The $600 answer is wrong for tax year 2026 - and four states never moved off their own numbers.
Do you file?
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Form and box
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Federal threshold
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State check
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Copy to the contractor by
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Copy to the IRS by
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E-file mandate
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Backup withholding (24%)
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Penalty exposure
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The $2,000 switch, by tax year The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the 1099-NEC and most 1099-MISC reporting thresholds from $600 to $2,000 for payments made on or after 1 January 2026. $600 was correct through tax year 2025, which is why almost every answer online is now a year out of date.
The states that did not move Federal relief did not release the states. Mississippi and Wisconsin still require filing at $600, Missouri at $1,200, and Arkansas at $2,500 when no state tax was withheld. The tool flags the case that costs money: under the federal threshold but over your state's.
The payment-app double-report trap If you paid by credit card, PayPal or a payment app, the processor reports it on Form 1099-K. Sending a 1099-NEC as well double-reports your contractor's income and puts a notice on their return.
Deadlines with the weekend shift applied 31 January 2027 is a Sunday, so tax-year-2026 forms are due Monday 1 February 2027. 1099-MISC paper and e-file dates are shown separately, because they are not the same day.
What the miss costs, per form and in total Applies the tiers for returns filed in 2026 - $60 within 30 days, $130 through 1 August, $340 after that, $680 for intentional disregard with no annual cap - to the number of returns you file, and flags the ten-return e-file mandate.
The 24% you must hold back without a W-9 With no signed W-9 carrying a valid TIN you are required to withhold 24% of a reportable payment and remit it. If you paid it out gross instead, the 24% becomes your liability. The tool puts a dollar figure on it.