Are study incentives taxable income?

If you are a U.S. resident and your study payments total $600 or more, then yes, the IRS requires you to report those earnings on your tax returns. 

If your cumulative annual payments *paid by User Interviews* equals or exceeds $600 across studies, you will be sent a 1099 form by January 31st at the latest. One copy will be sent to participants and another to the IRS. Please note that incentives paid by the researcher are not included in this total.

Once your study payments total $600 or more, you will be prompted to complete a W-9 in Tremendous. You must complete the W-9 before you will be able to redeem any further incentives. Please note that incentive payments are considered income when the reward was redeemed, not when issued.

We are using Tax1099 to securely file 1099s. For more information about Tax1099’s security policies, visit their security page here. 

For further information regarding taxes, we recommend speaking with a financial advisor. 

✍️ Note for participants outside the United States: If you’re located outside the United States, or if you redeem incentives in currencies other than USD, we will not send a 1099. Instead, we will request W-8BEN to verify that you’re ineligible to receive a 1099. Please check your local tax rules for more guidance. 

Still have questions? 

Please email billing@userinterviews.com for more information.