- Discover background information about the changes to the filing threshold for Form 1099-K.
- Find out what you should be doing right now to prepare for this change.
- Learn the importance of separating personal payments and tracking deductions.
Businesses should be aware that they may be responsible for issuing more information reporting forms for 2022. Why? Because more workers may fall into the required range of income to be reported. Beginning this year, the threshold has dropped significantly for the filing of Form 1099-K, “Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions.” Businesses and workers in certain industries may receive more of these forms. Some people may even get them based on personal transactions.
Background of the 1099-K change
Banks and online payment networks — payment settlement entities (PSEs) or third-party settlement organizations (TPSOs) — must report payments in a trade or business to the IRS and recipients. You can do this on Form 1099-K. These entities include Venmo and CashApp, as well as gig economy facilitators such as Uber and TaskRabbit.
A 2021 law dropped the minimum threshold for PSEs to file Form 1099-K for a taxpayer from $20,000 of reportable payments made to the taxpayer and 200 transactions to $600 (the same threshold applicable to other Forms 1099) starting in 2022. What does the lower threshold for filing 1099-K forms mean? It means that many participants in the gig economy will be getting the forms for the first time.
Members of Congress have introduced bills to raise the threshold back to $20,000 and 200 transactions. However, there’s no guarantee that they’ll pass. In addition, taxpayers should be reporting income from their side employment engagements, whether it’s reported to the IRS or not. For example, freelancers who make money creating products for an Etsy business or driving for Uber should have been reporting the gross income and claiming allowable expenses all along. However, Congress and the IRS have said this responsibility is often ignored. In some cases, taxpayers may not even be aware that income from these sources is taxable.
Some taxpayers may first notice this change when they receive their Forms 1099-K in January 2023. However, businesses should be preparing during 2022 to minimize the tax consequences of the gross amount of Form 1099-K reportable payments.
What to do now
Taxpayers should be reviewing gig and other reportable activities. Make sure payments are being recorded accurately. Payments received in a trade or business should be reported in full. This way, workers can withhold and pay taxes accordingly.
If you receive income from certain activities, you may want to increase your tax withholding. If necessary, you can also make estimated tax payments or larger payments to avoid penalties.
Separate personal payments and track deductions
Taxpayers should separate taxable gross receipts received through a PSE that are income from personal expenses. This includes things like splitting the check at a restaurant or giving a gift. Unfortunately, PSEs can’t necessarily distinguish between personal expenses and business payments. So, taxpayers should maintain separate accounts for each type of payment.
Keep in mind that taxpayers who haven’t been reporting all income from gig work may not have been documenting all deductions. They should start doing so now to minimize the taxable income recognized due to the gross receipts reported on Form 1099-K. The IRS is likely to take the position that all of a taxpayer’s gross receipts reported on Form 1099-K are income. More than likely, they won’t allow deductions unless the taxpayer substantiates them. Deductions will vary based on the nature of the taxpayer’s work.
Have questions about your Form 1099-K responsibilities? Call Fiducial at 1-866-FIDUCIAL or make an appointment at one of our office locations to discuss your situation.
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