1099-NEC
Form 1099-NEC (Nonemployee Compensation) is the IRS form businesses use to report payments of $600 or more made to independent contractors during the calendar year. It replaced Form 1099-MISC for reporting nonemployee compensation starting with the 2020 tax year. The form is due to contractors and to the IRS by January 31 of the year following the payments. Missing 1099-NEC filings or late filings trigger per-form penalties that escalate based on lateness.
Key facts
- Reports nonemployee compensation of $600 or more per contractor per year
- Due to both the contractor and the IRS by January 31 of the following year
- Replaced the older 1099-MISC for nonemployee compensation starting tax year 2020
- Also reports federal income tax withheld (if any), though most 1099 engagements don't withhold
- E-filing is required if the business files 10+ information returns in aggregate
Common 1099-NEC mistakes
- Missing filings — a contractor was paid but never got a 1099-NEC because the record slipped through cracks
- Wrong TIN — contractor's tax ID on the form doesn't match IRS records (triggers B-notice process)
- Late filing — penalties are $60 per form if up to 30 days late, $130 per form if later than 30 days, $330 per form if after August 1 or not filed at all
- Wrong form type — using 1099-MISC instead of 1099-NEC for services paid
How Engage handles 1099-NEC
Engage tracks every payment to every contractor through the year, validates W-9 tax ID information at onboarding, and generates 1099-NEC data (exportable to your filing service or to IRS FIRE system) at year-end. For clients using HQ Simple's managed compliance service, filing itself is handled on your behalf.