Legal Disclaimer: StartPlaying does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any tax services.
What is a 1099?
1099 forms are United States federal income tax forms. They are used to report earnings and proceeds other than wages, salaries, and tips (which are reported on the federal W-2 form).
1099s are filed with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and, if required, state tax departments.
StartPlaying specifically issues 1099-NEC forms. For more information on this type of form, please visit the IRS website.
Do I get a 1099 if I'm a GM on StartPlaying?
You will only receive a 1099 if:
You are Game Master (GM) based in the United States, and
Your completed payouts to your bank account total $600 or more in a calendar year via bookings and/or custom payments
Why didn’t I receive a 1099 form or access to Stripe Express for my payouts?
If you’re wondering why you didn’t receive a 1099 form or access to Stripe Express for your payouts, it’s important to understand the eligibility criteria and how payouts are calculated for tax reporting purposes. Below, we’ll explain the key factors that determine 1099 issuance and Stripe Express account access.
Overview of 1099 Eligibility Criteria
The issuance of a 1099 form is based on the total amount of payouts actually completed to your bank account within a calendar year. This means:
Only payouts that were successfully transferred to your bank during the tax year are counted.
Earnings displayed on your payouts page that were not paid out by December 31 are not included in the calculation for that year’s 1099 form.
If your total completed payouts for the year were under $600, a 1099 form will not be issued, even if your earnings page shows a higher amount earned.
Timing and Payout Thresholds
The $600 threshold is a key factor in determining whether you’ll receive a 1099 form. Here’s how timing and thresholds work:
Payout Timing: Earnings that were scheduled but not paid out by the end of the calendar year are counted toward the following year’s total.
Threshold Requirement: If your completed payouts for the year are below $600, you will not receive a 1099 form.
Common Scenarios and FAQs
Here are some common scenarios to help clarify eligibility:
Scenario 1: Your payouts page shows over $600 in earnings, but you didn’t receive a 1099 form. This likely means that not all of your earnings were paid out to your bank within the calendar year.
Scenario 2: You didn’t receive a 1099 form or a Stripe Express account for last year. This could be because no payouts were made to your bank during that year, or your total payouts were below $600.
By understanding these criteria, you can better track your payouts and know what to expect when it comes to tax reporting and accessing Stripe Express.
How will I receive my 1099?
Stripe, our payment processor, will send you your 1099.
To securely e-deliver your 1099, you will need to:
Sign up for Stripe Express (you will receive an email from express@stripe.com about this)
Claim and verify your account
Provide e-delivery consent
If you do not consent to e-delivery, Stripe will send you a paper copy. You can also request a paper copy of your 1099 from Stripe Express.
When will I receive my 1099?
If you are eligible for a 1099, it will be sent to you by mid-February.
(Note: paper forms delivered by postal delivery might take up to 10 additional business days).
Starting November 1st: Stripe will email you instructions on how to set up e-delivery and create a Stripe Express account. If you haven’t already, you’ll need to complete these steps to access your 1099 tax form electronically.
Before mid January: Confirm your tax information (e.g., name, address, and SSN or EIN) is correct via Stripe Express.
By mid-February:
Your 1099 tax form will be available to download through Stripe Express.
Your 1099 tax form will be mailed to you if you don’t receive an email from Stripe or don’t consent to e-delivery. Please allow up to 10 business days for postal delivery.
StartPlaying will file your 1099 tax form with the IRS and relevant state tax authorities.
April 15th: Tax filing deadline in the United States
Earnings scheduled but not paid out by December 31 will be counted toward the following year’s total for 1099 eligibility.
What is Stripe Express?
Stripe Express is a service provided by our payment processor, Stripe. It allows you to:
Update your tax information
Manage tax forms
Track your earnings.
If you’re a GM on StartPlaying and earned $600 or more (within the calendar year in the US), Stripe will send an email inviting you to create an account and log in to Stripe Express.
Please note that you will only receive access to a Stripe Express account if you meet the eligibility criteria for a 1099 form. If no payouts were made to your bank during the calendar year, you will not have a Stripe Express account for that year.
What do I do if I'm not a US resident?
If you are not a U.S. citizen or US taxpayer, then you will need to look at your government's local laws for self-employed taxes. You can export your payout data from the "Payouts" page to calculate your yearly income from StartPlaying.
What if I am a US tax payer registered as being in another country with Stripe?
Stripe will only issue 1099 forms to connected accounts registered as being in the United States.
If you are a U.S. tax payer registered as being in another country, please consult with a tax expert in your area about the best way to manually file your taxes with the IRS.
What if my country requires an invoice?
Some countries, like Germany, require an invoice if you are being paid as a contractor. Exporting your payout information and submitting that seems to fit those government requirements!
If you need help downloading your Transaction History CSV:
Go to your "Payouts" page
Click the "Download CSV" button
Does StartPlaying withhold any funds for taxes?
StartPlaying does not withhold any funds for taxes! You will need to set aside the amount for your taxes yourself.
Does my 1099 include the amount StartPlaying takes out of each transaction?
No, the 1099 form only includes the amount that was sent to your bank account.
The 1099 will not include the 15% take rate, because that 15% was never sent to you or to your bank account.
Are the Support Goblins tax experts?
Absolutely not, most of us majored in theater (which is just role playing with extra steps).
If you have questions about your specific tax situation, please (and I cannot stress this enough) consult with an accountant or other licensed professional and not a theater major.