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Reporting of $600 Third-Party Payments Delayed

January 9, 2023

Reporting of $600 Third-Party Payments Delayed

The deadline for reporting thresholds for third-party settlement organizations, which was supposed to be January 1, 2023, has been pushed back because of concerns about the implementation schedule. As a result, third-party settlement organizations won’t have to send a Form 1099-K to the IRS or the payee for the tax year 2022 for the lower $600 threshold amount. This was made possible by the American Rescue Plan of 2021.

Instead, the calendar year 2022 will be a transition year for lowering the reporting threshold for third-party settlement organizations (TPSOs) like Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp, which would have sent taxpayers Form 1099-Ks. The extra time will help make filing taxes in 2023 less confusing and give taxpayers more time to prepare for and understand the new reporting requirements. This change to the law is important because people are more likely to pay their taxes when they have to fill out forms like Form 1099-K.

Taxpayers should know, though, that the current 1099-K reporting threshold of $20,000 in payments from more than 200 transactions remains in place. Taxpayers should also know that the law is not meant to track personal transactions like splitting the cost of a car ride, meal, birthday or holiday gift, or paying a family member or friend for a household bill.

Background

The American Rescue Plan of 2021 changed the reporting threshold for TPSOs. The new limit for business transactions is $600 per year. Before, the limit was more than 200 transactions per year which added up to more than $20,000 in total. The law says that starting on January 1, 2023, a TPSO must report all third-party network transactions paid in 2022 with any participating payee that exceed $600 in total payments, regardless of the number of transactions. TPSOs report these transactions by sending IRS Form 1099-K, Payment Card, and Third-Party Network Transactions, to each payee.

Transition Period

The transition period delays the reporting of transactions in excess of $600 to transactions that occur after the calendar year 2022. It is meant to make it easier for TPSOs to comply with taxes and for individual payees to report their income taxes. In a third-party network transaction, a participating payee is anyone who accepts payment for a business transaction from a third-party settlement organization.

Taxpayers who may have already gotten a 1099-K because of the changes to the law should know that the IRS is working quickly to give instructions and make things clear so that taxpayers know what to do. More information about the delay and how it will affect taxpayers and the industry will be available soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to contact the office.