When you pay US affiliates through Stripe, Stripe collects the tax information it needs and can prepare, file, and deliver their 1099 forms for you, straight from your Stripe Dashboard. You don’t have to chase W-9s by hand or build your own 1099 process: the collection happens automatically when an affiliate connects Stripe. This guide covers who 1099 handling applies to, what’s automatic versus what you do at tax time, how to file from your Stripe Dashboard, and what happens for affiliates who already connected Stripe.
This article explains how AffiliateWP and Stripe handle 1099 tax forms. It isn’t tax advice. Reporting thresholds, form types, and filing duties depend on your situation and change over time, so confirm the current rules with a tax professional or the IRS.
Who this applies to
1099 handling applies to US affiliates paid by a US-based Stripe account. Two conditions both have to be true:
- Your connected Stripe account is based in the US. Eligibility follows the country of your connected Stripe account, not your store’s address.
- The affiliate is in the US. Stripe collects their tax details and can produce a 1099 for them.
It does not apply to affiliates outside the US, or to stores whose Stripe account is based outside the US. A US 1099 doesn’t apply in those cases, so nothing is collected or filed. Your international affiliates are paid normally; they just don’t receive a US tax form. For how international payouts work, see Paying affiliates internationally with Stripe.
What’s automatic, and what you do
Automatic: When a US affiliate connects Stripe on your US-based store, Stripe collects their tax information (legal name and taxpayer ID, through a W-9) as part of onboarding, and keeps a running total of what you pay them across the year. There’s nothing for you to collect or store by hand.
Your part: Stripe doesn’t file the forms silently on your behalf. Once a year, at tax time, you review and file them from your Stripe Dashboard. The steps are below.
Filing your 1099s in Stripe
- In your Stripe Dashboard, go to Connect » Tax reporting (the Tax forms page).
- Stripe flags the affiliates you’ve paid enough to require a form, applying the current IRS reporting threshold for you. Affiliate commissions are non-employee compensation, so the form is usually a 1099-NEC. You confirm the form type when you file.
- Review the forms, then click File. Stripe submits them to the IRS and any applicable states.
- Stripe delivers each affiliate’s copy for you: electronically through their Stripe dashboard if they’ve consented, otherwise by mail.
Aim to file in your Stripe Dashboard by late January, so the forms reach the IRS and your affiliates by the January 31 deadline. Stripe charges a fee per filed form, billed to your Stripe account.
Affiliates who already connected Stripe
If you already have US affiliates connected to Stripe, AffiliateWP updates their Stripe accounts in the background, one time, so their 1099 can be filed too. You don’t need to do anything to trigger it, and it doesn’t interrupt their payouts.
After it runs, Stripe emails those affiliates to confirm their tax information. That email comes from Stripe, not AffiliateWP, and is expected. If an affiliate asks about it, it’s simply Stripe collecting the tax details needed for their 1099. They provide the information inside their Stripe account.
Exporting affiliate data for your records
Stripe handles 1099s for the US affiliates you pay through Stripe. For your own bookkeeping, or for affiliates you pay another way (PayPal, store credit, or a manual payment), AffiliateWP can export the underlying data so you and your accountant have what you need. You can export your affiliates and your referrals to CSV from the AffiliateWP admin and filter by date range to match your tax year.
AffiliateWP itself doesn’t calculate or withhold taxes. It keeps the records, and through Stripe it handles the 1099 filing for the US affiliates you pay through Stripe.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send my affiliates a 1099?
Generally, yes: when you pay a US-based affiliate at or above the current IRS reporting threshold, that commission is reportable, usually on a 1099-NEC. Stripe applies the current threshold and flags the affiliates who meet it, so you don’t have to track it by hand. Thresholds and rules change and vary by state, so confirm your own situation with a tax professional.
Does AffiliateWP file the 1099 for me?
No. AffiliateWP makes sure Stripe collects the right tax details and can produce the form. The actual filing happens in your Stripe Dashboard, where you review the forms and click File. Stripe then submits them to the IRS and delivers each copy to your affiliate.
Which form is it?
For affiliate commissions it’s typically a 1099-NEC (non-employee compensation). You confirm the form type when you file in Stripe.
Stripe also mentions a 1099-K. Isn’t that the same thing?
No, they’re different forms for different purposes. A 1099-K reports payments settled by a payment processor and is filed by the processor. The commissions you pay affiliates are non-employee compensation, reported on a 1099-NEC, which is the form Stripe prepares for you to review and file from your Dashboard. For affiliate payouts, the 1099-NEC is the one that applies.
Do I need to collect W-9s from affiliates myself?
No. Stripe collects the W-9 (legal name and taxpayer ID) during the affiliate’s Stripe onboarding. There’s nothing for you to gather or store separately.
My affiliate is outside the US. Where’s their 1099?
There isn’t one. US 1099 reporting applies to US payees only. Affiliates in other supported countries are paid normally; they just don’t receive a US tax form.
An affiliate says Stripe is asking for their tax info. Is that normal?
Yes. Stripe collects their W-9 / taxpayer ID so their 1099 can be filed. They provide it inside their Stripe onboarding, or through the email Stripe sends. This is expected, especially for affiliates who connected Stripe earlier (see above).
Next steps
- Paying affiliates internationally with Stripe – Pay affiliates in their local currency from your own Stripe account.
- Stripe Payouts – Connect Stripe and pay affiliates by direct transfer.
- Paying your affiliates – Compare every payout method and learn how payouts work.
That’s it! When you pay US affiliates through Stripe, their tax forms are handled for you: Stripe collects the details at onboarding, and you file with a click at tax time. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team.