Bartering: A Taxable Event

We would say fun fact Friday, but honestly how fun can tax facts be? Either way, did you know that bartering is taxable?

Taxation of Bartering: The IRS considers bartering—a trade of goods or services—as taxable income. So, if you exchange your 💻 web design services for a few 🍗 free meals at a local restaurant, the IRS expects you to report the fair market value of those meals as income.

While this rule makes sense in principle, it has led to some funny scenarios where people wonder if they need to track and report every small exchange, like swapping cookies for gardening help with a neighbor!