IRS says it will delay requirement to report $600 in gig work on taxes
CBSN
The IRS said it is delaying a controversial requirement by one year that would have led to more online sellers and gig workers having income reported to the nation's tax agency.
The rule change would have required payment platforms such as Venmo, Paypal or Cash App to send tax forms called 1099-Ks to anyone receiving over $600. Previously, such payment services only had to report users' income to the Internal Revenue Service if they had more than 200 transactions, exceeding $20,000 in revenue.
Online selling platforms including eBay, Etsy and Poshmark had pushed back hard against the proposal to lower the reporting limit to $600, claiming it would create confusion and make it harder for sellers to earn a living. Meanwhile, Republican members of Congress said the plan was an example of government overreach that would ensnare people using apps to pay friends and family.
A new law aims to strengthen reporting requirements for technology companies to combat online predators seeking to exploit children. One dad told CBS News that he hopes the law will save children like his son, who died by suicide after becoming ensnared in a "sextortion" scheme when he was 17 years old.