I received a 1099-K from eBay but I'm not a business owner, I just sold one electronic item that I didn't need anymore. Do I need to file with the IRS?

Yes. You have to report all your income. Please see this answer from PattiF.

This can be reported as the sale of items not associated with a business so this won't be considered as self-employment income

In order to do that you can either report it as investment income or other miscellaneous income. Make sure to include expenses of the sales and the original cost of the items.

For reporting Form 1009-K for personal items sold not associated with a trade or business, you can report this as Miscellaneous income.

• From the left menu, go to Federal and select the first tab, Wages & Income
• Add more income by scrolling down to the last option, Less Common Income, and Show more
• Scroll down to the last option, Miscellaneous Income, 1099-A, 1099-C and Start
• Choose the last option, Other reportable income and Start and Yes
• Enter the applicable description and amount and Continue
  • First, enter Form 1099-K as received. It is essential that the full amount be entered.

There is no one answer to the 1099-K problem. Everyone's situation is a little different. However, if you fail to enter income of any type, other than what is expressly excluded, you will hear from the IRS. A very important aspect is did you sell the items for a gain or a loss.

There are so many permutations to this. These are just some of the questions regarding 1099-K.

1) Some of the things I sold pertained to a business, but some did not.

You have to separate the sales that were actually business vs those that did not. You have a hybrid situation.

 2) None was business income. I sold old things I had laying around the house. This is not a business. You must include the 1099-K but you can zero out the income since you had no profit.

3) I did this so it's kind of a business but not really. Yes. It's a business. Report on Schedule C.

4) I bought and resold but it was a one-off type of thing.  You had a sporadic activity. It is other income.

The IRS simply states this.

What should I do with this information?

It is important that your business books and records reflect your business income, including any amounts that may be reported on Form 1099-K. You must report on your income tax return all income you receive from your business. In most cases, your business income will be in the form of cash, checks, and debit/credit card payments. Business income is generally referred to as gross receipts on income tax returns. Therefore, you should consider the amounts shown on Form 1099-K, along with all other amounts received, when calculating gross receipts for your income tax return.

1099-K