Changes in tax form 1099 misc reporting requirement from tax year 2012

Earlier, form 1099 misc was used by individual contractors, freelancers, consultants to report any extra income earned by them from a company or an individual who hired them. However from 2012 onwards, the 1099 regulations are drastically going to change as the filing of form 1099 will not only be confined to freelancers and consultants but will also have to be filed by all businesses and business transactions over $600. In short, starting 2011 any business that does more than $600 in business with any vendor will be required to submit a 1099 form. Eg: if a business purchases office furniture worth $1500 from an interior company, then they would have to report the same by filing form 1099 to IRS, something which was not required earlier. Hence, this will drastically increase the paper work cost of businesses, leading to an increase in their variable costs thus an increase in prices of their goods and services to combat the loss.

Furthermore, the vast amount of costly paper work has been introduced by the changed provisions in health reform law. The bill makes two key changes to how 1099s are used. First, it expands their range by using 1099 forms to track payments not only for services but also for goods. Secondly, it requires that 1099s be issued not just to individuals, but also to corporations.

Now, let’s focus on the part of how to prepare yourself for the coming changes in 1099 laws. Firstly, start requesting that each of your vendors, large and small, complete IRS Form W-9 for your records.  This will give you the legal name, address and Tax Identification Number (EIN or SSN) for your vendor.  This is the information that you will need in order to complete a 1099-MISC each January. 

what is tax form 1099 and who is suppose to file 1099 misc?

A 1099-MISC is a type of tax form. It is used to report miscellaneous income, such as income earned as a non-employee, as well as fees, commissions, rents, or royalties paid during the last tax year. Payments for prizes, awards, legal services, and other non-employee activities may also be reported on this form.

If a business pays you 600 US Dollars (USD) or more as a non-employee, it is legally required to report it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), using a 1099-MISC form. For royalty income, a 1099-MISC must be generated for $10 USD or more. The payer should also provide one copy of the form to the payee. Once the payee receives it, he should verify the copy once again for errors and keep it securely. The payee will require the copy of 1099 misc to report income on his tax return.

Often, individuals consider non-employee income as additional money. This is predominantly true if the amount comes up to be less than $1000 USD. However, it is important to realize that the IRS does not share the same view and you are required to report all of your income, even if the amount you received was not enough to report it on 1099 misc form. Furthermore, IRS may not appreciate if you omit income from any source; hence make sure you include all your income.

Any business that has paid you $600 USD or more as a non-employee, or at least $10 USD in royalties must provide you with a 1099-MISC form by January 31st of the year following payment. If you are expecting a 1099-MISC and have not received it by January 31st, you must contact the organization that pays you and request a copy from them. You may also contact the IRS to request a copy. However, you will need to verify your identity before the IRS will provide you with a copy of the form.

Sometimes, form 1099 will arrive with errors on it. Hence, to make sure this does not happen, it is always wise to efile 1099 with an IRS authorized e file provider such as tax1099.com in order to keep hefty penalties and late filing fee at bay.