Twitch 1099 Tax Form: How to Find & FAQs

If you made money on Twitch, Twitch might send you one or more annual tax forms, called Form 1099, that you’ll use to file your tax return. Use this article to find your Twitch 1099s and get answers to other frequently asked questions.

What is the Twitch Tax Form?

Twitch issues tax forms to all streamers whose total payouts exceed a certain threshold. These tax forms are called Form 1099. Twitch provides a copy to you, either electronically or by mail, and files a copy with the IRS. You’ll use the Form 1099 to prepare your personal tax return.

Form 1099 is used to report income other than wages, salaries, and tips to the IRS. You may have also received a 1099 for stock, crypto, and other accounts. Your Twitch 1099 is similar to the other 1099s, except that the income will be reported in a different area of your tax return.

For more info, check out my detailed walkthrough of the Twitch 1099s. This article will take you step-by-step through the tax filing process as a Twitch streamer.

How to find the Twitch tax form?

You can find your Twitch tax forms by following these steps:

1. Log in to twitch.tv;
2. Go to your Creator Dashboard > Insights > Channel Analytics;
3. From Channel Analytics, go to View My Payouts;
4. Click View Tax Forms.

Your tax forms will only be accessible via Twitch if you’ve authorized Amazon Tax Central to access your Twitch account.

Alternatively, you can access your Twitch tax forms directly through Amazon Tax Central:

1. Log in to Amazon Tax Central;
2. Click View/Edit for and then click Find Forms;
3. Click Download for both Royalty (Form 1099-MISC) and Service (Form 1099-NEC) forms, if applicable.

What if I don’t have a Twitch 1099?

There are a few reasons why you may not have received a 1099 from Twitch. Reach out to Twitch support if you’ve confirmed that none of the below apply and you don’t have a 1099.

Reason #1: You received less than $600 in payouts.

Twitch only issues 1099s to streamers whose total payouts for a tax year exceed certain thresholds. These thresholds are $600 for the 1099-NEC (includes bits income and other non-standard revenues) and $10 for the 1099-MISC (includes subscription & ads income).

Reason #2: The tax information you reported to Twitch is incorrect.

If your total payouts exceeded these thresholds but you weren’t issued a tax form, then your tax information might be incorrect in Amazon Tax Central. 

You might remember the tax interview that you completed during the affiliate onboarding process. This interview, which you completed electronically, asked questions about your tax status. You may have provided responses indicating that Twitch isn’t required to issue you a 1099. 

Consider retaking the tax interview if you weren’t issued a 1099 and your total payouts exceeded the reporting threshold. The tax interview is available in the Affiliate / Partner section of your Dashboard (click “Start Over” in the Onboarding section). Amazon provides instructions on how to correctly answer the tax interview questions.

When retaking the W-9 interview, be sure that you’re providing your personal social security number and classifying yourself as an individual. Even if you have an LLC with an EIN, you should provide your SSN to Twitch unless you have elected corporation status with the IRS. This would be uncommon. 

When will I get my Twitch 1099s?

Twitch 1099s are available at the end of January. The IRS requires 1099s to be made available to taxpayers by January 31st. Your 1099 may be available electronically prior to this date. You may also receive the 1099 after this date by mail if you haven’t consented to receive the 1099 electronically.

Why do I have two tax forms from Twitch?

Twitch issues two types of 1099s to creators: (1) the 1099-NEC and (2) the 1099-MISC. 

You may have received one, two, or neither form depending on the type and amount of payouts that you received from Twitch. You’d receive the 1099-NEC if you received $600 or more in cheers and payments for other services. You’d receive the Form 1099-MISC if you received more than $10 in royalty payments (e.g. subscriptions, ads).

If you receive donations through other platforms, such as PayPal or Stripe, you may have also received a 1099-K. You will need this 1099 in addition to any 1099s received from Twitch in order to file your annual tax returns.

What to do with Twitch 1099s?

Use your 1099s to file a tax return with the IRS and your resident state, if applicable. You can either file a tax return on your own or pay a tax preparer to file it for you. Filing your own tax return is usually cheaper but engaging with a tax professional will help you file correctly.

If you decide to file your own tax return, input the numbers on your Twitch 1099s into Schedule C of your Form 1040. Form 1040 is the tax return that the IRS requires individuals to file annually. Schedule C is the form that self-employed individuals (including self-employed streamers) attach to their tax return to report self-employment income.

You can file your annual Form 1040 using DIY tax filing software, such as TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA. You can also file by mail but this method is not recommended because it prolongs IRS processing time and is prone to errors.

Using a tax professional to file your Twitch tax forms

A tax professional will not only help you file accurate tax returns, they’ll also position you for success in other ways. They can help you establish good recordkeeping practices, find missing deductions, and advise you on how to pay less tax. Augur CPA helps our clients with all this and more. Get in touch to see how we can help.