What is a 1099?

A 1099 form is a U.S. tax document used to report income other than wages, salaries, and tips. The IRS issues several variants, each covering a specific income type:

• 1099-INT: Interest income

• 1099-DIV: Dividend income

• 1099-G: Unemployment compensation and government payments

• 1099-R: Retirement plan distributions

• 1099-MISC: Miscellaneous income including rents, royalties, and certain legal settlements

• 1099-NEC: Self-employment and nonemployee compensation

• 1099-K: Payments received through third-party platforms such as PayPal, Venmo, and Etsy

• 1099-DA: Digital asset and cryptocurrency transactions (introduced for tax year 2025)

• SSA-1099: Social Security benefits

Any income reported on a 1099 must generally be included on your federal tax return, regardless of whether the form was received. Businesses filing 10 or more information returns annually are required to file electronically. The standard reporting threshold of $600 applies through the 2025 tax year, rising to $2,000 in 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with inflation adjustments each year thereafter.

IRS form versions are updated annually, always confirm you are using the correct version for the applicable tax year before filing.