Free 1099-MISC Generator: Report Miscellaneous Income — Rent, Royalties & Attorney Fees

| Category | 1099-MISC | 1099-NEC | |----------|-----------|----------| | Nonemployee compensation (services by contractors) | No | Yes (Box 1) | | Rent payments | Yes (Box 1) | No | | Royalties | Yes (Box 2) | No | | Prizes and awards | Yes (Box 3) | No | | Medical and health care payments | Yes (Box 6) | No | | Crop insurance proceeds | Yes (Box 10) | No | | Attorney fees | Yes (Box 14) | Only if for services | | Filing deadline | Recipient: Jan 31, IRS paper: Feb 28, IRS electronic: Mar 31 | Jan 31 (both) | Use 1099-MISC for rents, royalties, prizes, awards, medical payments and other miscellaneous income. Use 1099-NEC for payments to independent contractors for services.

Form 1099-MISC is used to report these payment types: Box 1 — Rents (real estate or equipment rentals), Box 2 — Royalties (oil, gas, mineral, copyright or patent payments), Box 3 — Prizes and awards (non-employee), Box 4 — Federal income tax withheld (backup withholding), Box 5 — Fishing boat proceeds, Box 6 — Medical and health care payments, Box 7 — Nonemployee compensation (use 1099-NEC instead after 2020), Box 8 — Substitute payments in lieu of dividends, Box 9 — Direct sales of $5,000+ of consumer products, Box 10 — Crop insurance proceeds, Box 11 — State income tax withheld, Box 14 — Attorney fees paid (gross proceeds or direct payments).

Yes, if you pay rent of $600 or more during the tax year to an individual or unincorporated entity for real estate or equipment, you must file Form 1099-MISC and report the amount in Box 1 (Rents). This applies to payments to individual landlords, property management companies that are not corporations, and equipment rental providers. Payments to corporations are generally exempt from 1099-MISC reporting unless the payment is for medical or legal services.

You must file Form 1099-MISC for attorney fees if you paid $600 or more to an attorney or law firm in the course of your trade or business. Report the amount in Box 14 (Attorney fees). This applies regardless of whether the attorney is incorporated. You must also report gross proceeds paid to an attorney (settlements, judgments) in Box 14, even if the attorney is a corporation. Attorney fee reporting is one of the few exceptions to the corporate payee exclusion.

Key dates for 1099-MISC (specific boxes other than Box 7): furnish statements to recipients by January 31; file paper forms with the IRS by February 28; file electronically with the IRS by March 31. If any form shows federal income tax withheld in Box 4, the IRS filing deadline is January 31 regardless of filing method. Penalties for late filing range from $60 to $310 per form depending on how late the form is filed. State filing may also be required in many states.