The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced relevant news for taxpayers and third-party settlement organizations. In its most recent notice, the IRS revealed significant changes to the Form 1099-K reporting requirements that will impact how payments from third-party platforms are reported and handled for years to come.
The notice details a delay in implementing the new Form 1099-K reporting threshold for calendar year 2023. Originally set in $600, this threshold has been modified to reduce potential confusion among taxpayers. Now, reporting will not be required unless the taxpayer receives more than $20,000 and has more than 200 transactions in 2023.
This move seeks to ease the burden on taxpayers and avoid sending approximately 44 million forms to people who may not have a tax obligation. Additionally, in an effort to ease the transition, the IRS plans to implement a $5,000 threshold for tax year 2024, as part of a phased process to implement the $600 reporting threshold established by the American Rescue Plan.
The complexity of these changes and their impact on millions of individual taxpayers have led the IRS to delay changes to major tax forms, such as Form 1040, until 2024. This delay will allow for additional feedback from the tax community and ensure smoother transition.
Danny Werfel, comisionado del IRS, mencionó: “Pasamos muchos meses recopilando comentarios y quedó claro que necesitamos tiempo adicional para implementar de manera efectiva los nuevos requisitos de presentación de informes. Este enfoque gradual es clave para la administración tributaria y evita confusiones innecesarias”.
The reporting requirement for third-party settlement organizations (TPSOs), including popular payment apps and online marketplaces, seeks to report payments of more than $600 for the sale of goods and services. Before the ARP, this requirement applied only to transactions that exceeded 200 and totaled more than $20,000 per year.
It is important to note that not all personal transactions will be subject to these reporting requirements. Payments such as gifts, expense sharing, or sales of lost personal items may trigger a Form 1099-K, even if the seller has no tax liability.
The IRS is open to comments on the $5,000 threshold for tax year 2024 and other aspects related to reporting requirements. The goal is to simplify this process for taxpayers and ensure compliance with the law efficiently.
These changes seek to improve tax compliance and reduce the burden on taxpayers. However, it is crucial to handle the expansion of Forms 1099-K carefully, ensuring that they are issued only to those who are required to receive them.
The IRS remains committed to providing necessary support to taxpayers, tax professionals, and software providers during this transition. The key is to ensure that everyone is informed and prepared to comply with the new reporting requirements.
