By - August 19, 2025
Categories: Bookkeeping, Financial Reports, Financial Statements, Taxes
What Auto Repair Shops and Small Businesses Need to Know About the New 1099-K Rules
For years, small business owners have leaned on tools like PayPal, Stripe, Venmo, and Square to streamline payments.
But with shifting 1099-K reporting rules finally clarified by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), it’s time to take a closer look at how these platforms are showing up in your books before the IRS does.
If you’re not tracking these payments properly, third-party processors could report income you didn’t even know was taxable. And that could mean a higher tax bill or an unwanted audit surprise.
Let’s walk through what’s changed (again), what counts as a business transaction, and how to stay compliant and stress-free at tax time.
What’s Changing with 1099-K Reporting?
The IRS has made several pivots on the 1099-K threshold in recent years, and it’s finally (mostly) settled.
The latest update from the OBBBA officially restores the $20,000 and 200 transaction threshold for Form 1099-K reporting, retroactive to 2022.
Here’s what that means:
- If you earn more than $20,000 and have more than 200 business transactions on platforms like PayPal, Venmo, Square, and Stripe, you’ll receive a 1099-K.
- If you’re below that threshold, you likely won’t receive one (but the income is still reportable).
- This change offers clarity and consistency after years of confusion and delayed rollouts.
Important note: The restored threshold only applies federally. Some states have different reporting rules, so you’ll need to track both.
Why This Matters for Auto Repair Shops and Service-Based Businesses
Many shop owners use third-party platforms to take deposits, send digital invoices, or manage online transactions. If you’re not recording this income correctly, your books might not match what the IRS sees.
And that’s when red flags go up.
You may:
- Underreport income on your return
- Miss deductions that would offset those payments
- Increase your risk of audits and penalties
Even though the lower threshold was repealed, accurate reporting still matters because the IRS is paying attention to digital payments more than ever.
What Counts as a Business Transaction?
This is where business owners often get tripped up.
What’s reported on a 1099-K:
- Payments received for services or goods sold
- Online transactions through e-commerce platforms
- Digital payments from clients or customers
What’s not reported:
- Personal reimbursements from friends/family
- Shared bills or rent via Venmo
- Transferring money between your own accounts
If you’re using the same platform for both personal and business use, it’s time to separate those accounts.
How to Stay Compliant (and Stress-Free)
Here’s how to make sure your 1099-K income doesn’t come back to bite you at tax time:
- Integrate platforms like Stripe, PayPal, or Square into your bookkeeping software
- Create separate chart of accounts categories for each payment processor
- Reconcile all 1099-K income with your books before filing
- Keep personal and business accounts separate, always
Three Rivers Bookkeeping Tip
We recommend using cloud-based tools like QuickBooks Online. It syncs with your payment processors, making it easier to tag and track income accurately.
And don’t wait until tax season to catch up. Flag and reconcile third-party payments monthly to avoid scrambling in Q4.
Let’s Clean It Up Before Your 1099s Go Out
If you’ve been accepting payments through PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe and haven’t checked in on your books lately, don’t panic. But don’t ignore it either.
Now’s the perfect time to get ahead of it, and we can help.
We’ll take a look at what income needs to be reported, help you untangle any personal and business transactions that might be mixed together, and clean everything up before those 1099s go out.
Sound good? Let’s book your Q4 cleanup call and head into year-end feeling organized, confident, and audit-proof. Contact us here to get started!
