Filing Time: Now Where’s My World of Warcraft 1099?

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

This has been discussed for a while, but experts say, with the growth rates of MMORPGs and the number of transactions between players, that the day when you will receive a 1099 form from Blizzard for your World of Warcraft account is rapidly approaching.

“Given growth rates of 10 to 15 percent a month, the question is when, not if, Congress and IRS start paying attention to these issues,” said Dan Miller, a senior economist with the Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, who is also a fan of virtual worlds. “So it is incumbent on us to set the terms and the debate so we have a shaped tax policy toward virtual worlds and virtual economies in a favorable way.”

And while Miller’s committee began examining these issues in October, his comments Saturday suggested wider future congressional oversight and setting of IRS tax policy than had previously been indicated. That’s in spite of the fact that Miller said his committee, and Congress in general, is not out to gouge virtual world players. Source: News.com

We Say: I can see a day where companies will not only try to advertise their gameplay but how effectively they manage your tax affairs for you while playing.