The 1099-NEC I received for 2020 reflects dates of payments for when my customer wrote the checks, not for when the work was performed? How do I account for this to show when the work was performed?

Let me help record the payment you've received, leif2.

Recording the payment will depend on the accounting method assigned to you by the IRS. I recommend contacting the IRS to get more information about the accounting method for your self-employment account.

Cash accounting is popular among self-employed individuals because it is relatively simple to track and easy to understand. It focuses on when cash enters and leaves a company’s bank account.

Accrual basis accounting, on the other hand, is based on when the expense was incurred or when the income was earned rather than when the money actually changed hands. The focus is on the moment in time that you earned income.

In QuickBooks Self-Employed (QBSE), we calculate taxes based on your business income, spending, allowable expenses. and the information you have set up in your Tax Profile.

As long as you tag your transactions correctly, the system will calculate it. Learn more about this through this link: QuickBooks Self-Employed Overview.

Once the deposited is posted on your Transactions page, you can review and categorize your transactions to put them in your accounts.

Stay in touch with me if there's anything else you need, and I'm always around to help record your transactions in QBSE.

I have tried to contact the IRS before to ask questions and have not had success getting through to a real person.  Any tips?  Is there any other way to figure out whether I am supposed to be using cash accounting or accrual basis accounting?  

Hello @leif2,

Thank you for letting me know about the results after following the suggestion above. However, we're unable to provide the exact method you can use based on your business needs.

That said, I'd recommend consulting an accountant for the assistance advice needed. If you haven't yet, I've got you here a link to use so you can find a bookkeeper near you: Business is better with a ProAdvisor.

Additionally, I've also included this reference for a compilation of articles you can use while working with us: Help Articles for QuickBooks Self-Employed.

If there's anything else that I can help you with, please let me know in the comments below. I'll be here to lend a hand.