Do C Corps Get 1099?
Usually not for ordinary business payments reported on Form 1099-NEC or Form 1099-MISC.
In general, payments to a C corporation are exempt from the usual Form 1099-NEC and Form 1099-MISC reporting rules. So, if you pay a vendor that is properly treated as a C corporation for federal tax purposes, you usually do not issue that corporation a 1099 just for ordinary services or other ordinary reportable business payments.
However, there are important exceptions. A C corporation can still receive a 1099 for certain payments, including:
- attorneys’ fees reported on Form 1099-NEC
- gross proceeds paid to an attorney reported on Form 1099-MISC
- medical and health care payments reported on Form 1099-MISC
- payments by a federal executive agency for services
- certain cash payments for fish purchased for resale
- substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest
If you are asking more broadly whether a C corporation can ever receive any Form 1099 at all, the answer is yes. For example, a C corporation can receive Form 1099-K for reportable payment card or third-party network transactions.
In practice, the payer usually relies on Form W-9 to determine whether the payee is a C corporation and whether one of the federal reporting exceptions applies.
State information return rules can differ from the federal rules above. The controlling authority is the applicable state revenue department or tax agency.
Sources
IRS — Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. April 2025)
IRS — Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024)
IRS — About Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions