Tax year covered: 2026, filed in 2027. The filing deadline for the 2026 return is 15 April 2027 for most individual filers. The steps below are about what to do when the amount on that return is more than you can pay at once. Step 1: File on time, even if you pay nothing with the return This is the single most important step, and it is counter-intuitive. Filing late is punished far more heavily than paying late: ...
Tax year covered: 2026. That means income earned 1 January–31 December 2026, reported on the return filed in 2027. Do not mix this up with the year you file in. Getting a 1099 does not, by itself, answer the question in the title. Three different rules are at work, and confusing them is the most common first-timer mistake. Test 1: Did the payer have to send a form? For payments made in 2026, a payer generally must file Form 1099-NEC when total payments to one non-employee reach $2,000 in the calendar year. That $2,000 is the payer’s reporting threshold. It was $600 for payments in 2025 and earlier, which is why older articles and older advice still say $600. ...