payment handle (Zelle email/phone, etc.). Their taxpayer ID and address are collected securely through the W-9 link — you don't type those in.
  3. Click Save. The contractor appears with a 'No W-9' badge until you collect one.

Collect a W-9

  1. On a contractor, click 'Send W-9 link' (it reads 'Resend W-9 link' once a W-9 is on file). A 'W-9 request link' window opens with a secure link.
  2. Click 'Copy link' and send it to the contractor (email or text), then click Done. They open it, fill in and sign their W-9, and submit — no login required.
  3. Until they submit, the badge reads 'W-9 requested'. Once they submit it changes to 'W-9 on file' and the last 4 of their TIN and their tax classification appear on the card.

See who needs a 1099 this year

  1. Set the year at the top. Each contractor shows how much this business paid them in that year (matched from your transactions by name).
  2. Anyone at $600 or more who isn't a corporation is flagged 'Needs 1099-NEC' and counted in the amber banner ('N contractors likely need a 1099-NEC for [year]'). A corporation over the threshold shows 'Corp — usually exempt' instead.
  3. Make sure each flagged contractor has a W-9 on file, then issue their 1099-NEC by January 31.

Edit or delete a contractor

  1. On the contractor's card, click 'Edit' to change their details, then Save.
  2. Click 'Delete' and confirm 'Remove this contractor?' to remove them from the roster.

Reference

1099-NEC
The IRS form reporting non-employee compensation. Required for each contractor paid $600 or more in a year for services. Corporations are generally exempt (except attorneys).
W-9
The form a contractor gives you with their legal name, tax classification, taxpayer ID (SSN or EIN), and address — the information you need to issue their 1099. Collected here via a secure self-service link they sign.
W-9 status badge
'No W-9' means no request has been made; 'W-9 requested' means a link has been created but not completed; 'W-9 on file' means the contractor submitted and signed it.
Paid this year
How much this business paid the contractor in the selected year, matched from your transactions by the contractor's name or payment handle. Confirm it against your records before filing.
TIN
Taxpayer Identification Number — an SSN for an individual or an EIN for a business. Collected securely on the W-9; only the last 4 digits are shown back to you.

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