4 ms·

Maybe just wait until next October and contact the IRS and see what 1099s have been filed using your name.

• mindslight 4y ago
  My amateur analysis - If OP really has no idea why the payment was sent and does not feel entitled to it, I'd judge it as not being income in the current year. While OP is in possession of it (per "cash basis"), it's only by clerical error. They're not free to do with the money as they'd like (eg spend it), and thus they're in the position of a trustee rather than someone who has received personal income. Remember, not every payment coming into your bank account is a taxable event. If OP receives a 1099 for it, or they file their taxes and then receive a notice that the IRS has a 1099, then they declare it as income (since the 1099 indicates the payment had intent), distribute the money to themselves by moving it to a different account where it can't be ACH reversed, and consider the matter settled. Failing that, if some time down the line Google confirms it as a legitimate payment or the clock runs out, then you distribute it to yourself and declare it as income at the time of distribution, regardless of the missing 1099. Alternatively, if Google demands/pulls the payment back and you haven't paid taxes on it, case closed. If Google does somehow issue a 1099 and then later ends up demanding the money back, then I'd say OP has a strong case that at the very least Google owes them for all the resulting damage of having to refile their taxes, etc. And given that OP is in possession of the money and outside the ACH reversal window, Google would have to mount a legal offense to get it back where OP could argue this point.