Does Instacart Send You a 1099? A 1099-NEC, and a New $2,000 Line
Instacart's full-service shoppers get a Form 1099-NEC, not the 1099-MISC that Instacart's own recruiting pages still mention, and for 2026 pay the threshold is $2,000 rather than $600. Here is where the form lives now that it is no longer in Stripe Express, what happened to in-store shoppers' W-2s, and what to track when no form arrives.
Instacart full-service shoppers receive a Form 1099-NEC, not the 1099-MISC that Instacart's own city pages still describe. The threshold is $2,000 for pay received in 2026 and was $600 for 2025. Since the 2023 tax year the form lives in the Instacart Shopper app rather than Stripe Express, and Stripe cannot resend it. In-store shoppers were W-2 employees, a role Instacart says it used only through the third quarter of 2024. Instacart does not reimburse mileage, so your own log carries the largest deduction you have.
Key takeaways
- Full-service shoppers are independent contractors and get a Form 1099-NEC once pay reaches the threshold.
- The threshold is $2,000 for 2026 pay and was $600 for 2025. Instacart's recruiting pages still say $600 and still name the 1099-MISC.
- Forms for 2023 and later are in the Instacart Shopper app. Stripe Express holds only 2021 and 2022 forms, and Stripe cannot resend them.
- In-store shoppers were W-2 employees, and Instacart's 10-K says it used them only through the third quarter of 2024.
- Cart Star rewards can be reported on a 1099 at their approximate retail value.
- Distance in batch pay is income, not a reimbursement, so business mileage is still deductible and still needs your own log.
Instacart tax forms at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Full-service shoppers | Form 1099-NEC |
| In-store shoppers | Form W-2, a role used through Q3 2024 |
| Threshold for 2026 pay | $2,000 |
| Threshold for 2025 pay | $600 |
| Where, 2023 and later | Instacart Shopper app |
| Where, 2021 and 2022 | Stripe Express, if you opted in then |
| Mileage reimbursed? | No |
Instacart full-service shoppers get a Form 1099-NEC once their pay for the year reaches the threshold, and for pay received in 2026 that threshold is $2,000. Two things you may read elsewhere are out of date: Instacart's own recruiting pages still promise a 1099-MISC at $600, and older guides still send you to Stripe Express to download the form.
A 1099-NEC, whatever Instacart's own pages say
Full-service shoppers work as independent contractors, and pay to an independent contractor goes on a Form 1099-NEC. Instacart's city recruiting pages still say that if you make more than $600 in a tax year, Instacart will send you a 1099-MISC. That wording is a holdover. Contractor pay moved from the 1099-MISC to the 1099-NEC starting with the 2020 tax year, and Instacart's own 2022 forms, filed through Stripe, were 1099-NECs. If you see 1099-MISC on a recruiting page, read it as 1099-NEC.
For 2026 pay, the line is $2,000
The $600 figure on those pages was the federal threshold through the end of 2025. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the 1099-NEC threshold to $2,000 for payments made after December 31, 2025, so the form covering 2026 pay, which you get in early 2027, uses $2,000. Our guide to the 1099 threshold covers which forms changed and which did not. None of this changes whether the money is taxable. A shopper paid $1,500 in 2026 may get no form at all and still owes income tax and self-employment tax on the profit.
In-store shoppers got a W-2, and that role is mostly gone
Instacart once had two kinds of shopper. In-store shoppers prepared orders inside a single store as Instacart employees, which meant a W-2 with tax withheld, not a 1099. Instacart's 2025 annual report says it used in-store shoppers only through the third quarter of 2024. If you worked in-store in 2024 or earlier, your form for that work is a W-2. Full-service shoppers, who shop and deliver, are the 1099 side.
The form lives in the Shopper app now, not Stripe Express
For the 2021 and 2022 tax years, Instacart filed shopper 1099s through Stripe, and shoppers downloaded them from Stripe Express. That changed with 2023. Stripe's own guide for Instacart shoppers says forms from 2023 onward are not delivered through Stripe Express and are accessed through the Instacart Shopper app, and that Stripe cannot access or resend Instacart tax forms on your behalf. The 2021 and 2022 forms are still in Stripe Express, but only if you set up that account and opted into electronic delivery at the time.
Two practical notes. You can review and edit your tax information in the Shopper app, and Instacart support handles switching a form between your Social Security number and an EIN. And a deactivated account does not cut you off from past forms: contact Instacart support from the email address on the account.
Tips and Cart Star rewards
Instacart says shoppers keep 100 percent of customer tips, and tips are taxable income like the rest of your pay. Instacart's public pages do not spell out which pay types sit inside the 1099-NEC figure, so compare the form against your own earnings record before you file rather than assuming. Cart Star rewards are the other item to watch: Instacart says it may issue a Form 1099 showing the approximate retail value of certain rewards, so a perk can arrive as reportable income.
Log the miles Instacart does not pay for
Vuuv records each drive with the date, distance, and business purpose the IRS asks for, so the deduction that usually matters most for a shopper is documented when you file.
See mileage trackingYour car, your costs, your log
Instacart is plain about this: shoppers use their own vehicles and pay for their own fuel and maintenance, and as independent contractors they may be able to deduct some of those costs. Estimated delivery distance is one of the inputs to batch pay, but that is pay, not a mileage reimbursement. It is income, and your business miles are still yours to deduct, at the standard mileage rate or by actual expenses. The IRS expects a log kept at the time, with the date, miles, and business purpose of each trip. See what a compliant mileage log needs and standard mileage versus actual expenses.
No withholding, so plan for the bill
Contractor pay arrives without income tax withheld, which leaves income tax and self-employment tax on your profit for you to pay, usually through quarterly estimated payments. Our guides to quarterly estimated taxes and tax deductions for rideshare and delivery drivers cover how much to set aside and what else comes off besides mileage. If you also deliver for other apps, the forms differ by platform: DoorDash sends only a 1099-NEC, while Uber can send two forms.
Frequently asked questions
Does Instacart send you a 1099?
Full-service shoppers, who work as independent contractors, receive a Form 1099-NEC once their pay for the year reaches the threshold. For pay received in 2026 that threshold is $2,000, and for 2025 it was $600. In-store shoppers were Instacart employees and received a W-2 instead, but Instacart's annual report says it used in-store shoppers only through the third quarter of 2024.
Is the Instacart tax form a 1099-NEC or a 1099-MISC?
A 1099-NEC. Instacart's city recruiting pages still say it sends a 1099-MISC to shoppers who make more than $600 in a tax year, but contractor pay moved from the 1099-MISC to the 1099-NEC starting with the 2020 tax year, and Instacart's 2022 forms were 1099-NECs. The $600 figure is out of date for 2026 pay as well.
Is the Instacart 1099 threshold $600 or $2,000?
It depends on the year you were paid. For 2025 pay it was $600. For 2026 pay it is $2,000, because the One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the 1099-NEC reporting threshold for payments made after December 31, 2025. The income is taxable either way, so a shopper paid $1,500 in 2026 still reports all of it.
Where do I find my Instacart 1099?
In the Instacart Shopper app. Forms for 2023 and later are not delivered through Stripe Express, and Stripe says it cannot access or resend Instacart tax forms. Forms for 2021 and 2022 remain in Stripe Express only if you set up that account and opted into electronic delivery at the time. If your shopper account has been deactivated, contact Instacart support from the email address on the account.
Does Instacart reimburse mileage?
No. Instacart says shoppers use their own vehicles and pay for their own fuel and maintenance, and that as independent contractors they may be able to deduct some of those costs. Estimated delivery distance is one of the inputs to batch pay, but that is pay, not a reimbursement, so it is income and your business miles are still yours to deduct. Keep your own log.
Are Instacart Cart Star rewards taxable?
They can be reported as income. Instacart says it may issue an IRS Form 1099 showing the approximate retail value of certain Cart Star rewards. Treat a reward that shows up on a form as income at the value the form reports.
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This article is general information, not tax advice. Tax rules change and every situation is different. Confirm the details against current IRS guidance or talk to a qualified tax professional before you file.