united-states tax-law
Is money received for donating blood supposed to be listed on income taxes?
<p>My question pertains to law in the United States.</p>
<p>In the United States, when people donate blood plasma, they are sometimes given money. For example $50.00, to spend 4 hours donating 880ml of blood plasma.</p>
<p>Legally speaking, is this income supposed to be reported to the United States Internal Revenue Service?</p>

<p>There are numerous and conflicting Google results, ranging from people saying giving plasma is a &quot;donation&quot; and as such can't be taxed because it's from your own body (and sometimes because you're being paid in a gift card), all the way to accounting firms saying the money is earned income and must be declared as miscellaneous income on tax returns if you earn more than $600/year, and even if you don't get a 1099 from the plasma collecting company.</p>
<p>It's pretty easy to see that donating plasma or blood can be seen as gross income, which is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, gross income means all
income from whatever source derived,...
<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/61" rel="nofollow noreferrer">26 U.S. Code § 61 - Gross income defined | Legal Information Institute Cornell</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's up to you if you wanted to fight the IRS over it.</p>
