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The 5 Ws of a 1099-K

Don’t let your 1099-K stand in the way of business.

If you’re an Uber driver, run an Etsy shop, or rent out your home to AirBNB frequenters, then you might notice a new tax form that has found it’s way into your mailbox in recent years.

It’s nothing to stress over. This is generally a straightforward form to review, and easy to report on your tax return.

What is a 1099-K?

Form 1099-K, otherwise known as Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions, is one of the more recently introduced tax forms. It was created by the IRS in order to report income received from online electronic payments (e.g. credit cards, PayPal, debit cards, etc.) through third party processors. Prior to this form, many independent contractors who used online payment methods were left confused on how to report those sales on their tax returns.

Who gets a 1099-K?

Wondering if you’re one of the lucky ones who will get a 1099-K this year? The qualifications are somewhat more specific compared to other forms such as the W-2. With a 1099-K, it is based on sales volume.

Retailers who accept online credit card payments will receive a 1099-K from any business that processed their payments. However, the 1099-K is only mandatory if online processing meets the following stipulations:

  1. Sales volume is over $600 per year via credit card companies.
  2. Sales volume is over $20,000 and more than 200 individual transactions were made via third party processors.

Continue reading “The 5 Ws of a 1099-K”

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When Can I Claim Exempt on My W-4?

Tread carefully before claiming exempt on your W-4 form.

Your W-4 is filed with your employer. Based on a number of allowances and exemptions you claim, your employer will withhold a certain amount of your income from each paycheck to cover taxes owed to the IRS. If you claim EXEMPT on your W-4, it means that no taxes will be taken out of your paycheck throughout the year to cover what you may owe to the IRS. Claiming exempt does not apply to everyone. Let’s find out why.

Am I eligible to claim exempt on my W-4?

If you want to claim exempt on your W-4, both of the following need to be true:

  1. For the prior year, you had a right to a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you had no tax liability.
  2. For the current year, you expect a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you expect to have no tax liability.

If one or both of these are false, then you will not be eligible to claim exempt on your W-4.

Are there any exceptions?

In some cases, claiming exempt is just not an option. Below are some reasons why it may not be for you:

  • If your income is $950 or more and at least $300 of that is from un-work-related income (ie: interest or dividend income), then you cannot claim exempt from taxes.
  • If you plan to claim dependents on your tax return, then you cannot claim exempt from taxes.
  • If you will be itemizing your deductions on your tax return for the year, then you cannot claim exempt from taxes.
  • If you are Age 65+ or blind, you must use IRS Worksheet 1-3 or 1-4 to determine if you can claim exempt.

I’m EXEMPT for tax purposes. How do I report that?

After doing some research and realizing that you are, in fact, eligible to claim EXEMPT on your W-4, you’ll need to report that. On your W-4, leave box 5 blank. If you have an amount in Box 5, that takes precedence over Box 7. Continue reading “When Can I Claim Exempt on My W-4?”

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W-2 or W-4 Form: How Do They Affect My Taxes?

Are you confused on what a W-4 form is? How about a W-2?

You’re not alone.

The truth is, most of us don’t look at these complicated IRS forms on a daily basis, so when we do, we’re pretty lost!  However, it’s important to know the difference between a W-4  and W-2 as both impact  how much tax is taken from your paycheck and how big your refund may be when you file your taxes.

When do I need to look at these IRS forms?

W-4: You’ll receive a blank W-4 when you start a new job. As a new employee, you’ll be required to fill out this form.

W-2: Each year, at the end of January, you’ll receive a W-2 from each of your employers. You’ll refer to this form when preparing your tax return. Continue reading “W-2 or W-4 Form: How Do They Affect My Taxes?”