To get a 1099 from PayPal, log in to your account after January 31, open Settings, go to Statements and Taxes, and download the PDF for the tax year you need. PayPal issues a 1099-K only if your account crossed the federal reporting threshold during that year, so if no form appears, you likely weren’t required to receive one. A mailed paper copy is also available if you set that preference before year end.
Will PayPal Issue You a 1099-K
PayPal is a third-party settlement organization under federal tax law and must report certain payment activity to the IRS on Form 1099-K.1PayPal. Will PayPal Report My Sales to the IRS? For the 2025 and 2026 tax years, you’ll get a form only if your account received more than $20,000 in gross goods-and-services payments and more than 200 transactions in the same calendar year. Both conditions must be met.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Issues FAQs on Form 1099-K Threshold Under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 originally lowered the threshold to $600 with no transaction minimum, and the IRS delayed that change several times. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act retroactively reinstated the original threshold, which is why the $20,000 and 200-transaction figures apply again.3Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099-K FAQs: General Information
Your state may set a lower threshold. Some require PayPal to issue a 1099-K at amounts as low as $600, so you could receive a state-level form even when your federal activity falls short.3Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099-K FAQs: General Information
Only goods-and-services payments count toward the threshold. Personal transfers sent through Friends and Family — splitting a bill, paying back a friend — are excluded and don’t count. Whether or not a form arrives, you still have to report taxable income on your return. The 1099-K is informational; it doesn’t create or erase a tax obligation.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Form 1099-K
Check Your Tax Information First
Before PayPal can generate your 1099-K, your account needs a valid Taxpayer Identification Number. That can be a Social Security Number, Employer Identification Number, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.5PayPal. How Will PayPal Use My TIN or SSN and How Do I Add It? If you hold more than one PayPal account, confirm the tax status on each; you may receive a separate form per account.
When your name and TIN don’t match IRS records, PayPal can place a hold on your account and begin backup withholding at 24% on future payments.6Internal Revenue Service. Backup Withholding The IRS notifies PayPal of the mismatch, PayPal sends you a “B” notice asking you to correct the information, and if you don’t respond, the 24% withholding starts on incoming payments.7Internal Revenue Service. Backup Withholding “B” Program
To confirm your information is right, log in to PayPal, open Settings, and check Statements and Taxes. Do this before January to avoid delays.
Download Your 1099-K on Desktop
PayPal makes the form available in your account around January 31, the same date it’s required to send you a copy.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Form 1099-K From a desktop browser:8PayPal. How Do I Find, Download or Request a Correction to My 1099
- Log in to your PayPal account and click Settings, next to “Log out” in the upper right.
- Click Statements and Taxes near the top of the page.
- Under Tax Documents, choose the tax year from the dropdown.
- Select the form on your account and download the PDF.
If no form is listed, you likely didn’t meet the reporting threshold for that year. Turn off any pop-up blocker so the PDF opens.
Download Your 1099-K on the Mobile App
In the PayPal mobile app, open the Statements and Tax Center, which organizes documents by year and type.8PayPal. How Do I Find, Download or Request a Correction to My 1099 Tap the tax year and form to view it, then share the PDF to cloud storage, email it to your preparer, or print it from your phone. If you can’t find the section in the app, PayPal suggests switching to a desktop browser instead.
Request a Paper Copy by Mail
If you want a physical copy, change your delivery preferences in PayPal’s account settings before the end of the calendar year. Find the communication or paperless preferences option and switch it to allow mailed documents. This has to be in place before PayPal’s January 31 mailing deadline.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Form 1099-K
Standard mail delivery typically takes seven to ten business days after the mailing date. Check that your mailing address in PayPal is current, since an outdated address is the most common reason a paper form goes missing. If nothing has arrived by mid-February, download the digital version as a backup.
What the Number on Your 1099-K Represents
The dollar amount on the form is the gross total of reportable payments you received. PayPal reports that gross figure without subtracting transaction fees, refunds, shipping costs, or any other deductions.8PayPal. How Do I Find, Download or Request a Correction to My 1099 The number will almost always be higher than your actual taxable income, and you’re expected to use the form together with your own records to figure out what you actually owe.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Form 1099-K Because PayPal doesn’t itemize fees on the 1099-K, keep your own record of processing fees, shipping, and other business expenses throughout the year.
What to Do if the Form Is Wrong
If your 1099-K includes errors — for example, personal transactions that were miscategorized as goods and services — request a correction through PayPal:8PayPal. How Do I Find, Download or Request a Correction to My 1099
- Log in to PayPal and click Settings.
- Click Statements and Taxes.
- Under Tax Documents, select the relevant tax year.
- Click “Need to change your 1099-K?” in the 1099-K box.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to submit your request.
PayPal generally won’t adjust the gross amount to strip out fees, refunds, or shipping, because it’s required to report the full gross total. Corrections usually apply to a wrong TIN or misclassified transactions.
If PayPal can’t or won’t issue a corrected form, the IRS offers a workaround. Report the incorrect 1099-K amount in the entry space at the top of Schedule 1 (Form 1040), then enter an equal offsetting amount so the net effect on adjusted gross income is zero. Keep copies of your correspondence with PayPal about the dispute in case the IRS follows up.9Internal Revenue Service. Actions to Take if a Form 1099-K Is Received in Error or With Incorrect Information