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Last modified: July 17, 2024

US dispensaries: Navigating your financial reports and 1099-K for tax purposes

This article is intended for practitioners who received Form 1099-K from Fullscript. We suggest referring to US dispensaries: Reporting your income for tax purposes if you didn’t qualify for this form during the tax year.

Note:

This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or relied upon as tax, legal or financial advice, or applicable to your particular situation. You should consult with your own tax advisor regarding your tax obligations. The views expressed in any of these resources do not represent the views and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Fullscript in any way.

Form 1099-K eligibility

We’re required to issue Form 1099-K (in 2023) if you had $20,000 USD in sales (i.e., gross payments) and you received 200 or more payments (i.e., transactions) during the calendar year.

Tip!

Didn’t meet 1099-K eligibility requirements this year? See US dispensaries: Navigating your financial reports for tax purposes for help finding your Fullscript profit and other financial figures you may need to satisfy your tax obligations.

State-specific thresholds

Depending on your individual state requirements, you may receive a separate state 1099-K.

If you’re located in DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Vermont, or Virginia, you’ll be issued a 1099-K if $600 or more in sales (i.e., gross payments) were transacted through your dispensary during the calendar year.

If located in New Jersey or Illinois, you’ll be issued a 1099-K if you have $1000 or more in sales during the calendar year.

In Arkansas, you’ll be issued a 1099-K if you have $2500 or more in sales during the calendar year.

Tip!

Your address was first collected when the dispensary was created. You can edit this address in your account from the Business financials page anytime.

Receiving your Form 1099-K

If you’re eligible for Form 1099-K, your form will be mailed to the mailing address provided (unless you’ve opted for E-delivery) and generated using the tax information we have on file. You can review and update your mailing address and other tax information from the Business financials page in your account. We recommend keeping this information up to date to avoid delays in receiving your 1099-K. 

Note:

Near the end of the tax year, we may contact account holders to request missing information or confirm the information we have on file is correct.

Important figures in your financial reports

Gross amount transacted (1099-K amount)

This is your Fullscript sales total with expenses included. Fullscript is required to report the gross amount transacted through your account to the IRS if you meet the eligibility thresholds in your region. The gross amount is the amount presented on your 1099-K.

The IRS states that the gross amount transacted is “the total unadjusted dollar amount of aggregate payment transactions for each participating payee. This amount is not to be adjusted to account for any fees, refunds, or any other amounts.”

Sales Total

Sales Total represents the total retail value of orders transacted through the account, excluding expenses. This amount is found in the Account activity and balance report.

Warning!

The Sales Total from the Account activity and balance report will differ from the gross amount transacted (box 1a) on your 1099-K, as the gross amount transacted must include expenses.

Net income

Fullscript net income is your Sales Total less Cost of Sales (Cost of Goods). This figure is calculated in your 1099-K Export and Account activity and balance report.

Note:

The net income figures between these two reports may differ slightly. Learn more.

Expenses

These are the fees charged by Fullscript. Fees include (not a complete list):

  • Fullscript processing fees
  • Costs of goods
  • Shipping charges
  • Sales Taxes
  • Refunded charges
  • All adjustments (if any)

The IRS states that separate reporting of these transactions is not required. However, Form 1099-K can be used in conjunction with your other Fullscript reports and any other tax records related to your business to report your income.

1099-K export report

Those eligible to receive Form 1099-K should refer to the 1099-K Export available in your account on the Reports page. This report lists each sale by order number and applicable amounts, including the dollar amount the order has contributed to your 1099-K amount.

This report doesn’t replace Form 1099-K but does state your gross amount transacted through Fullscript (1099-K amount). We recommend you download and share this report with your tax professional, along with your 1099-K. 

To download this report from your account:

  1. Log in to your account and go to Financial reports.
  2. Scroll down to the 1099-K Export header.
  3. Select the tax year to export the report.
Download report from Reports page.

Downloading the 1099-K Export from the Reports page.

Note:

1099-K export reports will not be available until mid to late January following the end of a tax year once 1099-Ks have been issued.

Sample 1099-K export report

Example of 1099-K export report.
Sample 1099-K; illustrative purposes only. 
Column/termDefinition Column ID
1099-K amountGross/total dollar amount of payment card transactions through the Fullscript account during the tax year. A
Fullscript feesThese are the fees charged by Fullscript.B
Fullscript gross income1099-K amount (A) less Fullscript Fees (B).C
Refunded paymentsAmounts refunded.D
FS fees refundedFullscript fees refunded in association with refunded payments.E
Refunded incomeRefunded payments (D) less Fullscript fees refunded (E).F
Fullscript net incomeGross income (C) less refunded income (F).G

All terms and definitions in the table above pertain to Fullscript sales activity only. 

Account activity and balance report 

The 1099-K Export can be used in conjunction with the Account activity and balance report to determine your proper earnings for tax purposes.

To download the Account activity and balance report:

  1. Log in to your account and go to Reports.
  2. Scroll down to the Account activity and balance report header.
  3. Select a tax year, then select Excel to download a formatted version of the report.
account activity and balance report summary.
Downloading the Account activity and balance report from Financial reports.

Note:

There are two versions of the Account activity and balance report. This report was updated in 2020 to improve accuracy and general navigation resulting in two versions of this report: historical and current (2020 and later). We did not overwrite previous years to avoid possible discrepancies in customer records. This applies to dispensaries created in 2020 or earlier. Learn more.

Sales tax

Fullscript operates as a Marketplace Facilitator whom is required to collect and remit sales tax on behalf of all Marketplace Sellers. Fullscript stores are considered Marketplace sellers.

Fullscript will remit any sales tax collected to the appropriate taxing authorities. Your business may still have sales tax/other tax obligations to fulfill. Your accountant or CPA can assist you in determining what your business obligations are.

Note:

Fullscript is committed to collecting and remitting sales tax at the state level, but we don’t currently collect or remit sales tax for home rule jurisdictions with self-administered local taxing authorities (cities, counties, or special tax jurisdictions) that have chosen to collect and administer sales or use tax independently from the state.

Frequently asked questions

In this section:

Why did I receive a 1099-K?
Why is my Fullscript 1099-K reporting a number higher than what I actually earned?
What should I share with my tax professional relating to my Fullscript dispensary? 
Why don’t the net income amounts on the 1099-K export and the Account activity and balance reports match?
Why am I receiving a 1099-K and not a 1099-Misc?
Why do I need to provide a copy of my SS-4 or Letter 147c? 
Why do I need to provide a colored copy of an identification document or my SSN?

Why did I receive a 1099-K?

You’ll receive a 1099-K if you satisfy the eligibility requirements of your state. 

Dispensary owners can reach out to our Customer Success team to request a PDF copy of their 1099-K, but keep in mind that 1099-Ks for the current tax year are not issued until January of the following year.

Why is my Fullscript 1099-K reporting a number higher than what I actually earned?

Don’t worry, this is normal and required. As per IRS 1099-K instructions, we’re required to report the gross amount of payments transacted on your account as opposed to your net earnings/income.

Gross Amount Transacted consists of:

  • Fullscript processing fees*
  • Cost of sales/goods
  • Refunded charges
  • All adjustments (if any)

*All sales tax and shipping charges are included in the fees charged to you by Fullscript. 

What should I share with my tax professional relating to my Fullscript dispensary? 

Form 1099-K issued by Fullscript (if eligible)

1099-K export report

Account activity & balance report (for the tax year)

Note:

Don’t forget to verify your tax information before your 1099-K is issued. Contact our Customer Success team if you have any questions.

Why don’t the net income amounts on the 1099-K export and Account activity and balance reports match?

The net income on the 1099-K export report is based on the transaction date, while the account activity and balance report net income is based on order completion (i.e., the date the order shipped). 

The 1099-K amount, as required by the IRS, must reflect the unadjusted dollar amount transacted within the year. For this reason, transactions in this report, and in turn, the resulting net income amount, consist of transactions that were processed within the reporting year (i.e., transaction date).

The account activity and balance report was designed to report all completed transactions processed through an account, where complete reflects the order has been fulfilled (i.e., the ship date).

Due to these timing differences, sales activity spanning multiple reporting years will impact net income across these reports.

For example, an order is placed 12/31/2020 and ships 1/3/2021:

  • 1099-K export report: net income is reflected in the 2020 report, the year the order was transacted
  • AABR: net income is reported in 2021, the year the order shipped.

Note:

The same applies to refunds and other adjustments spanning multiple reporting years.

Why am I receiving a 1099-K and not a 1099-Misc?

Fullscript is legally a Third-Party Settlement Organization (TPSO), meaning we facilitate your patient’s orders by administering the transaction and organizing the delivery of products at the price you selected.

Form 1099-K is typically reserved for electronic payments and payments by credit card to contractors. If a company is deemed a payment settlement entity (PSE), it is required to file a 1099-K form.

The TPSO is:

  • The establishment of accounts by a significant number of unrelated parties.
  • An agreement between the organization and the sellers to settle payment transactions.
  • The establishment of standards and mechanisms for settling the transactions.
  • The organization’s guarantee that the provider will be paid.

Why do I need to provide a copy of my SS-4 or Letter 147c? 

We’ll request one of these documents if Stripe, our payment processor, can’t verify your business’s identity with the information we have on hand. These documents are shared with Stripe to verify your account and issue your Form 1099-K. If you don’t have a copy of either document, contact the IRS for a new copy.

What are Form SS-4 and Letter 147c?

Form SS-4 is used to apply for an employer identification number (EIN). An EIN is a 9-digit number (for example, 12-3456789) assigned to employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, certain individuals, and other entities for tax filing and reporting purposes. Reference: IRS.gov.

Letter 147c, or EIN letter, is a form sent by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to a company when a copy of an Employee Identification Number (EIN) is requested. If you have lost or misplaced your EIN, visit IRS.gov for instructions on how to contact the IRS to request a copy. 

Why do I need to provide my SSN or colored copy of an identification document?

We’ll request one of these documents if Stripe, our payment processor, can’t verify your identity with the information we have on hand. These documents are shared with Stripe to verify your account and issue your Form 1099-K. 

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