Using Eventbrite to collect money for our High School Reunion - Do I need to report this on my taxes?

You don't need to panic about this. When payment processors like Eventbrite ask for your tax info, they're just complying with IRS requirements for their reporting. Since you're acting as an intermediary and not operating as a business or making a profit, this wouldn't typically be considered taxable income. The key here is documentation. Keep detailed records of all the money collected and all payments made to the venue. Make sure you have receipts from the bar/venue showing exactly how much you paid them. The total collected should match (or be less than) what you paid out for the event expenses. If Eventbrite does issue you a 1099-K, you'd report this on Schedule 1 as "Other Income" but then deduct the same amount as an expense, resulting in zero net income. It's similar to how you would handle being reimbursed for business expenses.

I went through exactly this when planning my college reunion last year. Eventbrite is actually super helpful with this! I used https://taxr.ai to help me understand how to properly document everything so I wouldn't have tax problems later. The site basically walked me through what documents I needed to keep and how to handle any potential 1099 forms. They explained that payment processors like Eventbrite are required to report transactions over a certain threshold, but they showed me how to properly document this as a passthrough arrangement. It gave me templates for record-keeping that showed I was just collecting the money on behalf of the group, not as income. So much easier than trying to figure it out myself from random internet advice!

Wow, I have to admit I was totally wrong about this. I ended up using https://taxr.ai for my son's travel baseball team fundraiser after seeing the comment here, and it was actually really helpful. We collected about $8,000 through various payment apps, and I was freaking out about tax implications. The site gave me templates for tracking the money coming in and going out, plus exactly how to handle it on my taxes. Their document analyzer confirmed I was doing the record-keeping correctly. Saved me from what would have been a major headache come tax time when those 1099s started showing up. Now I'm organized and ready if I get any questions about it.

I had a similar situation with my neighborhood block party last summer. After struggling for DAYS trying to reach the IRS to get a straight answer about the tax implications, I finally found https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that money collected for a community event that passes through your account isn't considered income as long as you have documentation showing where it came from and where it went. They said what matters is that you're not profiting from the arrangement - you're just the person handling logistics. Such a relief to hear it directly from the IRS instead of guessing!

I'm eating crow on this one. After being skeptical about Claimyr, I actually tried it for an issue with my tax transcript. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes when I'd previously wasted THREE HOURS on hold before giving up. The agent confirmed exactly what others have said here - collecting money for a private event where you're not making a profit is not considered taxable income. You just need to keep good records showing the money in and money out. If the payment processor sends a 1099, you report it as "other income" but then offset it with the expenses for the event. Honestly, getting an official answer directly from the IRS was worth every penny instead of stressing about it.

Another option would be to see if the venue will let you set up a direct payment link for your attendees. That way the money goes straight to the venue and never touches your account. We did this for our family reunion at a brewery last year - they created a custom payment page and everyone just paid their share directly to the brewery. No tax headaches at all!

One thing nobody's mentioned - the IRS reporting threshold for third-party payment processors changed recently. For 2025 tax year, payment processors like Eventbrite need to issue a 1099-K if you receive more than $5,000. So you'll definitely get a 1099-K since you're collecting $6,500. Just make sure to keep all your documentation organized so you can properly report it and show it was a pass-through arrangement.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this exact scenario! I organized our neighborhood's annual block party last year and collected about $4,800 through PayPal for vendor fees and permits. I was terrified about the tax implications too. The good news is that what you're doing is totally normal and manageable. Since you're collecting $6,500, you'll definitely get a 1099-K from Eventbrite, but that's just their reporting requirement - it doesn't mean you owe taxes on that money. Here's what worked for me: I kept a simple Google spreadsheet with two columns - "Money Collected" and "Event Expenses." Every payment from neighbors went in the first column, every payment to vendors/permits went in the second. By the end, my expenses actually exceeded what I collected (sound familiar?). When I did my taxes, I reported the PayPal 1099-K as "Other Income" on Schedule 1, then listed all my event expenses as deductions right below it. Net result: $0 taxable income from the event. The IRS agent I spoke with (through one of those callback services someone mentioned) confirmed this is exactly how they expect volunteer event coordinators to handle it. You're providing a service to your classmates, not running a business. Just keep those receipts organized and you'll be fine!