Indiana Business Law Blog
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Congress recently passed legislation that will dramatically change the filing requirements for 1099 forms beginning in early 2013 for payments made in 2012. Under the new rule, small businesses and non-profit organizations will be required to file 1099 forms with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for goods as well as services. The new legislation also requires that 1099 forms be filed for transactions with corporations, while currently reporting is only required for expenditures made to non-corporate entities. It is clear at this point that these changes will greatly affect the way many businesses operate on a day-to-day basis.
The new rule will require all small businesses and non-profit organizations to file a 1099 form with the IRS for every entity they pay $600 or more for goods in a calendar year. That means that even the smallest of businesses will likely be filing many more 1099 forms than they have in the past. It is not difficult to imagine how even minor purchases with a single vendor can add up to over $600 in a year. For example, even spending only $50 a month on lunch for employees or for flowers to decorate the office would add up to $600+ over a year. In order to properly and completely fill out their 1099 forms, businesses will also need to provide the Taxpayer Identification Number of each company or individual they report.
To minimize extra burden in the future, small businesses and non-profit organizations should begin tracking their spending more efficiently now. Obtaining the correct Taxpayer Identification Numbers for each of their payees and recording ALL payments, large and small, made to both corporate and non-corporate entities will reduce headaches in 2012. A future article will explain the exception for payments made with credit cards.
**Please note that this entry has been amended to reflect that the 1099 filing changes take effect for payments that are made beginning in 2012 for 1099 forms issued in 2013, NOT for payments made in 2011.**
For more information about how these changes will affect your small business or non-profit organization, please do not hesitate to contact Smith Rayl Law Office, LLC.
Michael Smith, Attorney at Law Emily Angel, Legal Assistant