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How to read Form 1099-MISC Boxes and Descriptions

If you’ve ever made miscellaneous payments outside your company, such as rent, royalties, or even fishing-boat proceeds, you probably know Form 1099-MISC. But do you know what goes in 1099-MISC boxes? Filing can be simple when you know what each box means. In this blog, we break this form down, one box at a time.

Every 1099-MISC box has a purpose, covering a specific type of payment. So, when you pick a box, the IRS knows exactly the kind of income it’s dealing with. This helps match records, ensuring recipients report correctly. 

If you use the wrong box, it usually won’t trigger backup withholding. CP2100 (“B-notice”) shows up in case of missing or incorrect TIN/name combinations and other §3406 triggers.

What is Form 1099-MISC?

IRS Form 1099-MISC is used to report miscellaneous payments made. 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.
  • Services performed by someone who is not your employee.
  • Prizes and awards.
  • Other income payments.
  • Medical and health care payments.
  • Crop insurance proceeds.
  • Cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) you purchase from anyone engaged in the trade or business of catching fish.
  • Generally, the cash paid from a notional principal contract to an individual, partnership, or estate.
  • Payments to an attorney.
  • Any fishing boat proceeds.
  • In addition, use Form 1099-MISC to report that you made direct sales of at least $5,000 of consumer products to a buyer for resale anywhere other than a permanent retail establishment.

How to Read Form 1099-MISC Boxes

Let’s now break down Form 1099-MISC boxes 1-15, so that you, as a payer, know what to report and avoid mix-ups.

  • Box 1: Rents
  • Box 2: Royalties
  • Box 3: Other Income
  • Box 4: Federal Income Tax Withheld
  • Box 5: Fishing Boat Proceeds
  • Box 6:  Medical and Health Care Payments
  • Box 7: Direct Sales of $5,000 or More
  • Box 8: Substitute Payments in Lieu of Dividends or Interest
  • Box 9: Crop Insurance Proceeds
  • Box 10: Gross Proceeds Paid to an Attorney
  • Box 11: Fish Purchased for Resale
  • Box 12: Section 409A Deferrals
  • Box 13: FATCA Filing Requirement
  • Box 14: Reserved
  • Box 15: Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC)
  • Box 16: State tax withheld
  • Box 17: State/Payer’s state no
  • Box 18: State income

 

Now that you know what each box means, automate your 1099-MISC filings with Tax1099.

Form 1099-MISC Boxes And Descriptions

Let’s understand the Form 1099-MISC Boxes and their purposes.

Box 1: Rents

Enter amounts of $600 or more for all types of rents, such as any of the following.

• Real estate rentals paid for office space. However, you do not have to report these payments on Form 1099-MISC if you paid them to a real estate agent or property manager. But the real estate agent or property manager must use Form 1099-MISC to report the rent paid over to the property owner.

• Machine rentals (for example, renting a bulldozer to level your parking lot). If the machine rental is part of a contract that includes both the use of the machine and the operator, prorate the rental between the rent of the machine (report that in box 1) and the operator’s charge (report that as NEC in box 7).

• Pasture rentals (for example, farmers paying for the use of grazing land).

Public housing agencies must report in 1099-MISC box 1 rental assistance payments made to owners of housing projects.

Box 2: Royalties

Enter gross royalty payments (or similar amounts) of $10 or more.

Report royalties from oil, gas, or other mineral properties before reduction for severance and other taxes that may have been withheld and paid. Do not include surface royalties. They should be reported in box 1.

Do not report oil or gas payments for a working interest in box 2; report payments for working interests in box 1 of Form 1099-NEC. Do not report timber royalties made under a pay-as-cut contract; report these timber royalties on Form 1099-S, Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions.

Use box 2 to report royalty payments from intangible property such as patents, copyrights, trade names, and trademarks. Report the gross royalties (before reduction for fees, commissions, or expenses) paid by a publisher directly to an author or literary agent, unless the agent is a corporation.

The literary agent (whether or not a corporation) that receives the royalty payment on behalf of the author must report the gross amount of royalty payments to the author on Form 1099-MISC whether or not the publisher reported the payment to the agent on its Form 1099-MISC.

Box 3: Other Income

Enter other income of $600 or more required to be reported on Form 1099-MISC that is not reportable in one of the other boxes on the form.

Also enter in 1099-MISC box 3 prizes and awards that are not for services performed. Include the fair market value (FMV) of merchandise won on game shows. Also include amounts paid to a winner of a sweepstakes not involving a wager. If a wager is made, report the winnings on Form W-2G.

Note 

  • Wages paid after the year of death are reported to the estate/beneficiary on 1099-MISC Box 3. Same-year payments may need to go on both W-2 and 1099-MISC. 
  • Don’t confuse this with payments for services to contractors. That belongs on 1099-NEC Box 1. 

Box 4: Federal Income Tax Withheld

Enter backup withholding. For example, persons who have not furnished their TINs to you are subject to withholding on payments required to be reported in boxes 1, 2 (net of severance taxes), 3, 5 (to the extent paid in cash), 6, 7 (except fish purchases for cash), 8, 10, and 14.

Box 5: Fishing Boat Proceeds

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. A fishing boat has normally fewer than 10 crew members if the average size of the operating crew was fewer than 10 on trips during the preceding 4 calendar quarters.

In addition, report cash payments of up to $100 per trip that are contingent on a minimum catch and are paid solely for additional duties (such as mate, engineer, or cook) for which additional cash payments are traditional in the industry. However, do not report on Form 1099-MISC any wages reportable on Form W-2.

Box 6: Medical and Health Care Payments

In box 6 of 1099-MISC enter payments of $600 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. Include payments made by medical and health care insurers under health, accident, and sickness insurance programs.

If payment is made to a corporation, list the corporation as the recipient rather than the individual providing the services. Payments to persons providing health care services often include charges for injections, drugs, dentures, and similar items. In these cases, the entire payment is subject to information reporting. You are not required to report payments to pharmacies for prescription drugs.

The exemption from issuing Form 1099-MISC to a corporation does not apply to payments for medical or health care services provided by corporations, including professional corporations.

However, you are not required to report payments made to a tax-exempt hospital or extended care facility or to a hospital or extended care facility owned and operated by the United States (or its possessions), a state, the District of Columbia, or any of their political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities.

Box 7: Direct Sales of $5,000 or More

Check 1099-MISC Box 7 direct sales to indicate consumer-product sales made on a deposit-commission or buy-sell basis. No dollar entry is required. This indicator may also be reported on 1099-NEC Box 2

Box 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.

Substitute payment means a payment in lieu of (a) a dividend, or (b) tax-exempt interest to the extent that interest (including original issue discount) has accrued while the securities were on loan. For this purpose, a customer includes an individual, trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation.

Box 9: Crop-Insurance Proceeds

Report $600 or more received from crop insurance indemnity payments. Farmers use this later to reconcile earnings on Schedule F.

Box 10: Gross Proceeds Paid to Attorneys 

Use 1099-MISC Box 10 attorney proceeds for gross (not net) payments of $600 or more made to legal counsel, regardless of the firm’s entity type. Note that this is only for proceeds. Don’t confuse this with regular legal-service fees, which go on 1099-NEC Box 1. 

Deferred Compensation and Compliance Boxes 

Box 11: Fish Purchased for Resale 

Use this for $600 or more in cash payments made to anyone who catches fish for resale. Note that “cash” excludes checks drawn on your own account. 

Box 12: Section 409A Deferrals 

Section 409A Box 12 is optional. If you use it, report $600 or more in deferred amounts for the year, including earnings from both current and prior-year deferrals made under a compliant, nonqualified deferred-compensation (NQDC) plan. 

Box 13: FATCA Filing Requirement 

Check this box if you’re a withholding agent reporting a U.S. account under chapter 4. 

Box 14: Reserved 

Currently blank; leave it empty. Note: excess golden parachute payments are reported on 1099-NEC Box 3 under current instructions. 

Box 15: Nonqualified Deferred Compensation 

Report amounts includible in income from a non-compliant NQDC plan. No minimum threshold applies. 

Boxes 16–18. State Information

Use these when you need to report state tax withheld, the payer’s state ID number, and state income amounts.

Box 16: State tax withheld | Box 17: State/Payer’s State no. | Box 18: State Income

These boxes may be used by payers who participate in the Combined Federal/State Filing Program and/or who are required to file paper copies of this form with a state tax department. They are provided for your convenience only and need not be completed for the IRS.

Use the state information boxes to report payments for up to two states. Keep the information for each state separated by the dash line. If you withheld state income tax on this payment, you may enter it in box 16. In box 17, enter the abbreviated name of the state and the payer’s state identification number.

The state number is the payer’s identification number assigned by the individual state. In box 18, you may enter the amount of the state payment. If a state tax department requires that you send them a paper copy of this form, use Copy 1 to provide information to the state tax department. Give Copy 2 to the recipient for use in filing the recipient’s state income tax return.

 

Now that you know what each box means, automate your 1099-MISC filings with Tax1099.

 

File 1099-MISC Online with Tax1099

We understand filing taxes might not be the most thrilling task. But that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful. Here’s how you can e-file 1099-MISC with Tax1099 in just a few clicks:

  • Start by creating or logging in to your Tax1099 account. One dashboard gives you access to all forms. 
  • Next, enter or import data. You can type in payee and payment details or upload a CSV/Excel spreadsheet. Another way is to pull data via QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, or even an API. 
  • It’s always best to do a quick error check. Run an optional IRS TIN Matching to catch formatting or threshold issues before you submit your forms. 
  • Preview recipient copies and summary Form 1096 before you take another step. If you need to edit something, do it right away. 
  • It’s now time to pay and transmit. Select credit-card or ACH payment, then hit “Transmit to IRS”. Tax1099 handles the CF/SF routing automatically. 
  • Send recipient copies. With Tax1099, you can choose USPS mail-out, secure e-delivery, or download PDFs for your own distribution. 
  • You’re almost done. After filing, track your status. Monitor “Accepted,” “Rejected,” or “State Pending” in real time, and resubmit corrected forms if needed. 
  • The last step is to archive your proof. Securely store IRS acknowledgments and recipient copies for at least three years after filing (longer if state rules or specific circumstances apply). 

Real-Life Scenarios 

Scenario Correct Box Why
$900 office rent to LLC landlord Box 1 ≥ $600 rent payment
$45 substitute dividend from broker Box 8 Substitute payment: ≥ $10 threshold
$7,500 crop-insurance claim to farmer Box 9 ≥ $600 proceeds
$50,000 settlement; $20,000 wired to attorney Box 10 = $20,000 Gross proceeds rule
$120,000 NQDC payout from non-compliant plan Box 15 Taxable deferred comp

FAQs

1. Does each box have its own dollar limit?

Yes, most boxes start at $600, but royalties (Box 2) kick in at $10. Box 4 has no minimum, Box 12 is optional, but if used, show at least $600 in deferrals. The Box 15 doesn’t have a set limit but is used for includible §409A amounts.

2. Can I leave unused boxes empty?

Yes. Don’t enter “0.00,” since it can lead to confusion and rejection.

3. What if I filed a 1099-NEC by mistake instead of a 1099-MISC?

In such a scenario, file a CORRECTED NEC and an ORIGINAL MISC with the correct box selected.

4. Do corporations ever get a 1099-MISC?

Yes. Corporations can receive one for medical payments (Box 6), attorney gross proceeds (Box 10), and substitute payments (Box 8). Purchases of fish for resale (Box 11) might also apply.

5. Are reimbursements reported anywhere on 1099-MISC?

There isn’t a separate box just for reimbursements on 1099-MISC. Employee reimbursements follow accountable/nonaccountable plan rules on the W-2. For non-employees, they usually go into the reportable amount (e.g., 1099-NEC Box 1), unless a specific rule applies.

6. What if I accidentally checked Box 13 (FATCA)?

Don’t worry! Just file a CORRECTED return to clear the mistake. 

Now that you know what each box means file your 1099-MISC correctly