Branch Adds Tax Filing to Contractor Payout Platform
TECHNOLOGY
GigSmart becomes the first marketplace to adopt the new solution, unifying contractor onboarding, payments, and tax filing.
Branch, the leading provider of workforce financial infrastructure, announced new tax filing capabilities for its Branch Embedded 1099 payouts solution. This expansion positions Branch as an end-to-end contractor payment platform, combining fast payouts with the critical infrastructure needed for W-9 collection, IRS verification, earnings tracking, and seamless 1099 form filing.
The integrated solution brings contractor onboarding, payments, and tax filing capabilities into a single system, giving platforms the speed and tools they need to optimize the worker experience while reducing operational overhead. GigSmart, a leader in hourly workforce management solutions, is the first platform to leverage Branch's expanded offering.
Solving a Complex Problem
Platforms managing large contractor workforces have long faced a challenge: balancing the need for fast, reliable payments with the complexities of maintaining strong compliance. Traditional approaches often required cobbling together multiple vendors and systems, creating friction for both platforms and workers.
"At GigSmart, we're building a platform that works seamlessly for over 2 million workers and the businesses that rely on them," said Mitch Catino, Founder & COO at GigSmart. "Fast, reliable payouts and other tools for workers to manage their money with confidence are essential to that experience. Branch's payouts infrastructure allows us to deliver this at scale and ensure a great experience for our customers."
How It Works
With the new offering, marketplaces and platforms can automate W-9 collection and quickly verify Tax Identification Numbers. The system allows organizations to set rules for handling verification failures, ensuring compliance from the start.
Branch tracks all earnings paid through its platform and enables organizations to incorporate additional earnings data as needed. This creates a single source of truth for contractor income throughout the year, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation across multiple systems.
During tax season, platforms simply review and approve their filing data while Branch submits 1099 forms to federal and state authorities. The system delivers digital or physical copies to workers, with full support for additional states and corrections as needed.
Growing Contractor Economy
The expansion comes as more businesses rely on contractor workforces to meet flexible staffing needs. The gig economy continues to grow, with platforms across hospitality, marketplaces, vertical SaaS, workforce management systems, and staffing industries managing millions of independent contractors.
GigSmart connects companies to over 2 million active workers nationwide through three integrated solutions: G-Force for workforce management and scheduling, G-Flex for on-demand temporary labor, and G-Board for permanent hiring. The platform serves businesses across hospitality, food and beverage, retail, warehouse and manufacturing, transportation and logistics, stadiums and large events, facility services, restoration, construction and landscaping, and senior care.
"Platforms have long had to balance the need for fast contractor payments with the complexities of maintaining strong compliance," said Atif Siddiqi, founder and CEO at Branch. "This new offering gives them both fast, reliable payouts and tax filing capabilities in one scalable system purpose-built for contractor-centric businesses."
About Branch
Branch provides workforce financial infrastructure, helping businesses and platforms manage the flow of worker payments and the operational processes surrounding them. Companies use Branch to power the movement of earnings to employees and independent contractors, including wages, tips, reimbursements, and other payouts, through financial technology that integrates into existing systems.
Beyond facilitating payouts, Branch offers tools that support operational workflows connected to workforce payments. These tools help companies streamline processes, reduce manual work, and support administrative and compliance efforts. Branch is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
For more information, visit www.branchapp.com/use-cases/1099-independent-contractor-payouts.