The IRS says to file form 1099-NEC for each person in the course of your business to whom you have paid $600 for "services performed by someone who is not your employee (including parts and materials)
Then down further the IRS states that you do not need to file form 1099-NEC for "payments for merchandise".
We are an LLC. We have a man come by our shop who will leave us tools and some parts to go through and then pay him for what we want. He is just an individual, not a "business". We do purchase more than $600 worth of goods from him in a year.
Do we need to file a 1099-NEC for this person? I feel a bit confused as to how to classify what we buy from him. Most of the time it is tools we are purchasing, but sometimes it might be more of a "part". Is there a simple answer? I just want to get it all straight now before years end so that my records are right.
Thank you.