Form 1099-K report sales transactions

Starting in January 2012, businesses that accept credit and debit cards when making sales to customers will receive an IRS tax form 1099 K from their credit card processing company. The 1099-K will report the total payment transactions for the year 2011. The new reporting requirement is part of on-going government efforts to increase collection of income tax.

Not only must banks and credit card processing companies comply with the new reporting requirement, third-party networks such as PayPal and eBay, Inc. must also report total credit card transactions to their business customers who use their services to process online sales. Compliance may prove to be a major adjustment for these entities. PayPal, a subsidiary of eBay, Inc., generated more than $31 billion in total net payments in 2009, according to eBay’s annual report for that year.

Exemptions

Not every merchant will receive a form 1099-K; only those who generated both a minimum of 200 transactions and $20,000 or more in sales. Casual sellers should keep in mind that even though they may not receive a 1099-K, their sales income is subject to income tax and must be reported on their tax return. Knowing whether your online garage sale qualifies as a business in the eyes of the IRS can be tricky. But if an online garage sale turns into a business with recurring sales and purchases of items for resale it may be considered an online auction business and the complexities can be manifold.