Frequently Asked Questions

You may be required to file a 1099 for a variety of payments made during the course of running a business. One of the most common circumstances under which a 1099 is required is if you paid a vendor or contractor over $600. Other common scenarios are if you paid rents over $600 , royalties over $10, interest on loans, dividend distributions, or retirement distributions. 

There are some exceptions to the filing requirements for payments to contractors, rents and royalties and those exceptions are payments via credit card and payments made to Corporations. 

We are happy to answer your questions regarding 1099 requirements via our chat or email at info@tmtaxpractices.com

If you are operating a business, it is best practice to have current and accurate books. There are circumstances under which bookkeeping is required. For instance, if your business is operating as a C Corporation you would be required to keep proper books and records. Also, if you are attempting to get financing the lender will certainly require you to provide them with a set of financials for the business. Lastly, complete and accurate financials assist you in having a clear picture of where your business stands to help you plan for the future. So, while bookkeeping may not always be "required" it is always highly recommended.

The requirement to pay a salary depends on how you are operating your business. The only business structure that requires a reasonable salary is an S Corporation. 

If you are operating as a Partnership or Sole Proprietorship you would not pay yourself a salary but instead take a distribution from the company. If you are operating as a C Corporation you may pay yourself a salary but it is not required. It is always recommended to work with a tax professional experienced in business tax preparation and planning to get the best advice and guidance in paying yourself from your business.

Generally, a tax refund is a repayment of taxes you may have overpaid throughout the year. For example, if you are a W-2 employee and you had more federal income tax withheld than the amount of your tax liability due at the end of the year the IRS will refund you the overpayment amount. Also, you may be eligible for a refundable tax credit. Refundable tax credits may result in a refund if the credit is in excess of your tax liability due. Refundable tax credits are how individuals who claimed "exempt" may still receive a tax refund at the end of the year. It is still considered a refund even though you had no withholdings during the year. 

The other side of this is when you underpay your tax throughout the year. If it is determined that your tax was underpaid it will result in an additional tax liability due at the end of the year.