Compensation can be a complex subject when the IRS gets involved. You do have the $600 threshhold correct--and that is the total for your fiscal year [typically January 1 to December 31]. If you pay a model $200 in January, then again in August, and a final shoot in December, you are required to prepare a 1099 for that model, plus submit a copy to the IRS among other paper work.

What gets tricky is when that model becomes more like an employee than a private contractor. Just calling them a private contractor does not make it so if that person works for you on a regular basis. A model that does one shoot for $150 and then disappears is not an employee and is below the threshhold for 1099 reporting. A model with a regular work schedule for you, even if paid by the shoot, is likely an employee. The gray area in between is the tough part, but there are tests that your tax professional can use to help you determine if a model should receive a 1099, a W-2 , or is exempt from reporting all together.