It’s time for businesses to send out their annual information returns. These are the Form 1099s that are sent to to vendors when required. Let’s look first at who does not have to receive 1099s:
- Corporations (except attorneys)
- Entities you purchased tangible goods from
- Entities you purchased less than $600 from (except royalties; the limit there is $10)
- Where you would normally have to send a 1099 but you made payment by a credit or debit card
Otherwise, you need to send a Form 1099 to the vendor. The best way to check whether or not you need to send a 1099 to a vendor is to know this before you pay a vendor’s invoice. I tell my clients that they should have each vendor complete a Form W-9 before they pay the vendor. You can then enter the vendor’s taxpayer identification number into your accounting software (along with whether or not the vendor is exempt from 1099 reporting) on an ongoing basis.
This year will be the first year we’ll be using the new Form 1099-NEC to report nonemployee compensation instead of reporting this on Form 1099-MISC. Form 1099-NECs have a filing deadline of February 1, 2021 (for reporting 2020 nonemployee compensation). Form 1099-MISCs are used for all other 1099 reporting except interest, dividends, capital gains, etc. Payments of rent, royalties, advertising, crop insurance proceeds, substitute payments in lieu of dividends, attorney proceeds, other income (including gambling winnings not reporteable on a Form W-2G), and nonqualified deferred compensation are just some of the items reported on a Form 1099-MISC.
Remember that besides the 1099 sent to the vendor, a copy goes to the IRS. If you file by paper, you likely do not have to file Form 1099-MISC with your state tax agency (that’s definitely the case in California). However, if you file 1099s electronically with the IRS you most likely will also need to file them electronically with your state tax agency (again, that’s definitely the case in California). It’s a case where paper filing might be easier than electronic filing.
IMPORTANT: The IRS is not sending Form 1099-NECs to state tax agencies. Thus, if you have a state filing requirement for your Forms 1099-NEC, you must separately file this with your state tax agency.
If you wish to file paper 1099s, you must order the forms from the IRS. The forms cannot be downloaded off the Internet. Make sure you also order Form 1096 from the IRS. This is a cover page used when submitting information returns (such as 1099s) to the IRS. WARNING: It is taking the IRS months to fill these orders. We ordered our paper 1099s in October; we have yet to receive them. It is likely too late to order them from the IRS and meet the February 1st deadline. Most tax professionals have software that can file 1099s directly with the IRS and state tax agencies; there are also services you can find that will do this for you.
Note also that sole proprietors fall under the same rules for sending out 1099s. Let’s say you’re a professional gambler, and you have a poker coach that you paid $650 to last year. You must send him or her a Form 1099-NEC. Poker players who “swap” shares or have backers also fall under the 1099 filing requirement (issuing form 1099-MISC).
Remember, the deadline for submitting 1099-NECs for “Nonemployee Compensation” (e.g. independent contractors) to the IRS is now at the end of January (though we get an extra day this year, because the 31st falls on a weekend): Those 1099s must be filed by Monday, February 1st.
Here are the deadlines for 2020 information returns:
- Monday, February 1st: Deadline for mailing most 1099s to recipients (postmark deadline);
- Monday, February 1st: Deadline for submitting 1099-NECs for Nonemployee Compensation to IRS;
- Monday, March 1st: Deadline for filing other paper 1099s with the IRS (postmark deadline);
- Monday, March 15th: Deadline for mailing and filing Form 1042-S; and
- Thursday, April 1st: Deadline for filing other 1099s electronically with the IRS.
Remember, if you are going to mail 1099s to the IRS send them certified mail, return receipt requested so that you have proof of the filing.
Also note that most 1099s must be mailed to recipients. Mail means the postal service, not email. The main exception to this is if the recipient has agreed in writing to receiving the 1099 electronically. I consider this the IRS’s means of trying to keep the Post Office in business.
Tags: 2021.Tax.Season