With Upfluence Pay, tax reporting is completely automated. No more manual paperwork, no more chasing documents, no more tax season stress.
Understanding the tax forms (simple breakdown)
Form | Who provides it | What it does |
W-9 | US creators | Provides tax ID for US-based creators to determine if 1099 must be issued |
W-8 | International creators | Confirms foreign status (exempt from US 1099 reporting) |
1099-NEC | Brand provides to US creators | IRS form that records income, summarizes partnership value over fiscal year. Must be provided to creators earning $600+ by January 31st and filed with IRS |
With Upfluence Pay: All of this happens automatically in the background.
What this means for you
When you pay creators through Upfluence Pay, all US tax requirements are handled automatically in the background. Here's how it works behind the scenes and what you can expect.
How creator tax compliance works
🇺🇸 With US-based creators
Tax info collection: When creators claim their first payment, they enter their W-9 details (name, SSN/EIN) directly in creators' Upfluence pay (Stripe Express) accounts
Payout tracking: Stripe automatically tracks all payments made to each creator throughout the calendar year. If payments to a US creator reach $600+, they're flagged for 1099 reporting
Form preparation & delivery: By January 31st, Upfluence Pay (Stripe) generates the creator's 1099-NEC form and delivers it electronically to the creator
IRS filing: Upfluence files the 1099s with the IRS under Upfluence's name/EIN as the filer of record, you don't need to do anything
🌍 With international creators
First payment setup: Creators provide their W-8 form details in creators' Upfluence pay (Stripe Express) accounts
Foreign status confirmed: This certifies they're not subject to US tax reporting
No 1099 needed: International creators won't receive US tax forms
Clean compliance: Everything is handled and documented automatically
The old way vs. The Upfluence way
| Without Upfluence Pay (The manual process) | With Upfluence Pay (The automated solution) |
For brands |
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For creators |
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What this means for your business
Simplified vendor management
One vendor relationship: You only work with Upfluence Pay instead of managing each creator as a separate vendor
Streamlined reporting: Report on Upfluence Pay total deposits rather than tracking each individual creator partnership
Clear fund separation: Your creator budget funds are properly separated and managed
Automated tax compliance
No form collection: W-8/W-9 forms are handled through creators' Upfluence pay (Stripe Express) accounts
Automatic 1099 management: Upfluence Pay handles all 1099 generation, delivery, and IRS filing
Complete audit trail: All tax documentation available on-demand
Flexible invoicing options
Per creator: Request invoices for individual creator payments
Per deposit: Get invoices for each deposit made to your Upfluence Pay account
Optional process: Only when your accounting process requires it
ERP integration
Export all records directly into your accounting system
Complete payment ledger and tax documentation available
FAQ
Do I need a banking relationship with Stripe?
No, the only contract you sign is with Upfluence; Stripe sits completely in the background as Upfluence’s sub‑processor, so there is no onboarding, KYC, or separate legal review required for Stripe.
Where are our funds held? How are they protected?
Funds are parked in a customer‑specific Stripe balance that’s segregated from Upfluence’s corporate accounts. Upfluence places a first‑lien security interest on that balance solely to safeguard clients’ money and to cover authorized payouts.
How will we reconcile and stay audit‑ready?
Upfluence Pay auto‑generates receipts, a complete payment ledger, and end‑of‑year tax documentation (e.g., 1099 files) for every creator payment—exportable straight into your ERP.
Is UPF allowed to move money? Any licensing risk?
Upfluence is not a money‑services business; instead it delegates the regulated bits to Stripe, a fully licensed money‑transmitter that already processes billions for Fortune 500 payables teams.
Do we still control approvals?
Yes. Only your designated 2FA users can authorize payouts, and nothing is sent until an AP approver clicks $Pay. The platform then securely transmits your instructions to Stripe.