Hello all. I have been a caregiver for a disabled adult since May of last year. For last year (2025) I just reported the income made (~$3500) as household employee income. However, this year (2026) I am being paid from multiple sources and am confused on how I will need to file/report this income. The person I take care of is disabled, but is also a professor at a university. For the general caregiving at home, she just venmos me every week, and I write down how much she sends in a spreadsheet so I know how much to report as household employee income on my taxes (1b on 1040).
This worked for last year, however this year I am being paid like that by her, but I am also getting paid by the university she works at for caregiving on work-related trips. Will I just add this amount to that same line? I will be making over $3k each from her and the university, so I am not sure if the income from the university counts as household employee income (since we are at conferences out of town, and they also reimburse travel/food amounts). The university is paying me as though I am a "vendor". I'm really confused by this and I know I have plenty of time until next April, but I just wanted to make sure that I am doing this correctly.
I know that technically, she should be giving me a W-2 (both last year and this year), but I think that is too difficult for her to figure out especially because she has multiple caregivers (with high turnover). She doesn't use medicare-waivers or any program funding to pay me individually, treats me kind of like babysitting in terms of how I am paid. I'm not too stressed about getting a W-2 from her, but am not sure if I am considered a sole proprietor if i am also being paid by the university, which would mean I have to pay taxes quarterly? If so, do I need to start recording how much driving I do to get to her to calculate gas expenses as a tax deduction? I am hoping I can take the simple route, and just add it as household employee income (although I don't know if I need to report the travel and food reimbursements as well, or deduct those from the amount paid since that is not my wages??)
Really confused by this and any help would be appreciated.