Your clients’ contractor records, clean every month.
EarnDrift gives the small businesses you serve one place to pay contractors, collect W-9s before money moves, and see every contractor’s running total as they pay. The books match every month, and you stay the filer and the advisor. Built for bookkeepers, accountants, CPAs, tax preparers, and payroll and back-office firms whose clients pay 1099 contractors.
Refer a client, and you earn 100% of their first paid month — $129 to $499 per client. Free to join. No fees, no minimums, no quotas.
How It Works
- 1. Create your partner account. Your name, work email and what you do. Your dashboard gives you a personal client link and a two-minute walkthrough video you can send to clients.
- 2. Mention it where it already fits. Bring it up in a monthly check-in, add it to your onboarding checklist, or send it to the clients whose 1099s take the most cleanup. Construction, cleaning, landscaping, salons, repair, and staffing businesses are usually the best fit.
- 3. Get paid when they start. Your client watches the walkthrough and starts a plan. You earn 100% of their first paid month, direct-deposited on the 1st and 15th.
You Recommend. We Support.
You already have the client’s trust. You don’t need to learn our software, run demos, or handle support tickets. Your link opens a page written for the business owner: a two-minute walkthrough, the real pricing, a clear explanation of what EarnDrift does and doesn’t do, and answers to common questions.
If a client has a question about the product, send them to support@earndrift.com. A real person on our team answers, usually the same day. You stay focused on the accounting work; we handle the software.
The Offer
- 100% of the first month. You earn exactly what your client pays for their first month: $129 to $499, depending on their plan.
- Predictable payouts. 50% is paid after the client’s first billing cycle and the remaining 50% at day 30, as long as they stay active. Direct deposit on the 1st and 15th.
- No obligations. No quotas, no sales targets, no minimum number of referrals. Recommend it to the clients it helps and no one else.
The Cleanup You Can't Bill For
Clients pay subs through Zelle, Venmo, cash and checks with no W-9 and no record of who was paid what. Every month that goes undocumented becomes cleanup on your desk — work that doesn’t fit a fixed fee and isn’t the work you’re trained for.
EarnDrift fixes that at the source. When your clients pay contractors through EarnDrift, the W-9 is collected before the first payment, every payment is recorded in one place, and outside payments are caught from the bank feed. You get clean inputs every month, and the filing file is simply what’s left over.
And for each client who starts a plan through your link, you earn their first month — $129 to $499. The commission is a thank-you, not the reason to recommend it. The reason is what it saves you both.
What Your Client Gets Out of It
Your client gets one place to pay contractors by bank transfer, collect W-9s before money moves, see each contractor’s running total against the 1099 threshold, and keep the books current every month. The finished 1099 file is what’s left over. EarnDrift does not file with the IRS — the owner or their tax professional files it. That keeps you in the loop and in control.
You get cleaner books: a month-end file of contractor payments you can import, instead of re-typing them.
This year it matters more than usual. The 1099-NEC reporting threshold rises from $600 to $2,000 starting with tax year 2026, and most small businesses don’t know yet. That’s a natural reason to start this conversation with every client this quarter. The details are on our 2026 law changes page.
Who This Is For
This program is for professionals with an existing client base of small businesses. If you don’t currently serve clients who pay 1099 contractors, this program isn’t a fit.
- · Bookkeepers and accountants with recurring small-business clients
- · Tax preparers and EAs who inherit clients’ contractor cleanup
- · Payroll, back-office, and outsourced-admin providers
- · Fractional CFOs and business advisors
- · Insurance, benefits, and industry suppliers who serve businesses with crews
Want the version written specifically for your profession? Start with EarnDrift for bookkeepers and accountants.
If You Hold a License or Work at a Firm
Partners are independent, not EarnDrift employees. If you’re bound by a professional body or firm policy — CPA licensing, EA rules, or your employer’s referral policy — review the referral-fee disclosure rules that apply to you before introducing EarnDrift to a client. Many professionals simply tell the client they receive a referral fee. We never ask you to hide it.
Commissions are paid to you on a 1099, and taxes on them are your responsibility.
What You Get
- A ready-to-send introduction. Your personal link, plus a short email and message you can send to clients as written or adapt to your voice.
- A walkthrough your clients will actually watch. A two-minute narrated overview of the product. Send it, or download it and keep it on hand for client meetings.
- Full visibility. See every client who signs up through your link, what’s pending, and exact payout dates.
- Direct deposit. Add your payout details once; we pay on the 1st and 15th.
- Cleaner books from every client who joins. A month-end file of contractor payments you can import, so the work on your side gets easier, not harder.
Optional talking points are available in your dashboard if you want them. No training required.
Get Your Partner Link
Takes about a minute. Works for firm owners, staff accountants and independent pros alike. We’ll email your login and client link.
The Three Rules
Short list. Your name and ours are both on every referral, so these are non-negotiable.
- 1. Be transparent. Present yourself as an independent partner, not an EarnDrift employee, and quote our pricing as published. Disclose that you receive a referral fee where your professional rules require it.
- 2. Never say EarnDrift files 1099s with the IRS. EarnDrift produces the finished, formatted 1099 file; the owner or their tax professional files it. If you’re unsure about anything, send the client to support and let us answer.
- 3. Recommend to real clients only. Share your link with the businesses you actually serve. No purchased lists, scraped-address emails, or cold outreach to strangers. Follow applicable communication laws (CAN-SPAM, TCPA, and state equivalents). Serious or repeated violations end the partnership and forfeit unpaid commissions.
Earnings Disclaimer
Referral income depends entirely on the clients you choose to introduce and whether they subscribe. EarnDrift provides no guaranteed base salary, hourly wage, or health care benefits, and commissions are not guaranteed. Partners operate strictly as independent business entities and are solely responsible for their own local, state, and federal taxes and business expenses.