Tag Archives: tax return

1099 Filing Requirements

Another year has come to an end and we would like to take the time to remind you of Form 1099 reporting requirements and changes to filing deadlines.

Certain payments made in the course of business are required to be reported on the appropriate Form 1099.  The type of 1099 filed depends on the type and amount of the business expenditure.  Some of the most common expenditures requiring a 1099 are listed below:

Payments for: Equal to or Exceeding: Form:
Dividends $  10 1099-DIV
Interest (generally) $  10 1099-INT
Royalties $  10 1099-MISC
Liquidating distributions $600 1099-DIV
Interest (paid in the course of business) $600 1099-INT
Fees paid for services $600 1099-MISC
Commissions $600 1099-MISC
Prizes and awards $600 1099-MISC
Rents $600 1099-MISC

Note: Generally, payments made to a corporation are not required to be reported on a form 1099.  However, there are some exceptions such as attorney fees.

A copy of the 1099 is required to be postmarked to the recipient and the IRS by January 31, 2017. Failure to correctly file the required 1099’s within the due dates can result in penalties of up to $260 per return (based on when filed) with a maximum of $1,059,500 for each year.

In addition to the above mentioned requirements, business taxpayers will be required to answer two questions on their 2016 income tax returns: (1) Did you make any payments in 2016 that would require you to file Form 1099(s)? (2) If yes, did you file the required Form 1099(s)?

In order to properly fill out the required forms, you will need to obtain information from each person to whom you make qualifying payments. Form W-9 is used for this purpose and can be obtained by going to http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf.

The information above relates to the most common types of transactions and circumstances.

Twelve Common Snags to Finalizing Your Tax Return – Part 1

The goal for every taxpayer is to have their return filed quickly and without error.  Here’s the first half of a handy list of items that are often overlooked and can cause all sorts of delays.

Review your tax return and return your signed eFile forms – Your tax returns can’t be filed until you have reviewed them and returned the signed eFile forms to your preparer. The sooner you do this, the sooner you’re filed.

Having proof of health insurance – You should receive a Form 1095 confirming you have health insurance. However, if your employer is one of those that received approval to send a delayed form, you still need to provide your preparer with proof of insurance before filing.

Missing W-2 and/or 1099 – One missing income form and the next thing you know, you’re paying to file an amended. Using last year’s tax return, or a tax organizer provided by your preparer, make sure all prior W-2’s and 1099’s are received and provided to your tax preparer.

Incorrect information on a W-2 or 1099 – Always double-check your forms to make sure the information is accurate – one wrong spelling of a name or one digit off on your SSN and the filing process comes to a screeching halt. Make sure 1099 income is in the correct box. Are you receiving rents and receive a 1099-MISC with the amount in the Non-Employee Compensation box? Then you face a choice – either try to get the form corrected or delay filing your tax return.

Missing or invalid Social Security Number – This one is sort of a given – if you don’t have a valid SSN, there will be no tax filing.

Dependent already claimed – Share joint custody of a child? Or, did your college student think they could file claiming themselves? Your return cannot be filed if there is a conflict in this area. Make sure it’s clear who gets to claim the dependents in your life.

Look for the second part of this article next week!

The IRS is Not Always Right

Quotes from actual IRS correspondence received by clients:

“Our records show we received a 1040X… for the tax year listed above, We’re sorry, but we cannot find it.”

“Our records show you owe a balance due of $0.00. If we do not receive it within 30 days, appropriate collection steps will be taken.”

“Payment is due on your account. Please submit payments on or before June 31st to avoid late payment penalties and interest.”

It’s pretty tough to pay a balance due of $0 on June 31st when June only has 30 days. The message should be clear. If you receive a notice from the IRS do not automatically assume it is correct and submit payment to make it go away. The same is true for any state notices. They are often in error. So what should you do?

Stay calm – Try not to overreact to the correspondence. This is easier said than done, but remember the IRS sends out millions of notices each year. The vast majority of them correct simple oversights or common filing errors.

Open the envelope – You would be surprised at how often clients are so stressed by receiving a letter from the IRS that they cannot bear to open the envelope. If you fall into this category try to remember that the first step in making the problem go away is to open the correspondence.

Careful review – Review the letter. Make sure you understand exactly what the IRS thinks needs to be changed and determine whether or not you agree with their findings. Unfortunately, the IRS rarely sends correspondence to correct an oversight in your favor, but it sometimes happens.

Respond timely – The correspondence received should be very clear about what action the IRS believes you should take and within what timeframe. Ignore this information at your own risk. Delays in responses could generate penalties and additional interest payments.

Get help – You are not alone. Getting assistance from someone who deals with this all the time makes going through the process much smoother.

Correct the IRS error – Once the problem is understood, a clearly written response with copies of documentation will cure most of these IRS correspondence errors. Often the error is due to the inability of the IRS computers to conduct a simple reporting match. Pointing the information out on your tax return might be all it takes to solve the problem.

Certified mail is your friend – Any responses to the IRS should be sent via certified mail. This will provide proof of your timely correspondence. Lost mail can lead to delays, penalties, and additional interest on your tax bill.

Don’t assume it will go away – Until a definitive confirmation that the problem has been resolved is received, you need to assume the IRS still thinks you owe the money. If no correspondence confirming the correction is received, a written follow-up will be required.

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft and Fraud

Imagine this – you’ve given us all your documents early, we’ve prepped and processed your tax return, you’ve reviewed it and signed the eFile forms… then we call you and advise you that your tax return rejected eFiling because someone has already filed using your social security number! Sadly, this can happen if you become one of the growing number of victims of tax return identity theft. At least one estimate shows tax-related identity theft cases have increased 650% since 2008. Identity theft can delay your tax refund, but other consequences could be credit card debt or loans taken out in your name.

To avoid becoming a victim, we recommend the following:

  • Safeguard your social security number and other financial information. Don’t send financial documents via email unless you use an encryption program. To send documents to us, use our LeapFile application to securely send us documentation.
  • Check your bank and credit card transactions regularly and monitor your credit ratings.
  • Don’t give out your information on the phone, even if the caller identifies themselves as an agent of the IRS or other authorities.