Our accounting firm is doing the same thing with us this year. Apparently the IRS has a new requirement that if you made any payments to any individual or any unincorporated business of over $600 then a 1099 form needs to be issued and filed with the IRS. From what our accountant tells us the best way for them to figure out if a 1099 is required or not is to have the vendor fill out and send a W9 form.
According to the IRS
website an Unincorporated Business is defined as below.
What Are Unincorporated Businesses?
Unincorporated businesses are sole proprietorships (owned by a single individual) and partnerships (owned by two or more individuals). In a business partnership, each owner or partner can make business decisions and share any profits. Each owner or partner is responsible for paying income tax and is liable for the debts and activities of the partnership. The type of entity or partnership is reported on Form 1065, Schedule B, by checking one of the following choices: a. domestic general partnership, b. domestic limited partnership, c. domestic limited liability company, d. domestic limited liability partnership, e. foreign partnership, or f. other.