Form 1099-MISC: Boxes, Thresholds and 1099-NEC Differences
Form 1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Information) reports payments such as rents (box 1), royalties (box 2) and other income (box 3); for tax years beginning after 2025 the IRS instructions (Rev. December 2026) put the amount at $2,000 for most boxes, $10 for royalties and $600 for gross proceeds paid to an attorney, and give February 28 on paper or March 31 electronically for filing with the IRS and January 31 for the payee statements (February 15 if amounts are reported in boxes 8 or 10, according to Publication 1099). Nonemployee compensation goes on Form 1099-NEC rather than Form 1099-MISC, and the two forms are compared below.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Sources checked against IRS text on November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Who files Form 1099-MISC
The instructions begin the Form 1099-MISC section with a list of payments, and the amounts differ by item:
“File Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information, for each person in the course of your business to whom you have paid the following during the year.
At least $10 in royalties (see the instructions for box 2) or broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest (see the instructions for box 8).
Any fishing boat proceeds received (box 5).
At least $600 in gross proceeds paid to an attorney (box 10) (see Payments to attorneys, later).
At least $2,000 in:
Rents (box 1);
Prizes and awards, including certain non-government grants (box 3);
Other income payments (box 3);
Generally, the cash paid from a notional principal contract to an individual, partnership, or estate (box 3);
Medical and health care payments (box 6);
Crop insurance proceeds (box 9);
Section 409A deferrals (box 12); or
Nonqualified deferred compensation (box 15).”
“You must also file Form 1099-MISC for each person from whom you have withheld any federal income tax (report in box 4) under the backup withholding rules regardless of the amount of the payment.”
The same instructions limit reporting to payments made in the course of a trade or business, and the passage names other organizations as well:
“Report on Form 1099-MISC or Form 1099-NEC only when payments are made in the course of your trade or business. Personal payments are not reportable. You are engaged in a trade or business if you operate for gain or profit. However, nonprofit organizations are considered to be engaged in a trade or business and are subject to these reporting requirements. Other organizations subject to these reporting requirements include trusts of qualified pension or profit-sharing plans of employers, certain organizations exempt from tax under section 501(c) or (d), farmers’ cooperatives that are exempt from tax under section 521, and widely held fixed investment trusts. Payments by federal, state, or local government agencies are also reportable.”
The thresholds and the tax years they apply to
The IRS states the $2,000 amount and the years it covers near the start of the instructions, which are marked Rev. December 2026:
“For tax years beginning after 2025, the minimum threshold amount for reporting certain payments required to be reported on certain information returns and/or perform backup withholding on those payments increased to $2,000 and may be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027.”
Publication 1099 (2026) has a matching passage. It words the inflation adjustment differently from the instructions and gives the earlier amount:
“For tax years beginning after 2025, the minimum threshold amount for reporting certain payments required to be reported on certain information returns and/or perform backup withholding on those payments increased to $2,000 and will be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027. Previously, the threshold amount was $600.”
“Use the December 2026 revision of Form 1099-MISC and Form 1099-NEC and these instructions to file 2026 information with the IRS in early 2027. Also, use them to furnish the information to the recipient. Continue to use these revisions for subsequent years until we issue a superseding revision. Do not use these revisions for prior years.”
When we checked on November 2, 2026, the IRS About Form 1099-MISC page listed rents, prizes and awards, other income payments, medical and health care payments, crop insurance proceeds, cash payments for fish, cash paid from a notional principal contract and payments to an attorney under “At least $600 in:”, followed by any fishing boat proceeds. The Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) list rents, prizes and awards, other income payments, medical and health care payments, crop insurance proceeds, Section 409A deferrals and nonqualified deferred compensation under “At least $2,000 in:”. The table below follows the instructions, which are the document for Form 1099-MISC itself and state the $2,000 amount for tax years beginning after 2025 in the passage quoted above; IRS.gov is the authority. The first lines of the About page list are quoted here:
“File Form 1099-MISC for each person to whom you have paid during the year:
At least $10 in royalties or broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest.
At least $600 in:
Rents.
Prizes and awards.
Other income payments.
Medical and health care payments.
[…]”
When we checked on November 2, 2026, the Publication 1099 (2026) Guide printed “All amounts” for Section 409A income from nonqualified deferred compensation plans in its Form 1099-MISC rows, while the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) say “at least $2,000” for box 15. The table follows the instructions for the reason given above: they are the Form 1099-MISC instructions and state the $2,000 amount for tax years beginning after 2025. The Guide row reads:
“Section 409A income from nonqualified deferred compensation plans (NQDCs).
All amounts”
The 1099 reporting thresholds page covers the other 1099 forms, and its Form 1099-MISC amounts match the table below.
Form 1099-MISC box by box
The table follows the boxes printed on Form 1099-MISC (Rev. December 2026). The third column is the IRS’s own sentence for the box and the last column is the amount the IRS prints for it, for tax years beginning after 2025.
| Box | Printed on the form | What the instructions say | Amount the IRS states |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rents | Enter amounts of $2,000 or more for all types of rents, such as any of the following. | $2,000 or more |
| 2 | Royalties | Enter gross royalty payments (or similar amounts) of $10 or more. | $10 or more |
| 3 | Other income | Enter other income of $2,000 or more required to be reported on Form 1099-MISC that is not reportable in one of the other boxes on the form. | $2,000 or more |
| 4 | Federal income tax withheld | Enter backup withholding. | Backup withholding: regardless of the amount of the payment |
| 5 | Fishing boat proceeds | If you are the operator of a fishing boat, enter the individual’s share of all proceeds from the sale of a catch or the FMV of a distribution in kind to each crew member of fishing boats with normally fewer than 10 crew members. | Any amount: “Any fishing boat proceeds received (box 5).” |
| 6 | Medical and health care payments | Enter payments of $2,000 or more made in the course of your trade or business to each physician or other supplier or provider of medical or health care services. | $2,000 or more |
| 7 | Payer made direct sales totaling $5,000 or more of consumer products to recipient for resale | Enter an “X” in the checkbox for sales by you totaling $5,000 or more of consumer products to a person on a buy-sell, deposit-commission, or other commission basis for resale (by the buyer or any other person) anywhere other than in a permanent retail establishment. Do not enter a dollar amount in this box. | Sales totaling $5,000 or more; checkbox, no dollar amount entered |
| 8 | Substitute payments in lieu of dividends or interest | Enter aggregate payments of at least $10 of substitute payments received by a broker for a customer in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest as a result of a loan of a customer’s securities. | At least $10 in aggregate |
| 9 | Crop insurance proceeds | Enter crop insurance proceeds of $2,000 or more paid to farmers by insurance companies unless the farmer has informed the insurance company that expenses have been capitalized under section 278, 263A, or 447. | $2,000 or more |
| 10 | Gross proceeds paid to an attorney | Enter gross proceeds of $600 or more paid to an attorney in connection with legal services (regardless of whether the services are performed for the payer). | $600 or more |
| 11 | Fish purchased for resale | If you are in the trade or business of purchasing fish for resale, you must report total cash payments of $600 or more paid during the year to any person who is engaged in the trade or business of catching fish. | $600 or more in total cash payments for the year |
| 12 | Section 409A deferrals | You do not have to complete this box. […] If you complete this box, enter the total amount deferred during the year of at least $2,000 for the nonemployee under all nonqualified plans. | At least $2,000, if the box is completed (the instructions say it need not be) |
| 13a | Cash tips | Enter the total amount designated as cash tips included in box 3. | No separate amount stated; included in box 3 |
| 13b | TTOC | Enter the TTOC for the payee’s tipped occupation(s). | No dollar amount (occupation codes) |
| 14 | Overtime compensation | Enter the total amount of qualified overtime compensation included in box 3. | No separate amount stated; included in box 3 |
| 15 | Nonqualified deferred compensation | Enter all amounts deferred of at least $2,000 (including earnings on amounts deferred) that are includible in income under section 409A because the NQDC plan fails to satisfy the requirements of section 409A. | At least $2,000 |
| 16-18 | State information (16 State tax withheld, 17 State/Payer’s state no., 18 State income) | These boxes are provided for your convenience only and need not be completed for the IRS. | No dollar amount stated |
Box 7 is a checkbox. The instructions allow either Form 1099-MISC box 7 or Form 1099-NEC box 2 for sales of $5,000 or more of consumer products, as the quote below says:
“You may either file Form 1099-MISC (box 7) or Form 1099-NEC (box 2) to report sales totaling $5,000 or more of consumer products to a person on a buy-sell, a deposit-commission, or other commission basis for resale. Caution: If you use Form 1099-NEC to report sales totaling $5,000 or more, then you are required to file Form 1099-NEC with the IRS by January 31.”
Boxes added on the Rev. December 2026 form
The instructions list the boxes that were added and one payment type that moved to Form 1099-NEC:
“New boxes 1b and 13a. P.L. 119-21, section 70201, requires the reporting of cash tips. These new boxes were added to facilitate this reporting requirement for Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC. For more information, see the specific instructions for these boxes, later.
New boxes 1c and 13b. Use the Treasury Tipped Occupation Code(s) to identify the tipped occupation(s) for Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC. For more information, see the specific instructions for these boxes, later.
New boxes 1d and 14. P.L. 119-21, Section 70202(a), requires the reporting of overtime compensation. These new boxes were added to facilitate this reporting requirement for Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC. For more information, see the specific instructions for these boxes, later.”
“Excess golden parachute payments are no longer reported on Form 1099-MISC. You can now report these payments on Form 1099-NEC, box 3.”
Form 1099-MISC or Form 1099-NEC
The IRS puts nonemployee compensation on Form 1099-NEC and other kinds of payments on Form 1099-MISC. Except the row marked Publication 1099 (2026), each cell below is a passage from the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026). The Form 1099-NEC page covers that form in more detail.
| Topic | Form 1099-MISC | Form 1099-NEC |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets one | File Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information, for each person in the course of your business to whom you have paid the following during the year. | File Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation, for each person in the course of your business during the year to whom you have paid at least $2,000 in: Services performed by someone who is not your employee (including parts and materials) (box 1a); or Payments to an attorney (box 1a). |
| Attorneys | Enter gross proceeds of $600 or more paid to an attorney in connection with legal services (regardless of whether the services are performed for the payer). | Attorneys’ fees of $2,000 or more paid in the course of your trade or business are reportable in box 1a of Form 1099-NEC, under section 6041A(a)(1). |
| Amounts, tax years beginning after 2025 | At least $10 in royalties (see the instructions for box 2) or broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest (see the instructions for box 8). Any fishing boat proceeds received (box 5). At least $600 in gross proceeds paid to an attorney (box 10) (see Payments to attorneys, later). At least $2,000 in: Rents (box 1); […] | to whom you have paid at least $2,000 in: […] You must also file Form 1099-NEC for each person from whom you have withheld any federal income tax (report in box 4) under the backup withholding rules regardless of the amount of the payment. |
| Filing date with the IRS | File Form 1099-MISC by February 28, if you file on paper, or March 31, if you file electronically. | Section 6071(c) requires you to file Form 1099-NEC on or before January 31, using either paper or electronic filing procedures. |
| Statement for the recipient | You are required to furnish the payee statements by January 31 and file with the IRS by February 28 (March 31, if filing electronically). | You are required to furnish the payee statements and file with the IRS by January 31. |
| Statement for the recipient when Form 1099-MISC reports amounts in boxes 8 or 10 (Publication 1099 (2026)) | The specific due date for furnishing statements to recipients for Forms 1099-B, 1099-DA, 1099-S, and 1099-MISC (if amounts are reported in boxes 8 or 10) is February 15 of the year following the calendar year for which you are furnishing the form. | You are required to furnish the payee statements and file with the IRS by January 31. |
| Direct sales of $5,000 or more of consumer products for resale | You may either use box 7 on Form 1099-MISC or box 2 on Form 1099-NEC to report the direct sales totaling $5,000 or more. […] Caution: Report these sales on only one form. | If you use Form 1099-NEC to report these sales, then you are required to file the Form 1099-NEC with the IRS by January 31. |
Payments made by card are reported elsewhere, according to the instructions:
“Payments made with a credit card or payment card and certain other types of payments, including third-party network transactions, must be reported on Form 1099-K by the payment settlement entity under section 6050W and are not subject to reporting on Form 1099-MISC or Form 1099-NEC.”
Due dates
The instructions give Form 1099-MISC two filing dates, with a rule for dates that fall on a weekend or holiday:
“Section 6071(c) requires you to file Form 1099-NEC on or before January 31, using either paper or electronic filing procedures. File Form 1099-MISC by February 28, if you file on paper, or March 31, if you file electronically. If any date shown falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is to be filed, the due date is the next business day. Leap years do not impact the due date.”
They also say the recipient gets a statement, and give a date for it:
“If you are required to file Form 1099-MISC, you must furnish a statement to the recipient. For more information about the requirement to furnish a statement to each recipient, and truncation, see part M in the current Pub. 1099. You can furnish each recipient with a single payee statement reporting all Form 1099-MISC payment types. You are required to furnish the payee statements by January 31 and file with the IRS by February 28 (March 31, if filing electronically).”
Publication 1099 (2026) says the due date for furnishing recipient statements is different for some Form 1099-MISC amounts:
“The specific due date for furnishing statements to recipients for Forms 1099-B, 1099-DA, 1099-S, and 1099-MISC (if amounts are reported in boxes 8 or 10) is February 15 of the year following the calendar year for which you are furnishing the form. If February 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is to be filed, the actual due date is the next business day.”
The Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) do not mention February 15; their general sentence is the January 31 date quoted above. The Guide to Information Returns in the same publication has the columns “To IRS” and “To recipient”, and the Guide prints “February 15**” in its Form 1099-MISC rows for substitute dividends and tax-exempt interest payments (box 8) and for gross proceeds paid to attorneys (box 10), which is further Guide support for the February 15 date. The footnote ** reads:
“Form Title What to report Amounts to report To IRS To recipient (unless indicated otherwise)”
“Substitute dividends and tax-exempt interest payments reportable by brokers.
$10 or more
February 15**
Gross proceeds paid to attorneys. $600 or more February 15**”
“** The due date is March 15 for reporting by trustees and middlemen of WHFITs.”
The instructions describe a low e-file threshold:
“T.D. 9972, published February 23, 2023, lowered the e-file threshold to 10 (calculated by aggregating all information returns), effective for information returns required to be filed on or after January 1, 2024.”
Corporations and other exceptions
The IRS says payments to corporations generally need no Form 1099-MISC, with these exceptions:
“The following payments made to corporations must generally be reported on Form 1099-MISC.
Cash payments for the purchase of fish for resale reported in box 11.
Medical and health care payments reported in box 6.
Substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest reported in box 8.
Gross proceeds paid to an attorney reported in box 10.”
This is part of the IRS list of payments that do not have to be reported; the lines marked […] are omitted here:
“Some payments do not have to be reported on Form 1099-MISC, although they may be taxable to the recipient.
Payments for which a Form 1099-MISC is not required include all of the following.
Generally, payments to a corporation (including a limited liability company (LLC) that is treated as a C or S corporation). However, see Reportable payments to corporations, earlier.
Payments for merchandise, telegrams, telephone, freight, storage, and similar items.
[…]
Wages paid to employees (report on Form W-2).
[…]”
What this page does not cover
- The Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) do not state penalty amounts, and this page does not cover state filing rules.
- Which box a particular payment belongs in is not decided here; the instructions say to report each payment in the proper box and describe many cases that this page does not reproduce.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Form 1099-MISC thresholds for tax years beginning after 2025?
The IRS instructions (Rev. December 2026) list at least $2,000 for rents (box 1), other income (box 3), medical and health care payments (box 6), crop insurance proceeds (box 9), Section 409A deferrals (box 12) and nonqualified deferred compensation (box 15). They list at least $10 for royalties (box 2) and for substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest (box 8), and $600 for gross proceeds paid to an attorney (box 10) and for fish purchased for resale (box 11). For fishing boat proceeds (box 5) the list says “Any fishing boat proceeds received”.
Did the 1099-MISC threshold change from $600?
The instructions say that for tax years beginning after 2025 the minimum threshold amount increased to $2,000 and may be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027, and Publication 1099 (2026) adds: “Previously, the threshold amount was $600.” The $600 amount for gross proceeds paid to an attorney, and the $10 amount for royalties, are stated separately in the instructions. When we checked on November 2, 2026, the IRS About Form 1099-MISC page still listed “At least $600 in:” for rents and other items; the instructions (Rev. December 2026) list “At least $2,000 in:” for those items for tax years beginning after 2025.
What is the difference between Form 1099-MISC and Form 1099-NEC?
Form 1099-NEC covers services performed by someone who is not an employee, and attorneys’ fees, in box 1a. Form 1099-MISC covers the other payments in its boxes, such as rents, royalties, prizes and awards, medical and health care payments, and gross proceeds paid to an attorney in box 10. The IRS gives Form 1099-NEC a January 31 filing date and Form 1099-MISC February 28 on paper or March 31 electronically.
When is Form 1099-MISC due?
The instructions say to file Form 1099-MISC by February 28 if filing on paper, or March 31 if filing electronically, and to furnish the payee statements by January 31. If a date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is to be filed, the due date is the next business day. Publication 1099 (2026) says the specific due date for furnishing statements to recipients for Form 1099-MISC, if amounts are reported in boxes 8 or 10, is February 15 of the year following the calendar year. The Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) do not mention February 15.
Which payments does the IRS say do not need a Form 1099-MISC?
The instructions list payments for which a Form 1099-MISC is not required, including, generally, payments to a corporation, payments for merchandise, telegrams, telephone, freight, storage and similar items, and wages paid to employees, which go on Form W-2. They add that medical and health care payments, substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest, gross proceeds paid to an attorney, and fish purchases for resale must generally be reported even when paid to a corporation, and that personal payments are not reportable.
Which boxes were added to Form 1099-MISC for the Rev. December 2026 form?
The instructions list boxes 13a (cash tips), 13b (Treasury Tipped Occupation Code) and 14 (overtime compensation) as additions to Form 1099-MISC, and say excess golden parachute payments are no longer reported on Form 1099-MISC but can be reported on Form 1099-NEC, box 3. Box 15 is nonqualified deferred compensation and boxes 16 to 18 are state information.
Do credit card payments go on a Form 1099-MISC?
The IRS instructions say payments made with a credit card or payment card, and certain other payments including third-party network transactions, must be reported on Form 1099-K by the payment settlement entity and are not subject to reporting on Form 1099-MISC or Form 1099-NEC.
Related IRS form pages and calculators
Sources (checked November 2, 2026): IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026), PDF · IRS: Form 1099-MISC (Rev. December 2026), PDF · IRS: About Form 1099-MISC · IRS: About Form 1099-NEC · IRS: Publication 1099, General Instructions for Certain Information Returns (2026), PDF