Have you heard of the 1099 contractor form?
Well, if you are looking forward to hiring an independent contractor, you surely must-have.
But what is this 1099 contractor form? Who should fill it out? And what should a business know about Form 1099?
Once you are through this article, you will have all your answers. So, start reading and gather every possible information you must know regarding Form 1099!
A 1099 tax form is used for specificfor reporting the non-salary income to the IRS for federal taxes.
The 1099 form has around 20 variants. The most popular among these is the 1099-NEC. This variant of the 1099 form is an independent contractor tax form that employers should fill out if you have paid $600 or more in one financial year to an independent contractor.
Other 1099 forms are reported for individuals who earn from interest income, state tax refunds, IRA distributions, tax dividends, prize winnings, personal property sales, etc.
So, if you are a small business owner, you might have to deal with different 1099 forms.
Knowing who is an independent contractor is important. And IRS provides distinct guidelines to determine if a worker is an independent contractor.
To identify the 1099 form independent contractor, as an employer, you must consider the following criteria.
The IRS guidelines instruct the employers to take a look at the entire relationship for determining the status of the independent contractor. The primary aspect here is the extent of control you have over the worker.
If the degree of control you exert is less or the worker has a great deal of autonomy, then the worker is probably an independent contractor.
If you are thinking, ‘do independent contractors get 1099?’
Then, let us inform you that there are certain criteria to determine who should fill out the 1099 independent contractor tax form. Let’s see what they are.
To know about the important requirements for the 1099-MISC form, it is necessary to get into the guidelines for the 1099 form independent contractor 2020.
The 2020 instructions suggest that form 1099-MISC for independent contractors is used for reporting the miscellaneous income. For instance, rents, awards, and prizes.
In a few cases, you, as an employer, might be required to follow certain backup withholding guidelines for payments related to 1099-MISC.
IRS guidelines tell that backup withholding is required when a taxpayer does not abide by the following instructions:
A taxpayer's non-compliance with these filing requirements might lead the employer to withhold 24% on any future payment to the payee. The business must be sent the withholding amounts to the IRS.
The 1099-NEC independent contractor tax form must be provided to each contractor whom the business has paid more than $600 for their services in a year.
A 1099 form independent contractor must include all payments on a tax return. This includes the payments that total less than $600.
Note: Non-employee compensation includes individual and partnership payments.
However, certain payments do not need a 1099-NEC. This includes:
Also, note that the payments made through third-party networks, including credit card payments, are reported on the 1099-K form.
Here’s what information you need to provide in the 1099-NEC independent contractor tax form.
After you have filled out the information mentioned above, you will find a space for reporting the state income earned and your firm’s state tax identification number. This information is not necessary for the IRS. However, several businesses include it to ensure that state income tax filings become easier and hassle-free for the contractor.
Now that you know how to prepare 1099 for an independent contractor and complete 1099-NEC, you must learn about submitting the form.
When producing Form 1099-NEC, you must provide four copies of the form to different recipients.
The due date for producing the 1099-NEC independent contractor tax form is before or on 1st February. By this date, you are required to provide each contractor and the IRS a Form 1099-NEC. E-filing is the best option here as it becomes easier to meet the provided deadline.
The IRS uses these 1099 contractor forms to estimate the taxable income amount earned by the independent contractors. These reported amounts are then compared to the contractor’s tax returns. Hence, your 1099 forms must be accurate so that you can fill accurate tax returns.
You can e-file Copy A of 1099 through the IRS FIRE system. You will need compatible accounting software for the process.
You will also need a Transmitter Control Code before using FIRE. Obtain TCC by filling out form 4419 and sending it to the IRS. Form 4419 must be submitted a minimum of 30 days before the tax deadline for Form 1099.
After you obtain your contractor’s consent, you can send them Copy B. Make sure you get the consent in a way that the contractor affirms receiving Copy B electronically. Mention email if you are planning to mail them the form.
The IRS guidelines suggest that your request for consent must include;
If you miss the deadline, there are IRS penalties that you will have to pay. The penalties must be paid for each 1099 contractor form.
Intentionally missing the due date to file the 1099 contractor form will be subject to a penalty of at least $530 per statement. There is no maximum limit here.
There’s no point in wasting time understanding an independent contractor's form and how it works. Employers should instead focus on how the independent contractors are performing and how their internal collaboration can be better.
But the question is, who will manage this aspect then? How about you automate the whole process?
Multiplier, an automated onboarding tool, can help you with the following activities:
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