{"slug":"contra","name":"Contra","category":"freelance","workerTerm":"independents (Contra's term for freelancers)","classification":"Contra's tax guide addresses independents as independent contractors responsible for their own tax compliance. Because clients pay Contra directly, Contra says it is the payer of record rather than the client.","taxForms":"Contra doesn't issue 1099-NECs; Contra says its payment processors (for example Stripe, Airwallex, PayPal or Payoneer) issue Form 1099-K to independents who meet the federal threshold of more than $20,000 and more than 200 transactions. Below the threshold no 1099-K is filed, but Contra will provide a draft on request.","platformFees":"No commission on your earnings. On the Free plan, a platform fee is charged to the person paying you ($15 on payments of $1-$499, $29 on $500 or more), digital product sales carry a fee capped at 5% ($3 minimum, $29 maximum), and faster payouts cost 2%; Contra Pro ($29 per month or $199 per year) waives these. Third-party processing and payout fees are extra.","payouts":"Payments land in your Contra Wallet and can be paid out by direct deposit, debit card, PayPal or USDC. Contra charges nothing for standard payouts, but processors charge their own fees (ACH is $0 for U.S. persons, PayPal 2%, Payoneer $3 plus 1%-2%), and crypto payouts cost 2% on Free or 1% on Pro.","deductions":["Contra Pro membership ($29 per month or $199 per year)","Faster payout (2%) and crypto payout (1%-2%) fees","Third-party payout fees such as PayPal (2%) or Payoneer ($3 plus 1%-2%)","Digital product fees (capped 5%) on product sales","Portfolio and design tools such as Framer or Webflow subscriptions","Home office and equipment used for client work"],"watchOuts":["Your 1099-K is issued through the payment processor (Contra says Stripe issues it on Contra's behalf) and may combine income from other platforms that use the same Stripe account.","Contra says its 1099-K reflects amounts net of fees and is based on when funds transfer for withdrawal, so it may not match your actual earnings; reconcile with your invoices.","For digital product sales Contra is the merchant of record and collects and remits sales tax for you; for services you can add inclusive tax to invoices yourself.","Clients won't send you a 1099-NEC for work paid through Contra, so track all income yourself."],"competitors":["upwork","fiverr","gumroad"],"sources":["https://help.contra.com/en/articles/11475790-taxes-and-compliance","https://help.contra.com/en/articles/9322934-fees-overview","https://contra.com/pricing","https://contra.com/commission-free","https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-issues-faqs-on-form-1099-k-threshold-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-dollar-limit-reverts-to-20000","https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/manage-taxes-for-your-gig-work","https://contra.com/blog/how-to-start-freelancing-2024-guide-to-become-a-freelancer","https://contra.com/blog/contra-for-clients"],"asOf":"2026-10-07","url":"https://gigaverse.ai/platforms/contra","affiliated":false}