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One important thing no one mentioned - once you get your ITIN, you should also fill out a W-8BEN form to give to TikTok. This establishes your status as a foreign person and may reduce the withholding tax rate depending on tax treaties between the US and Australia. Without a W-8BEN, TikTok will likely withhold 30% of your earnings for US taxes. With the form (and depending on the Australia-US tax treaty), you might qualify for a lower rate like 10-15%.
Thanks for mentioning this! Do I complete the W-8BEN before or after I get the ITIN? And will TikTok still pay me something while I'm waiting for my ITIN to be processed or will they hold everything?
You'll complete the W-8BEN after you receive your ITIN, as you'll need to include the ITIN on the form. Most platforms like TikTok will still pay you while your ITIN application is processing, but they'll withhold the full 30% tax rate until you provide both your ITIN and W-8BEN. Once you submit those documents, any future payments will use the treaty rate, but they typically won't refund the difference on past payments - you'd need to claim that when you file a US tax return (Form 1040NR).
As someone who went through this exact process for my YouTube channel earnings, I can confirm that getting an ITIN as a non-US creator is definitely doable but requires patience and attention to detail. A few additional tips based on my experience: 1. **Start early** - The 7-11 week processing time is real, and it can be longer during peak tax season (January-April). Since you're already accepted into TikTok's program, apply ASAP. 2. **Document everything** - Keep copies of everything you submit. I had to follow up on my application status and having reference numbers and copies made that much easier. 3. **Double-check your W-7** - Small mistakes can cause rejections and months of delays. Pay special attention to the reason codes and make sure your supporting documents exactly match what's required for your situation. 4. **Consider the tax implications** - Once you have your ITIN and start earning, you'll likely need to file annual US tax returns (Form 1040NR) to claim any treaty benefits or refunds from overwithholding. The good news is that once you have your ITIN, it's valid indefinitely as long as you use it on a tax return at least once every three years. So this is a one-time hassle that will serve you for your entire creator career!
This is incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with a different platform and have been procrastinating on the ITIN application because it seemed so overwhelming. Your point about starting early really hits home - I keep telling myself I'll "get to it next week" but those 7-11 weeks are going to fly by. Quick question about the document copies - do you mean keeping copies of what you send to the IRS, or also getting copies of your original documents before sending them? I'm terrified of mailing my passport and having it get lost in the system.
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I actually went through something very similar with my old Twitch affiliate account! Had about $35 sitting there that I couldn't access because I stopped streaming and never hit the $100 payout minimum. When I got the 1099, I was so confused because I literally never received any money. After doing some research, I learned that platforms like YouTube, Twitch, etc. are required to report earnings once they reach certain thresholds (usually $600+ total), even if they haven't paid you yet due to their internal payout minimums. It's frustrating because you're paying taxes on money you may never see, but legally you do have to report it. The silver lining is that if you ever do reactivate your channel and reach the payout threshold, that $24 is already "tax-paid" so you won't owe anything additional on it when you finally receive it. Still annoying though - wish these platforms would just pay out everything when accounts go inactive!
This is exactly what happened to me! I had a small podcast that was monetized through a similar platform and ended up with like $47 stuck in limbo when I stopped producing content. Got the 1099 and was so confused at first. It really does feel unfair that these platforms can essentially force you to pay taxes on money you'll probably never see, especially when their payout thresholds are so high relative to what small creators typically earn. I wish there was some kind of regulation requiring them to either pay out all balances when accounts go inactive for more than a year, or at least not report amounts under the payout threshold to the IRS. But yeah, you're absolutely right about the "tax-paid" aspect - at least if we ever do go back to creating content and hit those thresholds, we won't get double-taxed on the old earnings.
This is such a common frustration for small creators! I had a similar situation with my old blog's ad revenue - ended up with about $40 stuck in an ad network that I'll never be able to access since I took the blog down years ago. The key thing to remember is that even though it feels unfair, the IRS treats this as "constructively received" income since it was credited to your account, regardless of payout thresholds. You're legally required to report it on your tax return. One thing that might help for the future - some creators I know will occasionally post a simple video or reactivate their channels just to try to reach those payout thresholds before completely abandoning them. Not always practical, but it's an option if you have multiple small balances adding up across different platforms. For your current situation with the $24, definitely report it. The good news is that when dealing with such small amounts, any tax owed will be minimal, and as others mentioned, if you ever do reactivate and get paid, you won't owe taxes on that portion again.
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Quick question - I accidentally stapled my federal return in both the top-left AND top-right corners. Should I remove one of the staples or just leave it? I'm worried about tearing the paper if I try to remove a staple...
I'd carefully remove the top-right staple. Two staples can cause issues with the automatic processing equipment. If you're worried about tearing, use a proper staple remover (the claw type works best) rather than trying to pry it out. Be extra careful not to tear anywhere near the barcode areas or the top third of the first page, as those are critical for processing. If you do create a small tear, you can use clear tape on the back side only - never tape over any printed information on the front.
As someone who's been filing paper returns for over a decade, I can confirm that the single staple method is definitely the way to go. I learned this the hard way after having a return delayed because I used multiple staples and paper clips. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - make sure you're using a standard office staple, not those heavy-duty staples or colored ones. The processing equipment is calibrated for regular staples, and anything else can cause jams. Also, when you staple, make sure the staple goes through cleanly and the legs are flat against the back. If it's a partial staple or the legs are bent weird, it can catch on the processing equipment. For state returns, I've found some states have slightly different preferences, so it's worth checking your state's specific instructions. But the general rule of one staple, top-left corner works for most. And definitely agree on the certified mail recommendation - I've used it for years and it's saved me twice when returns got lost in transit.
This is really helpful advice! I'm new to filing paper returns and had no idea about the staple type mattering. Quick question - when you mention checking state-specific instructions, where's the best place to find those? I've been looking at my state's tax website but the filing instructions seem pretty generic. Also, is certified mail worth the extra cost if I'm not expecting a refund (I owe a small amount)?
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This discussion has been incredibly valuable! As a newcomer to small business ownership, I've been completely overwhelmed by 1099 requirements and was about to make the same mistakes many of you described. I started my business mid-2024 and have been using PayPal for most of my vendor payments because it seemed simpler than setting up ACH transfers for everyone. But I had no idea about the distinction between PayPal handling 1099-K reporting versus my responsibility for direct payments. I was literally planning to issue 1099s for every single payment over $600, regardless of how I paid! The clarification about goods vs. services is huge for me too. I run a small e-commerce business, so probably half of my PayPal transactions are actually inventory purchases from suppliers - which apparently don't need 1099s at all. The other half are service payments (web developers, marketing freelancers, photographers), and now I understand that PayPal handles the 1099-K reporting for those. @Liam O'Sullivan's point about the recent threshold change really explains why I was getting conflicting advice from different sources. And @Carmen Ortiz, I love your idea about notifying vendors - that seems like such a professional way to handle the transition and avoid confusion. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences (especially the cautionary tales about double-reporting). This has saved me from what could have been a major headache come tax season!
@Sofia Martinez, welcome to the small business world! You're asking all the right questions early on, which is so smart. I wish I had been this proactive when I started my business - would have saved me a lot of headaches! Since you're just getting started, you might want to consider setting up a simple tracking system from the beginning to categorize your payments by type (goods vs services) and method (PayPal vs direct). Even something as basic as separate columns in a spreadsheet can make tax season so much easier. I learned this the hard way after scrambling through thousands of transactions my first year! One tip that's helped me: when I make PayPal payments for services, I add a note in my records indicating "PayPal will handle 1099-K" so I remember not to issue a separate form. For direct payments or mixed payment situations, I note "issue 1099-NEC if over $600." It's a simple system but it's saved me from the double-reporting mistakes others have shared here. You're definitely on the right track by learning about this stuff now rather than figuring it out during tax crunch time. Keep asking questions - this community has been incredibly helpful!
This has been such an educational thread! As someone who's been struggling with this exact PayPal 1099 question, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and clarifications. What I'm taking away from this discussion is that the key is understanding who has the reporting responsibility for each type of payment. PayPal acts as the third-party payment processor and handles 1099-K reporting when thresholds are met, which means I don't need to duplicate that effort with my own 1099s for those transactions. The distinction between goods and services payments is also really important - I hadn't realized that inventory/merchandise purchases generally don't require 1099s regardless of payment method. That alone eliminates a huge chunk of the payments I was worried about. I'm definitely going to implement some of the organizational suggestions mentioned here, especially tracking payment methods and categorizing by goods vs services. And @Carmen Ortiz, your idea about notifying vendors is brilliant - I think that kind of proactive communication really shows professionalism and helps everyone stay organized. Thanks to everyone who shared both their successes and their mistakes. Learning from others' experiences is so valuable, especially when it comes to avoiding the double-reporting nightmare that several people described!
@Jasmine Hancock, you've really captured the essence of what makes this so confusing for new business owners! I'm glad this thread has been helpful. One thing I'd add that I learned from my own mistakes: don't forget to keep records of your PayPal transaction categories even though you're not issuing the 1099s yourself. If you ever get audited or need to reconcile your books, it's really helpful to be able to show the IRS exactly which payments were for goods vs services, and which ones PayPal was responsible for reporting. I actually had a client who got questioned about some discrepancies, and having clear documentation showing "this payment was reported by PayPal via 1099-K" versus "this was a direct payment I reported via 1099-NEC" made the whole process much smoother. The IRS appreciates when businesses can clearly demonstrate they understand their reporting obligations and haven't accidentally under-reported or double-reported anything. It's also worth mentioning that keeping good records helps protect your vendors too - if they get questioned about income reporting, they can point to your documentation to show the payment source and reporting method.
QuantumQuasar
This is such a helpful thread! I've been making this exact mistake for the past two quarters. I run a small landscaping business and our pay periods often cross month boundaries, so I was reporting everything based on when the work was done rather than when paychecks were issued. After reading through all these responses, I realize I need to go back and file amended 941 forms for Q1 and Q2 this year. I had several March pay periods that got paid in April, and I incorrectly included those wages on my Q1 filing instead of Q2. One question though - when I file the amended returns, do I need to also adjust my federal tax deposits? I've been making deposits based on the incorrect quarterly allocations, so I'm wondering if that creates additional complications with the IRS.
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Hannah Flores
•Yes, you'll likely need to adjust your federal tax deposits when you file amended 941 forms. The IRS expects deposits to be made based on when wages are actually paid, not when the work was performed. Since you were making deposits based on the incorrect quarterly allocations, you might have under-deposited for Q2 and over-deposited for Q1. When you file the amended returns, the IRS will recalculate your deposit schedule and may assess penalties if the timing was significantly off. I'd recommend calling the IRS directly (or using one of those services like Claimyr that others mentioned) to discuss your specific situation before filing the amendments. They can often waive penalties if you proactively correct the error and explain it was due to misunderstanding the reporting rules rather than intentional non-compliance.
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Darren Brooks
I went through this exact same confusion when I first started handling payroll for our company. The key thing that helped me remember the rule is this: the IRS wants to match your 941 quarterly reports with your actual federal tax deposits, and deposits are based on when you pay employees, not when they earn the wages. So if you have a March pay period but the actual payday is in April, that's when you'd make your federal tax deposit (within the required timeframe after the April pay date), and that's also when it should appear on your 941. This also makes year-end reconciliation much easier because your quarterly 941 totals will match up properly with your W-2 forms, which are also based on payment dates rather than work periods. One tip: keep good records of your pay periods vs. pay dates, especially around quarter boundaries. It'll save you headaches if you ever need to explain the timing to the IRS or your accountant during tax season.
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Malik Jackson
•This is really helpful advice! I'm new to handling payroll and have been overthinking this whole process. Your point about matching 941 reports with federal tax deposits makes so much sense - I was getting confused trying to track work periods separately from payment dates. Quick question though - when you mention keeping records of pay periods vs pay dates around quarter boundaries, what's the best way to organize that? Should I be creating some kind of spreadsheet or is there a simpler system you'd recommend for a small business? I want to make sure I don't run into the same issues that @QuantumQuasar mentioned about needing to file amended returns.
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