Resources · Tool · 2026 payments
1099 / contractor helper
A short checklist to get ready for year-end. This does not decide whether someone is a contractor or a payment is reportable, and it does not file anything.
Tax year 2026 only · Sources checked October 31, 2026. Recheck official instructions for later years.
Use the boxes as reminders for your own review. Your selections and amount stay in this page; nothing is saved or sent. They clear when you leave or reload.
Educational checklist, not tax or legal advice or a determination of filing obligations. Review your facts with your tax professional.
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Before you prepare a form
Request the payee's name, tax classification and taxpayer ID using the IRS Form W-9. Keep it securely in your own records. Do not enter names or taxpayer IDs here.
Track payment dates, amounts and methods in your books. Reconcile the full calendar year before preparing forms.
The general Form 1099-NEC threshold for 2026 service payments is $2,000.00 per payee for the year. Reportability also depends on the payment and payee. Corporate exceptions and backup withholding need review; federal backup withholding can require a form at any amount. Payment-card and qualifying third-party network transactions are reported by the settlement entity on Form 1099-K, rather than by you on Form 1099-NEC. Review the IRS instructions.
For 2026 payments, furnish the recipient statement and file Form 1099-NEC with the IRS by February 1, 2027, whether filing on paper or electronically. The usual January 31 date falls on Sunday, so the IRS next-business-day rule applies. See Publication 1099.
If you issue a required federal 1099 to a Michigan resident, send Treasury the state copy even without Michigan withholding. Also check any forms showing Michigan withholding. A 1099-NEC with Michigan impact must go directly to Treasury; federal filing does not satisfy that step. See the 2026 Michigan guide (pages 3–4). The Income Record Form Remittance Guide says no transmittal or reconciliation form is required with income record forms and gives state timing and filing options.
Optional amount check
Compare a 2026 total
Compare what you paid one payee with the general federal threshold. This is a reminder to review the rules, not a filing decision.
You can use the checklist without entering an amount.
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