Monthly Archives: January 2016

Who Should Get a 1099?

It is that time of year again, Form 1099s are being worked on, many may have already been sent. So, if you are a new business owner, or one who hasn’t been “as good about this as I should be”, here are some guidelines for sending out your 1099s. Please note, in this blog piece we are going to discuss Form 1099-MISC only, there are also 1099-INT, 1099-C, 1099-S and 1099-K. For more information on these forms please visit www.irs.gov.

The easiest way to complete this task is to delegate it to your bookkeeper, either the one you have on staff or your outsourced bookkeeping service. Professional, well informed bookkeepers will have the knowledge and resources to send out your 1099s to every vendor who is eligible to receive one, while you continue to run your business.

If you don’t have a bookkeeper, then it gets a little more complicated, but not much. So let’s go over who should receive a 1099, what information you need to have from both the vendor and your records, and the various ways to remit these forms by the deadline.

Who should receive a 1099? Anyone you have paid at least $600.00 to during the tax year. The most common recipients fall into 3 categories:

  • Independent contractors, freelancers & service providers who are not your employees. Depending on your industry these could be subcontractors who assisted you with a construction project and/or professionals such as bookkeepers, business coaches, & consultants.
  • Rent, for your office space, machine rentals, etc.
  • Any other income such as prizes and awards if they met or exceeded $600 to an individual.

What information do I need? You will need the full legal name of your vendor, their address and Tax Id number, either their Social Security Number or their Employer Identification Number. These can be obtained by requesting a Form W-9 from your vendor, which can be obtained from the IRS or for convenience can be downloaded from our website at www.fournierabservices.com on the Resources page. The last piece of information is how much you paid the vendor in the tax year.

How do I remit these forms? There are a couple of ways to send these forms to the recipients and the IRS.

  • First, you can send physical paper forms to both. These can be purchased at your local office supply store or through online retailers such as Amazon (though with shipping this may not be the best option this year). If you are using QuickBooks, you can process & print your 1099s through the Vendor Center as long as your version hasn’t been sunset. If you are filing by mail, you will need to submit a 1096 Form as well to the IRS.
  • Second there are a number of excellent websites that will allow you to electronically submit your 1099s to the IRS. These also allow you the option of electronically sending them to your vendors or printing and mailing them yourself without needing special forms. Please note that there is a charge for each 1099 submitted, but on the sites I am familiar with, these are not outrageous charges. Google “submit 1099s electronically” and you will receive pages of options.

What is the deadline for sending 1099s? The general rule is that 1099s need to be sent to your vendors by January 31st for the previous year (1/31/16 for calendar year 2015). However, depending on when January 31st falls, there may be a day or two leeway. Because January 31, 2016 falls on a Sunday, Copy B of the 1099-MISC form must be postmarked by February 1st. The IRS copies (the red forms) and Form 1096 are generally due on February 28th. Again, depending on when that day falls or if it is a leap year, there may be a different due date. For example, 2016 is a leap year, so the IRS copies and Form 1096 need to be postmarked by February 29, 2016.

If you find you have questions or need assistance with your Form 1099-MISC, Fournier Accounting & Bookkeeping Services is happy to assist you in any way we can. You can contact us through www.fournierabservices.com, and click the Contact Us button.

Also, if you found this article informative & enjoyable, please subscribe for updates on our Home Page and feel free to share this article with your business associates.

This article is meant to be a guideline only, for complete rules & regulations regarding Form 1099-MISC, please review 2016 Instructions for Form 1099-MISC which can be downloaded from www.irs.gov.

That Isn’t the IRS Calling

I’ve received them, my clients have received them, friends have received them. Phone messages that state you owe the IRS money and a sheriff (or other legal authority, or legal actions such as liens) will be arriving at your door imminently if you don’t clear up the balance due NOW! So, in order to avoid incarceration or deportation you need to pay with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer.

These calls are made by scammers! Even if caller ID indicates it is the Internal Revenue Service, or the email has the right logo, or the address for the receipt of payment is an actual IRS office. DO NOT pay these people, DO NOT give them personal information over the phone. IRS scams, including this one, were the top reported scams to the Better Business Bureau in 2015.

Per the official IRS website (www.irs.gov) the IRS will not:

  • Call you and demand payment. If you owe the IRS, you will receive a bill (or many bills) in the mail; USPS, old fashioned “snail mail”, prior to ever being contacted via phone.
  • Demand you pay without allowing you a process to question or appeal the amount owed.
  • Require a specific type of payment, such as a prepaid debit card. They will always give you options for form of payment.
  • Ask for debit or credit card numbers over the phone. NEVER give these out to someone who has called you that you do not know personally. If you believe you owe an organization funds, hang up the phone and call the number listed on your bill.
  • Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying. Yes, people get arrested for tax evasion and tax fraud, but both would be preceded by an extensive process and investigation. It is highly improbable that those who do face these charges were blindsided by the arrest.

What should you do if you receive a call like this? First, if you’ve answered it, hang up.

Second, report the call to TIGTA, either through their website, www.treasury.gov/tigta, then click IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting, or call 800-366-4484.

Third, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov, click File a Consumer Complaint, then Scams and Rip-Offs. You want to add “IRS Telephone Scam” into the notes.

If you think there might be a chance that you do owe the IRS, contact both your bookkeeper and tax preparer to discuss the next best step to take. Also, specific information and details on both the scams and how to resolve true tax liabilities can be found at www.irs.gov.