President Obama signed legislation Thursday, April 14 repealing the expanded 1099 reporting requirements in the health care reform law and Small Business Jobs Act.

Congress succeeded in repealing the 1099 requirements earlier this month after numerous votes on competing versions of the legislation (see Congress Votes to Repeal 1099 Requirements). The widely unpopular rules would have required businesses to report any purchases of goods or services of more than $600 a year from another vendor to the IRS on a Form 1099-MISC.

“This is a big win for small businesses,” wrote SBA Administrator Karen Mills in a blog post. “The SBA and President Obama supported repealing this provision, which would have required businesses to send 1099 forms for all purchases of goods and services over $600 annually. With this bipartisan effort, we have removed a requirement that would have been an undue barrier to small business growth. The many benefits of the health reform law for small businesses remain in place. These tools are already helping small business owners find more affordable and accessible coverage for themselves and their employees.”

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., praised the repeal.  “After nearly a year-long battle to repeal the onerous 1099 provisions enacted by Democrats, I am pleased the President has now signed their repeal into law,” he said. “On the eve of Tax Day, small businesses can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief that one of the many burdens the Democrats’ health care law would have placed on them has been repealed. Instead, small businesses can focus more of their energies and resources on creating jobs, not filling out yet another form for the IRS.”

— Cohn writes for Accounting Today, a SourceMedia publication.