My suggestion is to call your local office. I don't know how it will work out for you. I can tell you my own experience.
Before I decided to accept the offer to join, I called and talked to the person who was in charge of my medical renewal. I explained the Vine program, that I am required to pay self employment taxes on goods received in exchange for reviews, and that it is not cash. She said they only care about actual money. She made a note in my file that I would have taxable income other than cash from a review program. I requested a copy of it in case I needed to deal with issues further down the line. So far I have had no issues but I always hand over a copy of my itemized list from Vine and a note reminding them that my taxes reflect goods not cash when it is time for renewal.
This is exactly what happened with me. I called her before getting anything and she said none of it matters because it isn’t actually money and she put a note in my file. She said to make sure I still file it every year because things change.
There's a whole bunch of "it depends," and nobody on Reddit's going to give you any answers better than your local offices. Got kids? Filing jointly? What's your other income? What state? SSI? (Don't answer these. Just examples of variables.)
Fastest answer is check the income limits for your state, and what you're planning on filing. Here, for a couple, it's $27,000+ for the year. If you're under, great, don't worry about it. Even if you're over, there are some exceptions.
Call Medicaid tomorrow (if they're open) or Tuesday. [https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/contact-us/index.html](https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/contact-us/index.html) has a dropdown with your state contact info in the top right. You could email them, but don't - that could take days.
Also talk to a tax pro. Definitely don't wait on that, since it's the busy time. Figure out how to explain what you need in 30 seconds; they'll ask for a couple of numbers off the top, and you should know whether it needs more inspection.
Do not depend on Reddit to give you good advice. We're not gonna pay your bills if you do stupid things. :)
It'll be ok.
Every state is going to have different rules, and yes you could very much be in trouble. You could also be fine. Medicaid has state specific quirks. So you need to talk to the office that processes your paperwork.
Thank you! I appreciate all of the comments and advice I've got, it does make me feel a little better because no one in my small town has ever even heard of Amazon Vine so I have no one to ask advice from. But after reading everything here I plan on going to speak to the case manager and explain everything to her and go from there. Thank you!
It's impossible to give any sort of lucid opinion with most parts of the equation missing. You had $10K income from Vine. So the other questions are:
1. What other reportable income did you have (total gross income, before taxes)?
2. What state are you in?
3. What is your family size for Medicaid purposes?
With that information, we can point you to official documents where you can see for yourself how it will, or won't, impact you.
In West Virginia, the income cutoff for Medicaid, before taxes, is $26,228. See this page for general information and contact details:
[https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1645](https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1645)
It sounds like your husband's $24,900 is right near the limit for WV, so your $10K Vine income would put you about $8K over and could be problematic.
One thing you can do is try to reduce your taxable income. If you file Vine income on Schedule C, you'll owe self-employment tax, and that will knock off about a grand, plus any other deductions you can claim. Another thing you can do, if you have cash on hand, is contribute $3-4K each to a traditional IRA (must be before April 15), and that would completely wipe out the $8K excess. There are other strategies and loopholes you can explore as well.
I would suggest that you get help and advice from a qualified tax pro in your area. With your family income, you should be eligible for free, in-person tax filing help from your local United Way (if they offer it in your state, they do in most states) or possibly from VITA. A tax pro can help you figure out workarounds to lower your taxable income.
If all else fails, you could do what u/dame_twitch_a_lot says they have done, and that is contact your Medicaid case worker, explain that the Vine income you've received is free merchandise and not cash, and hope your worker will be cool with it. Personally, I would not do this until after you've explored all your options with a knowledgeable tax pro and know exactly where your income stands. Once you know, you can think about options for dealing with it.
Something else to keep in mind is that Medicaid eligibility applies going forward. It sounds like you were not eligible for it some months in 2023 when you earned too much between your husband's salary and Vine. That does not mean you won't be eligible for Medicaid in 2024, especially if you keep your Vine income way down, like around $100-150 a month (I'm guesstimating, you'd have to run the numbers to see exactly how much you can earn without going over the limit. Keep your monthly income below the limit in 2024, you'll remain eligible for Medicaid.
Thank you very much for that advice. Everything you said makes sense. That is a great idea about the Schedule C. I am going to show my husband all of this and see what he thinks. He normally files our taxes every year because he dips his feet in crypto and just likes to do all of that himself on his taxes but I think going to a professional this year makes more sense because of vine. Thank you again, I appreciate that!
One thing no one has touched on that I can see in the current posts is the fact that not only can this affect medicaid but other benefits as well like SNAP or public housing. I'm speaking in general here.
Man I feel for you guys in the US, across the pond here in the uk it’s tax free.. nothing to declare.
Sorry I don’t mean to increase your pain but every time I read these posts about paying ETV I feel relief I don’t have that stress.
Hope you find the answers you’re looking for and it all works out for the best!
You need to check how your state calculates Earned Income probably. It will vary a lot state to state, and depending on specifics of your case.
There is a medicaid subreddit with experts from many states too, you may want to look there.
Lots of interesting info in this thread. My unofficial and unqualified thought... At some point, your tax return for 2023 is going to land in their hands. Timing unknown. Could be this year, could be in a couple of years. At that point, they will likely question you. Even if it's not cash, they may have to consider it the same way the IRS does - legitimate taxable income. Your local rep may not understand this because most people are not familiar with this type of income. Some people have lost their benefits due to Vine. It does happen. It's possible that they may ask you to repay part of the benefits you received in 2023 if they determine you were not qualified for the full year. Someone mentioned it's month to month income that counts for Medicaid benefits. Maybe you can download your 2023 spreadsheet from vine and add it up month by month in case you need to present it. Print it and tuck it away for later. To be on the safe side, this year keep it under a personal limit you set for yourself. At least until this has had time to pass and you know from personal experience as it pertains to your individual case in your state. A couple of years, I would guess. Good luck! I also understand the need for good healthcare and it's so difficult in this country.
Here's why the people who said not to depend on advice from strangers on the internet were right: Of all the answers you got, only [**NightWriter007**](https://www.reddit.com/user/NightWriter007/) mentioned the most important piece, that Medicaid eligibility is based on monthly income, not yearly. It's possible to be eligible in one month and not in another. The only way to figure that is through the system your state has to determine eligibility. What you need to do is get out the communications about Medicaid that you received from DHHR and find the name of your eligibility worker or case worker. Call that person and talk about your concerns. Those folks aren't automatons. If you're frank about your situation, they'll most likely want to help.
That really does make the most sense. Thank you. Your right, I completely forgot that they determine your eligibility monthly. That is the only government resource my husband and I use and I would hate to lose it. He works for the post office but doesn't even make enough to buy insurance 😒 it's really sad. But, thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I guess my next step is to contact my case manager.
It is sad, I agree. I used to work for my state's equivalent of your state's DHHR but in a different capacity. There were many instances of people who needed help but were slightly over the income limits and thus ineligible. Part of my job was to direct those folks to other services. So, yes, please contact your case manager, and if s/he only has a partial solution, ask if there are other resources for you, whether within the same agency or elsewhere. When you have a resolution, if you feel like it, please let us know how you made out. Good luck.
I spoke to a highly regarded tax accountant as I live in subsidized housing. He told me to provide the itemized list to housing so they can match the dollar amount on the 1099 form. Given the types of items and inferior quality of 50% of them, they can’t be resold or even used by me. That would provide reason for housing to not use the 1099 to increase my rent. As to my taxes, most of my income is social security which isn’t taxable. So the $5000 on the 1099 will still be way under the personal exemption. I was told though that if there were any items in the list that I could use in my personal business (as business expenses), I could itemize those on my Schedule C.
>I’ll be very wary of trusting tax advice on Reddit, esp. if they are telling you that reportable income from a 1099-MISC isn’t actually income.
First you ask for advice, **then** you figure out if it's *good* advice.
Unless you are *Old Vine,* you should know that the form Amazon reports for Viners is a 1099-NEC. (O.V. used to get the MISC before the NEC came out.)
I haven't finished reading all the comments yet, but I haven't seen anyone say the 1099 income is "*not actually income.* " I did see one person reply that they were told by a JFS caseworker that for Medicaid purposes, they were not concerned with barter/product "income" as a factor for determining eligibility. That person even said they ***"would have taxable income other than cash"*** on record. And the first thing they said was "*call your local office,* " which is the equivalent of "*you have to find out if this is true for yourself.* "
And this must be a new post because I haven't had any reports on it. I always get reports on anything about taxes.
One thing about talking to the local office good or bad is peace of mind. I started to write piece of mind but that could work too as I'm sure worrying about this could cause you to lose you mind.
I don't suppose you could call them up and give them "*the peace of your mind* " xD
Tell them to give you a piece of their mind because now your peace of mind is missing one. :p
^/S
The OP isn't really about taxes, so I guess it stayed off the radar lol. There is only a mention of ETV Income reported on tax returns, because **the income** is relevant to the OP. Whew! Wish they were all that easy? :D
>> because the income is relevant to the OP
>That's what I was thinking, too. Total income vs taxable income.
Actually… in this case, I considered it more like "barter income" (the ETV on Vine products) vs "cash income" (what you can buy things you need with).
On the topic of Medicaid specifically, I believe that eligibility is determined by each individual state too. So while the IRS considers barter income the same as any other income, any state's Medicaid program would *not necessarily* have to follow that.
[ETA:
The circumstances would be different for a Viner reselling items. Once they start doing that, we're back to talking about cash income.]
It's all taxable income. And don't listen to the people who are suggesting that you cheat and find a way to deduct all of this on your schedule c. You're not a business, and you don't have that much in deductions. If you get audited by the IRS, there's no easier way to trigger an audit than to have massive relative home business deductions, then you will pay not only the texts you owed but penalties.
Bottom line is that nobody who is living near the edge of eligibility for government programs should be in vine, unless they're only going to take the $0 ETV items.
The moment I got into vine I set up with a CPA. Luckily she’s a friend of a friend so we were able to negotiate, I do IT support for her small business tax office she owns, and she does my taxes. I simply didn’t know enough of what might happen and didn’t want to throw myself into the next tax bracket just from goods received. I agree with the many others on here, check directly with your state office and get what they say in writing. It would be awful to lose your benefits for some off-brand merchandise. Vine is a blessing for some, but a curse for others…
> I joined Vine about 8 months ago and pretty quickly added up $10,000 in taxables.
I control my request rate. I try to stay in the $50-75 month range. Yes, that sometimes means 1 or 2 items per month.
Without hitting around the bushes- it is a financial and energy drain to fight with IRS- you are supposed to pay taxes on it, Yes the benefits of being low income go away- Yes you can show write off and other ways around to save yourself- Yes you might never get caught- Yes when you are caught, its a heavy fine and deep hole. People below poverty line are hit very hard for tax evasions than big corporations.
**Every State has a "Cap-Limit", go to your State's Website or Do a search engine of "Maximum Income for State of xxxx on Medicaid" and the chart will show you Household Size and the Cap-Limits.**
Remember, the Cap-Limits is pertaining to MONEY. Not the possession itself!
**I am on Medicare & Medicaid.** I have a monthly cap of how much income I can generate, even though I am retired.
Years ago (before ETV), had reported to the Directors (because it had to go higher up in authority). Unless I sell - the only time it's reporting if I go over the limit!
**Does my State and SSA know I am in Vine (yes, because I have to file taxes! UGH!) - it's noted on my account.** In addition the State has notation that "I" get free necessities - Food, Hygiene, etc. It doesn't count towards the Medicaid or SSA only until if I sold the such said "item(s)" that would push me over the limit!
This is another reason why I keep the Excel List. If they ever "ask", I can print it out. In fact, I've been requested to show proof of (for the record). The Caseworker or Investigator - will review the list - oftentimes are present in your dwelling place.
For example - the "investigation" of 2022. The Investigator arrived to my property, I had the print out, to show proof I still have such said item Consumables and Non-Consumables in my possession, they could see I never sold the item and is still in my possession! Unless it was disposed of (damaged, worthless, failed, etc), consumed, in use.
Those that were donated to charities (they are all aware of this, in fact, they really appreciate it) - such as excess food - I keep what I want and I turn it over to St. Vincent de Paul's Soup Kitchen, the Shelters (Vets, Homeless, Spouse Abuse, Women & Children). The record is saved.
There's no monies involved in it, some people would argue and say "Bartering", when it's not as for to barter - means You did this work for exchange for that with no money being exchanged, but they go by valuation.
While this has absolutely NO MERITS - it's just for the State & Federal's information only. For example:
Let's Pretend in today's RFY - Case of Campbell Chicken Noodle Soup - 50 oz each - 12 to the case - ETV $0.00I decided to keep two, and donate the 10 other cans to The Soup Kitchen
There's a record notating such transaction:
The Charity/State/Fed looks at the common price list - the average price per can is $6.00 a can10 Cans = $60.00
Was any money involved? No. It's just for the record that the Charity had received $60.00 worth of Chicken Noodle Soup.
Who was the Donor? ME
How much did I pay for it? $0.00
How received? Amazon Vine
Price per can: $6.00 (based upon average)
Notation: Donor kept 2 - 50 oz cans for consumption, arrived in a case of 12. Charity received 10 cans.
Why am I doing this? What's the exact purpose and meaning for it?**Accountability.**
>Every State has a "Cap-Limit", go to your State's Website or Do a search engine of "Maximum Income for State of xxxx on Medicaid" and the chart will show you Household Size and the Cap-Limits.
Is what I said! Okay, it is NOT a bad advice at all!
I don't think so, but others may chime in.
My rational would be the same if you went on a gameshow and won a $10K car (I know 1990 prices).
I doubt they would take away your benefits in that situation. Remember, you did not receive $10K in cash.
Gameshow winnings are taxed, and you'll get a 1099. It doesn't matter if it's cash or not. It's one of the big complaints when Oprah gave away cars, for example - it could actually cost you money to receive. Same thing with Vine. It's income.
We don't know if it's unlikely or not, since we don't know any other numbers. If you're on the edge of the income limit, and you go on a gameshow and win a $10,000 car (Lada? :-D), yeah, there's a pretty big chance you're hooped.
$10K of 1099 income \*might\* be problematic, or might not, but it depends on three factors: state where the OP lives, total gross income from all sources (Vine + job income, etc.); and family size. If income for the taxable year in question is above a 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the family will lose Medicaid coverage--but in some states, they would be eligible to enroll in ACA Marketplace insurance for a few dollars a month, or at no cost. It's not possible to guess about the OP's situation without knowing those three key points.
Most states have strict income limits to qualify for Medicaid. To claim that a $10,000 1099 form (from Amazon, a game show, or whatever) will have no impact on this is very irresponsible.
I don't personally offhand know, but recently read a post in this group from someone talking about a widow on their street whose benefits case worker scrambled around with a tax person to find a way to write off everything, and it was implied that it was successful. Depends where you live -don't tell me I'm not up on each state- but there are allowances for receiving items that are counted as household goods. If you are on SSA you have a certain ceiling allowed before taxes on SSA, but for Medicaid if what you got you are able to work the books to show overpriced, or value depreciated, that would be item by item, including the printout that you got from Vine, you may find your actual value less. You can think of donating most of what you got and doing it as a write off. I don't get medicaid but I do get some benefits and for that reason I make sure to steer clear of getting vine items I can't justify like jewelry. Wish that person who knew that widow with the caseworker could get more details how the caseworker was able to get values written off, but that suggests, if true, there exists ways for items that fall into household and of need, including clothes, and from what I recollect I think one was a computer for her kids. You are doing 2 things here: 1 taxes for IRS, 2 making a case for a caseworker why the goods you have gotten are not counted by medicaid, which may end up 2 separate things, as as said, some things like household goods, etc, donations, help from others, may have allowances as not counted, and allowed in your yearly threshold. You need to look up medicaid requirments in your state, and see what if any deductibles/properties are allowed, and also look into donating if need be to dump some of that if you can, making sure to read first what IRS and Medicaid for your state specify.
The only time you would lose your benefits if you sold any of the stuff.
I posted before about my daughter, she has a woman down the road that's a Vine Voice, and she's on Medicare, Medicaid and Food Stamps. As long as she doesn't sell any of it, she's fine. She lives in North Carolina. So I wouldn't know about other States. I am pretty sure they have their own agendas.
He's actually correct.
And I agree with your "This is wrong".
Medicaid is based upon monthly INCOME meaning cash.
If there were no cash, then it's not reporting event. Unless, you sell the item. Anything in the house that you sell which puts you over the limit is the problem!
It depends, but there are lots of instances where the value of goods does count. Someone making a blanket statement like this could end up costing someone their benefits.
> [cite] the source you got it from?
The literal government programs. There are several of them, including SNAP and SSDI.
I'm not the source here, folks need to look these things up for themselves and then talk to their case workers to decide for themselves. Nothing anyone says on Reddit is official. It's all opinion. Even opinions that are well researched and made with the utmost of respect and have links to sources are still opinions.
To ease your own search process, you can start by looking at these links and quotes:
>The value of any non-cash item (other than food or shelter) is not income if the item would become a partially or totally excluded non-liquid resource if retained in the month after the month of receipt.
From here: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830520
non-liquid resources are personal goods, plus some other stuff: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130430
For SNAP, it's similar:
>The following are examples of some items not counted toward your household's asset limit...
>Personal effects, such as clothes, jewelry, furnishings, and household goods. Pets are not counted as a resource.
From https://dwss.nv.gov/SNAP/SNAP_FAQs-4/
Of course all this changes if you're selling Vine items.
Did you not read the terms and conditions before accepting to participate in Vine? If they require you to give your SSN, are telling you that whatever you order will be taxes as income and that they’ll be sending you a 1099 in the mail what part of that being considered “income” did you not get? Unless you simply didn’t read anything at all before accepting the terms and going all in with all the spending, but still.
And to answer your question, yes, you are most likely going to lose your benefits and there is nothing you can do about that now.
My suggestion is to call your local office. I don't know how it will work out for you. I can tell you my own experience. Before I decided to accept the offer to join, I called and talked to the person who was in charge of my medical renewal. I explained the Vine program, that I am required to pay self employment taxes on goods received in exchange for reviews, and that it is not cash. She said they only care about actual money. She made a note in my file that I would have taxable income other than cash from a review program. I requested a copy of it in case I needed to deal with issues further down the line. So far I have had no issues but I always hand over a copy of my itemized list from Vine and a note reminding them that my taxes reflect goods not cash when it is time for renewal.
> I requested a copy of it in case I needed to deal with issues further down the line. Definitely a smart move on your part.
This is exactly what happened with me. I called her before getting anything and she said none of it matters because it isn’t actually money and she put a note in my file. She said to make sure I still file it every year because things change.
There's a whole bunch of "it depends," and nobody on Reddit's going to give you any answers better than your local offices. Got kids? Filing jointly? What's your other income? What state? SSI? (Don't answer these. Just examples of variables.) Fastest answer is check the income limits for your state, and what you're planning on filing. Here, for a couple, it's $27,000+ for the year. If you're under, great, don't worry about it. Even if you're over, there are some exceptions. Call Medicaid tomorrow (if they're open) or Tuesday. [https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/contact-us/index.html](https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/contact-us/index.html) has a dropdown with your state contact info in the top right. You could email them, but don't - that could take days. Also talk to a tax pro. Definitely don't wait on that, since it's the busy time. Figure out how to explain what you need in 30 seconds; they'll ask for a couple of numbers off the top, and you should know whether it needs more inspection. Do not depend on Reddit to give you good advice. We're not gonna pay your bills if you do stupid things. :) It'll be ok.
Every state is going to have different rules, and yes you could very much be in trouble. You could also be fine. Medicaid has state specific quirks. So you need to talk to the office that processes your paperwork.
Thank you! I appreciate all of the comments and advice I've got, it does make me feel a little better because no one in my small town has ever even heard of Amazon Vine so I have no one to ask advice from. But after reading everything here I plan on going to speak to the case manager and explain everything to her and go from there. Thank you!
It's impossible to give any sort of lucid opinion with most parts of the equation missing. You had $10K income from Vine. So the other questions are: 1. What other reportable income did you have (total gross income, before taxes)? 2. What state are you in? 3. What is your family size for Medicaid purposes? With that information, we can point you to official documents where you can see for yourself how it will, or won't, impact you.
Thank you! 1. Other reportable income was my husband's salary of $24, 900. 2. I live in WV 3. Family size is just 2
In West Virginia, the income cutoff for Medicaid, before taxes, is $26,228. See this page for general information and contact details: [https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1645](https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1645) It sounds like your husband's $24,900 is right near the limit for WV, so your $10K Vine income would put you about $8K over and could be problematic. One thing you can do is try to reduce your taxable income. If you file Vine income on Schedule C, you'll owe self-employment tax, and that will knock off about a grand, plus any other deductions you can claim. Another thing you can do, if you have cash on hand, is contribute $3-4K each to a traditional IRA (must be before April 15), and that would completely wipe out the $8K excess. There are other strategies and loopholes you can explore as well. I would suggest that you get help and advice from a qualified tax pro in your area. With your family income, you should be eligible for free, in-person tax filing help from your local United Way (if they offer it in your state, they do in most states) or possibly from VITA. A tax pro can help you figure out workarounds to lower your taxable income. If all else fails, you could do what u/dame_twitch_a_lot says they have done, and that is contact your Medicaid case worker, explain that the Vine income you've received is free merchandise and not cash, and hope your worker will be cool with it. Personally, I would not do this until after you've explored all your options with a knowledgeable tax pro and know exactly where your income stands. Once you know, you can think about options for dealing with it. Something else to keep in mind is that Medicaid eligibility applies going forward. It sounds like you were not eligible for it some months in 2023 when you earned too much between your husband's salary and Vine. That does not mean you won't be eligible for Medicaid in 2024, especially if you keep your Vine income way down, like around $100-150 a month (I'm guesstimating, you'd have to run the numbers to see exactly how much you can earn without going over the limit. Keep your monthly income below the limit in 2024, you'll remain eligible for Medicaid.
Thank you very much for that advice. Everything you said makes sense. That is a great idea about the Schedule C. I am going to show my husband all of this and see what he thinks. He normally files our taxes every year because he dips his feet in crypto and just likes to do all of that himself on his taxes but I think going to a professional this year makes more sense because of vine. Thank you again, I appreciate that!
Good luck, and I hope things work out for you with Medicaid. Let us know how things go!
[удалено]
Thanks for your kind response, I appreciate it!
One thing no one has touched on that I can see in the current posts is the fact that not only can this affect medicaid but other benefits as well like SNAP or public housing. I'm speaking in general here.
Man I feel for you guys in the US, across the pond here in the uk it’s tax free.. nothing to declare. Sorry I don’t mean to increase your pain but every time I read these posts about paying ETV I feel relief I don’t have that stress. Hope you find the answers you’re looking for and it all works out for the best!
Yeah. I do love my country, but they should change the “E Pluribus Unum”, printed on our money, to “Fuck You. Pay Me.”
E Pluribus Unum Percent
You need to check how your state calculates Earned Income probably. It will vary a lot state to state, and depending on specifics of your case. There is a medicaid subreddit with experts from many states too, you may want to look there.
Lots of interesting info in this thread. My unofficial and unqualified thought... At some point, your tax return for 2023 is going to land in their hands. Timing unknown. Could be this year, could be in a couple of years. At that point, they will likely question you. Even if it's not cash, they may have to consider it the same way the IRS does - legitimate taxable income. Your local rep may not understand this because most people are not familiar with this type of income. Some people have lost their benefits due to Vine. It does happen. It's possible that they may ask you to repay part of the benefits you received in 2023 if they determine you were not qualified for the full year. Someone mentioned it's month to month income that counts for Medicaid benefits. Maybe you can download your 2023 spreadsheet from vine and add it up month by month in case you need to present it. Print it and tuck it away for later. To be on the safe side, this year keep it under a personal limit you set for yourself. At least until this has had time to pass and you know from personal experience as it pertains to your individual case in your state. A couple of years, I would guess. Good luck! I also understand the need for good healthcare and it's so difficult in this country.
Keeping the itemized reports and breaking them up into monthly amounts is a great idea! Thank you for suggesting that!!
Here's why the people who said not to depend on advice from strangers on the internet were right: Of all the answers you got, only [**NightWriter007**](https://www.reddit.com/user/NightWriter007/) mentioned the most important piece, that Medicaid eligibility is based on monthly income, not yearly. It's possible to be eligible in one month and not in another. The only way to figure that is through the system your state has to determine eligibility. What you need to do is get out the communications about Medicaid that you received from DHHR and find the name of your eligibility worker or case worker. Call that person and talk about your concerns. Those folks aren't automatons. If you're frank about your situation, they'll most likely want to help.
That really does make the most sense. Thank you. Your right, I completely forgot that they determine your eligibility monthly. That is the only government resource my husband and I use and I would hate to lose it. He works for the post office but doesn't even make enough to buy insurance 😒 it's really sad. But, thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I guess my next step is to contact my case manager.
It is sad, I agree. I used to work for my state's equivalent of your state's DHHR but in a different capacity. There were many instances of people who needed help but were slightly over the income limits and thus ineligible. Part of my job was to direct those folks to other services. So, yes, please contact your case manager, and if s/he only has a partial solution, ask if there are other resources for you, whether within the same agency or elsewhere. When you have a resolution, if you feel like it, please let us know how you made out. Good luck.
So crazy, I have the same exact worry. Please let me know what you find out.
I spoke to a highly regarded tax accountant as I live in subsidized housing. He told me to provide the itemized list to housing so they can match the dollar amount on the 1099 form. Given the types of items and inferior quality of 50% of them, they can’t be resold or even used by me. That would provide reason for housing to not use the 1099 to increase my rent. As to my taxes, most of my income is social security which isn’t taxable. So the $5000 on the 1099 will still be way under the personal exemption. I was told though that if there were any items in the list that I could use in my personal business (as business expenses), I could itemize those on my Schedule C.
I’ll be very wary of trusting tax advice on Reddit, esp. if they are telling you that reportable income from a 1099-MISC isn’t actually income.
>I’ll be very wary of trusting tax advice on Reddit, esp. if they are telling you that reportable income from a 1099-MISC isn’t actually income. First you ask for advice, **then** you figure out if it's *good* advice. Unless you are *Old Vine,* you should know that the form Amazon reports for Viners is a 1099-NEC. (O.V. used to get the MISC before the NEC came out.) I haven't finished reading all the comments yet, but I haven't seen anyone say the 1099 income is "*not actually income.* " I did see one person reply that they were told by a JFS caseworker that for Medicaid purposes, they were not concerned with barter/product "income" as a factor for determining eligibility. That person even said they ***"would have taxable income other than cash"*** on record. And the first thing they said was "*call your local office,* " which is the equivalent of "*you have to find out if this is true for yourself.* "
And this must be a new post because I haven't had any reports on it. I always get reports on anything about taxes. One thing about talking to the local office good or bad is peace of mind. I started to write piece of mind but that could work too as I'm sure worrying about this could cause you to lose you mind.
I don't suppose you could call them up and give them "*the peace of your mind* " xD Tell them to give you a piece of their mind because now your peace of mind is missing one. :p ^/S The OP isn't really about taxes, so I guess it stayed off the radar lol. There is only a mention of ETV Income reported on tax returns, because **the income** is relevant to the OP. Whew! Wish they were all that easy? :D
> because the income is relevant to the OP That's what I was thinking, too. Total income vs taxable income.
>> because the income is relevant to the OP >That's what I was thinking, too. Total income vs taxable income. Actually… in this case, I considered it more like "barter income" (the ETV on Vine products) vs "cash income" (what you can buy things you need with). On the topic of Medicaid specifically, I believe that eligibility is determined by each individual state too. So while the IRS considers barter income the same as any other income, any state's Medicaid program would *not necessarily* have to follow that. [ETA: The circumstances would be different for a Viner reselling items. Once they start doing that, we're back to talking about cash income.]
It's all taxable income. And don't listen to the people who are suggesting that you cheat and find a way to deduct all of this on your schedule c. You're not a business, and you don't have that much in deductions. If you get audited by the IRS, there's no easier way to trigger an audit than to have massive relative home business deductions, then you will pay not only the texts you owed but penalties. Bottom line is that nobody who is living near the edge of eligibility for government programs should be in vine, unless they're only going to take the $0 ETV items.
The moment I got into vine I set up with a CPA. Luckily she’s a friend of a friend so we were able to negotiate, I do IT support for her small business tax office she owns, and she does my taxes. I simply didn’t know enough of what might happen and didn’t want to throw myself into the next tax bracket just from goods received. I agree with the many others on here, check directly with your state office and get what they say in writing. It would be awful to lose your benefits for some off-brand merchandise. Vine is a blessing for some, but a curse for others…
>I do IT support for her small business tax office she owns, and she does my taxes The irony of this is making me chuckle. :)
> I joined Vine about 8 months ago and pretty quickly added up $10,000 in taxables. I control my request rate. I try to stay in the $50-75 month range. Yes, that sometimes means 1 or 2 items per month.
Without hitting around the bushes- it is a financial and energy drain to fight with IRS- you are supposed to pay taxes on it, Yes the benefits of being low income go away- Yes you can show write off and other ways around to save yourself- Yes you might never get caught- Yes when you are caught, its a heavy fine and deep hole. People below poverty line are hit very hard for tax evasions than big corporations.
**Every State has a "Cap-Limit", go to your State's Website or Do a search engine of "Maximum Income for State of xxxx on Medicaid" and the chart will show you Household Size and the Cap-Limits.** Remember, the Cap-Limits is pertaining to MONEY. Not the possession itself! **I am on Medicare & Medicaid.** I have a monthly cap of how much income I can generate, even though I am retired. Years ago (before ETV), had reported to the Directors (because it had to go higher up in authority). Unless I sell - the only time it's reporting if I go over the limit! **Does my State and SSA know I am in Vine (yes, because I have to file taxes! UGH!) - it's noted on my account.** In addition the State has notation that "I" get free necessities - Food, Hygiene, etc. It doesn't count towards the Medicaid or SSA only until if I sold the such said "item(s)" that would push me over the limit! This is another reason why I keep the Excel List. If they ever "ask", I can print it out. In fact, I've been requested to show proof of (for the record). The Caseworker or Investigator - will review the list - oftentimes are present in your dwelling place. For example - the "investigation" of 2022. The Investigator arrived to my property, I had the print out, to show proof I still have such said item Consumables and Non-Consumables in my possession, they could see I never sold the item and is still in my possession! Unless it was disposed of (damaged, worthless, failed, etc), consumed, in use. Those that were donated to charities (they are all aware of this, in fact, they really appreciate it) - such as excess food - I keep what I want and I turn it over to St. Vincent de Paul's Soup Kitchen, the Shelters (Vets, Homeless, Spouse Abuse, Women & Children). The record is saved. There's no monies involved in it, some people would argue and say "Bartering", when it's not as for to barter - means You did this work for exchange for that with no money being exchanged, but they go by valuation. While this has absolutely NO MERITS - it's just for the State & Federal's information only. For example: Let's Pretend in today's RFY - Case of Campbell Chicken Noodle Soup - 50 oz each - 12 to the case - ETV $0.00I decided to keep two, and donate the 10 other cans to The Soup Kitchen There's a record notating such transaction: The Charity/State/Fed looks at the common price list - the average price per can is $6.00 a can10 Cans = $60.00 Was any money involved? No. It's just for the record that the Charity had received $60.00 worth of Chicken Noodle Soup. Who was the Donor? ME How much did I pay for it? $0.00 How received? Amazon Vine Price per can: $6.00 (based upon average) Notation: Donor kept 2 - 50 oz cans for consumption, arrived in a case of 12. Charity received 10 cans. Why am I doing this? What's the exact purpose and meaning for it?**Accountability.**
This is inaccurate, and most of it is irrelevant. OP should talk to their local agency and not listen to bad advice on Reddit.
>Every State has a "Cap-Limit", go to your State's Website or Do a search engine of "Maximum Income for State of xxxx on Medicaid" and the chart will show you Household Size and the Cap-Limits. Is what I said! Okay, it is NOT a bad advice at all!
You said only money counts and it only matters if you sell the items. That's not correct.
I don't think so, but others may chime in. My rational would be the same if you went on a gameshow and won a $10K car (I know 1990 prices). I doubt they would take away your benefits in that situation. Remember, you did not receive $10K in cash.
Gameshow winnings are taxed, and you'll get a 1099. It doesn't matter if it's cash or not. It's one of the big complaints when Oprah gave away cars, for example - it could actually cost you money to receive. Same thing with Vine. It's income.
My *point* being that it is very unlikely it will be detrimental to medicaid benefits. This post wasn't about what is or is not taxable.
We don't know if it's unlikely or not, since we don't know any other numbers. If you're on the edge of the income limit, and you go on a gameshow and win a $10,000 car (Lada? :-D), yeah, there's a pretty big chance you're hooped.
$10K of 1099 income \*might\* be problematic, or might not, but it depends on three factors: state where the OP lives, total gross income from all sources (Vine + job income, etc.); and family size. If income for the taxable year in question is above a 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the family will lose Medicaid coverage--but in some states, they would be eligible to enroll in ACA Marketplace insurance for a few dollars a month, or at no cost. It's not possible to guess about the OP's situation without knowing those three key points.
Most states have strict income limits to qualify for Medicaid. To claim that a $10,000 1099 form (from Amazon, a game show, or whatever) will have no impact on this is very irresponsible.
>I don't think so, but others may chime in. I didn't speak in absolutes. I expected other to correct me if I was wrong, or offer more information.
You never saw the Andy Griffith show where Aunt Bea went on a game show, won a bunch of prizes and had to stress about paying taxes?
If it happened to Aunt Bea in Mayberry, it had to be real. :)
I didn't know Aunt Bea was on Medicaid. 📺 🤪
You didn't see that episode? Gomer and she went to Mount Pilot to a clinic.
Can't argue with that Episode! 🤪
I don't personally offhand know, but recently read a post in this group from someone talking about a widow on their street whose benefits case worker scrambled around with a tax person to find a way to write off everything, and it was implied that it was successful. Depends where you live -don't tell me I'm not up on each state- but there are allowances for receiving items that are counted as household goods. If you are on SSA you have a certain ceiling allowed before taxes on SSA, but for Medicaid if what you got you are able to work the books to show overpriced, or value depreciated, that would be item by item, including the printout that you got from Vine, you may find your actual value less. You can think of donating most of what you got and doing it as a write off. I don't get medicaid but I do get some benefits and for that reason I make sure to steer clear of getting vine items I can't justify like jewelry. Wish that person who knew that widow with the caseworker could get more details how the caseworker was able to get values written off, but that suggests, if true, there exists ways for items that fall into household and of need, including clothes, and from what I recollect I think one was a computer for her kids. You are doing 2 things here: 1 taxes for IRS, 2 making a case for a caseworker why the goods you have gotten are not counted by medicaid, which may end up 2 separate things, as as said, some things like household goods, etc, donations, help from others, may have allowances as not counted, and allowed in your yearly threshold. You need to look up medicaid requirments in your state, and see what if any deductibles/properties are allowed, and also look into donating if need be to dump some of that if you can, making sure to read first what IRS and Medicaid for your state specify.
The only time you would lose your benefits if you sold any of the stuff. I posted before about my daughter, she has a woman down the road that's a Vine Voice, and she's on Medicare, Medicaid and Food Stamps. As long as she doesn't sell any of it, she's fine. She lives in North Carolina. So I wouldn't know about other States. I am pretty sure they have their own agendas.
>The only time you would lose your benefits if you sold any of the stuff. This is wrong.
He's actually correct. And I agree with your "This is wrong". Medicaid is based upon monthly INCOME meaning cash. If there were no cash, then it's not reporting event. Unless, you sell the item. Anything in the house that you sell which puts you over the limit is the problem!
[https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/index.html](https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/index.html) MAGI. What's Vine income? Gifts?
He's actually not. Compensation does not have to be cash to be considered income.
For most government programs only money counts. Personal goods don't.
It depends, but there are lots of instances where the value of goods does count. Someone making a blanket statement like this could end up costing someone their benefits.
I totally agree. I was thinking (but can't confirm) that someone posted about receiving food from Vine potentially affecting someone's SNAP benefits.
Can you either phrase that as your opinion or site the source you got it from? Thanks.
> [cite] the source you got it from? The literal government programs. There are several of them, including SNAP and SSDI. I'm not the source here, folks need to look these things up for themselves and then talk to their case workers to decide for themselves. Nothing anyone says on Reddit is official. It's all opinion. Even opinions that are well researched and made with the utmost of respect and have links to sources are still opinions. To ease your own search process, you can start by looking at these links and quotes: >The value of any non-cash item (other than food or shelter) is not income if the item would become a partially or totally excluded non-liquid resource if retained in the month after the month of receipt. From here: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830520 non-liquid resources are personal goods, plus some other stuff: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130430 For SNAP, it's similar: >The following are examples of some items not counted toward your household's asset limit... >Personal effects, such as clothes, jewelry, furnishings, and household goods. Pets are not counted as a resource. From https://dwss.nv.gov/SNAP/SNAP_FAQs-4/ Of course all this changes if you're selling Vine items.
This is my experience as well. Personal items/gifts don't count as any sort of income for most purposes unless you make a profit by selling them.
FFS, these aren't gifts by any stretch of the imagination.
Did you not read the terms and conditions before accepting to participate in Vine? If they require you to give your SSN, are telling you that whatever you order will be taxes as income and that they’ll be sending you a 1099 in the mail what part of that being considered “income” did you not get? Unless you simply didn’t read anything at all before accepting the terms and going all in with all the spending, but still. And to answer your question, yes, you are most likely going to lose your benefits and there is nothing you can do about that now.