Hi bethb,
Welcome to the Community. I'm glad to offer my assistance with entering contractors.
A recent update of QuickBooks Online included the addition of a Workers tab, encompassing Contractors which lets you avoid adding them as Vendors. Adding contractors to your account using this method extends the option for you to send an email to the contractor, inviting them to fill out tax information themselves and view their 1099 online (which frees up some time for you.) Here's an article that provides even more details on inviting a contractor: https://community.intuit.com/articles/1637708-invite-a-contractor-to-add-their-own-1099-tax-info. I recommend using Workers / Contractors, for the sake of simplicity and organization.
If you already have contractors entered as vendors, that also works. You're still given the option to "Track payments for 1099."
I hope this clears things up a bit for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
