Skill: vendor-compliance-1099#

Description#

1099 vendor compliance pipeline for accounting firms. Pulls the full-year General Ledger from QBO, aggregates vendor payments by name, applies IRS $600 threshold, classifies 1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC, checks corporate exemptions, tracks W-9 and TIN status, filters credit card payments (1099-K handled by processor), calculates late-filing penalties, and produces a year-over-year CDC. Outputs an 8-tab Excel workbook.

Trigger phrases: "run 1099 compliance," "vendor 1099 check," "pull 1099 list," "who needs a 1099," "1099 vendor scan," "W-9 tracker," "1099-NEC list," "1099-MISC list"

NOT for: payroll W-2 compliance, 1042-S foreign withholding, 1099-K reconciliation (CC processor), or non-US entities.

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Pipeline Location#

text

scripts/pipelines/vendor-compliance-1099.py

Usage#

bash

# Standard run
python3 scripts/pipelines/vendor-compliance-1099.py --slug my-client --year 2025

# QBO sandbox
python3 scripts/pipelines/vendor-compliance-1099.py --slug my-client --year 2025 --sandbox

# Custom output directory
python3 scripts/pipelines/vendor-compliance-1099.py --slug my-client --year 2025 --out ~/Desktop/1099s

# Skip GL pull (empty vendor list — testing only)
python3 scripts/pipelines/vendor-compliance-1099.py --slug my-client --year 2025 --skip-gl

Arguments:

FlagRequiredDefaultNotes--slug✅—QBO client slug--year✅—Tax year (e.g. 2025)--sandbox❌falseUse QBO sandbox--skip-gl❌falseSkip GL pull (empty output — testing only)--out❌~/DesktopOutput directory

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Output: 8-Tab Excel Workbook#

TabContentsVendor SummaryAll vendors: total paid, ACH/check/wire vs CC split, form type, corp exempt flag, action required1099-NEC ListContractors/service vendors ≥$600 (reportable amount only), W-9 status, TIN status, action1099-MISC ListRent, royalties, prizes ≥$600 with MISC box classification (Box 1/2/3/6/10)ExemptionsCorp-flagged vendors (LLC/Inc/Corp/Ltd) requiring manual entity-type verification before skipping 1099W-9 TrackerPer-vendor W-9 received/pending/missing status; persisted between runs; editable date/TIN fieldsPayment MethodsACH/check/wire vs. credit card split per vendor; CC excluded from 1099 reportable amountPenalties CalcIRC §6721/6722 penalty scenarios: on-time, 15/30/45/60/90 days late + today's actual exposureCDC LogNew vendors (not in prior year), dropped vendors, amount changes ≥10% or ≥$500 YoY

Output filename: VendorCompliance_1099_{slug}_{year}.xlsx

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Key IRS Rules Implemented#

$600 Threshold#

• Applied to ACH/check/wire amounts only — credit card payments excluded (processor files 1099-K)
• Threshold is per-vendor, full calendar year aggregate

1099 Type Classification#

FormWhenKeyword triggers1099-NECNon-employee compensation: contractors, consultants, attorneys, sole proprietorscontractor, freelance, consultant, attorney, repair, cleaning, design, etc.1099-MISCRent, royalties, prizes, medical paymentsrent, royalty, prize, award, medical, healthcare

Default is 1099-NEC — NEC is assumed for all service payments unless account/memo indicates MISC category.

Corporate Exemption#

• Vendor names matching LLC|Inc|Corp|Ltd|Co.|Company|etc. → flagged as potentially exempt
• Still appear in Exemptions tab for manual verification
• Exception — always file regardless of entity type:
  • Attorneys (IRC §6045(f)) → 1099-NEC
  • Medical providers → 1099-MISC Box 6

Payment Method Filter#

• Credit card keywords in memo/txn_type/split → classified as CC, excluded from reportable amount
• ACH/check/wire → included in reportable amount
• Unclassified payments → included (conservative — better to over-report)

W-9 & TIN Tracking#

• W-9 status persisted at .cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-w9.json
• New vendors auto-default to NO status
• TIN status persisted at .cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-tin.json
• Backup withholding: 24% applies if vendor fails to provide valid TIN

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Filing Deadlines#

FormRecipient CopyIRS PaperIRS e-File1099-NECJanuary 31January 31January 311099-MISC (Box 7)January 31January 31January 311099-MISC (other boxes)January 31February 28March 31

e-File required if filing 10+ information returns.

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Penalty Rates (IRC §6721/6722 — 2024)#

Days LatePer FormSmall Biz Annual Cap≤30 days$60$232,50031–60 days$120$664,500>60 days$310$1,329,000Intentional disregard$630 minimumNo cap

Small business = avg annual gross receipts ≤$5M for 3 prior years.

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Cache Files#

FilePurpose.cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-{year}.jsonYoY snapshot for CDC (auto-saved each run).cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-{year-1}.jsonPrior year snapshot for comparison.cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-w9.jsonW-9 status (persisted, editable manually).cache/vendor-compliance-1099/{slug}-tin.jsonTIN status (persisted, editable manually)

Updating W-9 status manually:

bash

# Edit cache file directly to update W-9 status
cat .cache/vendor-compliance-1099/my-client-w9.json
# Modify "VendorName": "YES" | "NO" | "PENDING"
# Then re-run pipeline — status will be loaded automatically

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Integration Requirements#

• QBO Client: Node.js QBO client (auth token must be set)
• Python packages: pip install openpyxl
• GL access required: Pipeline reads full-year GL — ensure QBO auth has GL report access
• No write access to QBO — read-only integration

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Decimal Math#

All financial calculations use Python Decimal with ROUND_HALF_UP at 2 decimal places. No float arithmetic. Same pattern as tax-package-prep.py and pl-deep-analysis.py.

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When NOT to Use This Skill#

• Payroll / W-2 compliance → separate payroll workflow
• 1099-K reconciliation → CC processor provides (not Sam's responsibility)
• Foreign vendor withholding → Form 1042-S, different rules
• State-level 1099 filing → varies by state, not covered here
• 1099-INT / 1099-DIV / 1099-B → investment/bank-issued, not vendor compliance

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Workflow Checklist#

Run this pipeline as part of year-end close:

1. November/December: Pre-screen — run pipeline to identify missing W-9s before year-end
2. January (early): Final run — full year GL aggregation
3. January 15: W-9 collection deadline (internal)
4. January 25: Prepare and review filings
5. January 31: File 1099-NEC (recipient + IRS)
6. February 28 / March 31: File 1099-MISC (IRS paper/e-file)

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