Royalties paid

[MLEDFORD]

On my tax information from TD Ameritrade there's a section listed as 1099 Misc that is $27.70 that is Royalty distribution from an oil & tax company.  How to I enter this on my return?

[Carl]

That's reported on SCH E. Under the Personal Income tab there's a section for Rental & Royalty Income (SCH E), and you'll start there for entering this. Make **SURE** you select the option to indicate this is royalty income. Otherwise, it defaults to rental income and you'll have a mess.

[JamesG1 · Accepted solution]

Royalty income is reported in box 2 of IRS form 1099-MISC.  Follow these steps.

• Down the left side of the screen, click Federal.
• Down the left side of the screen, click on Wages & income.
• Scroll down to Other common income.  Click Show more.
• Click Start / Revisit to the right of Form 1099-MISC.
• Enter the information from the form.

There are two options:

• Investment income from property you own – This includes natural resources extracted from your property by a third party who leases your property, as well as royalties from intellectual property that you didn't create yourself. This gets reported on Schedule E.
• Royalty income from your business, including artist royalties or operating a natural resources business (Schedule C) – This includes income from natural resources that you extract from your property as well as royalty payments from intellectual property you created as an inventor, writer, artist, and so forth. This gets reported on Schedule C

Investment income includes amounts received from oil, gas or mineral properties when natural resources are extracted from your property.  These royalties are based on units, such as barrels, tons, etc. and are paid to you by a person or company that leases the property from you.  You may be eligible for a depletion allowance.

Royalties from intellectual property (patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc.) are only considered investment property income if you are not in the business of creating such works.  For example, you could purchase a copyright or inherit the right to receive royalties from a literary work.  In these cases, this income would be investment income.

Your income likely qualifies as investment income on Schedule E.

Make the selection of the type of royalty income at the screen Source of 1099-MISC Income.

@MLEDFORD 

[jasper13]

I have the same question. In my case, the source of the royalty is neither of the two listed. I receive royalty payments from an oil company, but I do not own the property and i do not own the business. Turbo Tax will not let me get past this point. What can I do?

[DaveF1006]

If you don't own the property, you still may enter the 1099 MISC information as if you did own the property. You may not own the property but you do own an interest in it or you wouldn't receive the payment.

Enter it as James G1 suggests in his post above.

• Down the left side of the screen, click Federal.
• Down the left side of the screen, click on Wages & income.
• Scroll down to Other common income.  Click Show more.
• Click Start / Revisit to the right of Form 1099-MISC.
• Enter the information from the form.

If you did not receive a 1099 MISC, you may enter in the following manner.

1. Click Federal > Wages & Income>all income>
2. Go to the last selection, Miscellaneous Income and click Start
3. Go to the last option, Other reportable income and click Start
4. When it asks, "Any other reportable income?" say yes and then type in a description and the amount to report it on your tax return. Here you will type in Royalty Payment on Property i don't own and the amount.

@jasper13