{"slug":"instawork","name":"Instawork","category":"hospitality-staffing","workerTerm":"Professionals (Pros); businesses are called Partners","classification":"Both, shift by shift: on 1099 shifts a Pro is an independent contractor, and on W-2 shifts the Pro is an employee of Advantage Workforce Services (AWS), an Instawork affiliate. Every Pro can work 1099 shifts; Pros who complete W-2 paperwork can also take W-2 shifts.","taxForms":"Instawork issues Form 1099-NEC for 1099-shift earnings, with an email that the form is ready on tax1099.com; for payments made in 2026 the federal 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000. W-2 shift wages are reported on Form W-2 by Advantage Workforce Services (AWS) through its ADP portal, so Pros who work both shift types get both forms.","platformFees":"Instawork publishes no commission on Pros, and weekly pay is free. Optional Instapay costs 5% of the Instapay amount, or a flat $5 for shifts worked in California.","payouts":"Weekly pay is free and covers Monday-Sunday pay periods. Instawork's pay-schedule article says 1099 pay (from \"Garuda Labs\") starts processing Wednesday and lands Friday, while its payment-settings article says Wednesday for debit cards and Saturday for checking accounts. Instapay typically reaches a debit card within an hour or a checking account within 3 business days. W-2 pay from AWS starts processing Tuesday and lands Wednesday.","deductions":["Instapay fees (5% of the amount, or $5 for California shifts) on 1099 payouts","Business mileage, parking, and tolls to shift sites that are not commuting (72.5 cents/mile Jan-Jun 2026, 76 cents/mile from July 1, 2026)","Required tools and gear for 1099 shifts (wine keys, knives, server books, safety gear)","Food handler and alcohol server certifications needed for 1099 shifts","Business-use share of phone and data plan (the app is required to book and clock shifts)","SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) contributions from 1099 net profit"],"watchOuts":["Pros who work both shift types get a 1099-NEC from Instawork and a W-2 from AWS; job costs can only be deducted against 1099 income because unreimbursed W-2 employee expenses are not deductible.","Instawork's tax article describes the $600 threshold used for 2025; for 2026 payments no 1099-NEC is required below $2,000, but every dollar is still taxable.","Bonuses (including Top Pro program bonuses), referral payouts and promotions paid for your work count as income, and nothing is withheld on 1099 shifts, so plan quarterly estimates and 15.3% self-employment tax.","Hourly shift pay is not a tip. Only voluntary tips from customers in an eligible tipped occupation can count toward the qualified-tips deduction (up to $25,000, 2025-2028), and FLSA overtime on W-2 shifts from AWS may qualify for the overtime deduction (up to $12,500)."],"competitors":["qwick","wonolo","shiftsmart","gigpro","Bluecrew","Indeed Flex"],"sources":["https://help.instawork.com/en/articles/12318526-instawork-terminology","https://help.instawork.com/en/articles/12691234-worker-classification-basics","https://help.instawork.com/en/articles/2062228-accessing-your-us-tax-documents","https://help.instawork.com/en/articles/7245785-payment-settings-for-pros-us","https://help.instawork.com/en/articles/4116128-earnings-payment-schedules","https://app.instawork.com/legal/gigs-online-services-agreement","https://www.instawork.com/category/warehousing-staffing/new-york-city","https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/form-1099-k-faqs-third-party-filers-of-form-1099-k","https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-sets-2026-business-standard-mileage-rate-at-725-cents-per-mile-up-25-cents","https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-deductions-for-working-americans-and-seniors","https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb26-29.pdf","https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1099mec"],"notes":"Instawork's business pricing page says hourly business rates include Occupational Accident Insurance coverage, so 1099 Pros are not shown paying an insurance fee. The Online Services Agreement (last modified June 20, 2024) is the business-facing agreement and names Garuda Labs, Inc. dba Instawork for contractor Pros and AWS for employee Pros. Help articles checked: payment settings (updated March 17, 2026) and payment schedules (updated March 9, 2026).","asOf":"2026-10-07","url":"https://gigaverse.ai/platforms/instawork","affiliated":false}