The Internal Revenue Service requires businesses to send subcontractors a Form 1099-MISC for all tax years in which the business paid the subcontractor more than $600. The subcontractor can then use the form to prepare his taxes. Since a subcontractor is not an employee, the business will not withhold any taxes from the subcontractor's compensation, and the 1099 will only list the total compensation received by the subcontractor during the tax year.