Another free option worth mentioning is FreeTaxUSA Business - they offer 1099 preparation and e-filing at a much lower cost than most other services. I used them last year for about 15 contractors and found their interface really user-friendly. You can import contractor information from a CSV file if you have it organized in a spreadsheet, which saves tons of time versus entering everything manually. They handle both the IRS Copy A filing electronically and generate clean PDF copies for your contractors. The whole process took me maybe an hour including the e-filing submission. They also send email confirmations when the IRS accepts your filings, which gives good peace of mind that everything went through properly.

For a professional approach without breaking the bank, I'd recommend starting with the IRS fillable PDFs as your first option. You can download the current year's Form 1099-NEC and Form 1096 directly from irs.gov, fill them out electronically, and print them on regular paper for your contractors (Copy B). This gives you that clean, professional look you're after. However, since you mentioned having "several" contractors, you might want to consider one of the automated services mentioned here like taxr.ai or FreeTaxUSA Business, especially if you're dealing with more than 3-4 forms. The time savings and reduced error potential often justify the small cost. One critical point - remember that Copy A (the red scannable version that goes to the IRS) requires either official pre-printed forms from an office supply store OR electronic filing. You can't just print Copy A on regular paper. The electronic filing route through services like FIRE or third-party providers eliminates this issue entirely. Also, don't forget the January 31st deadline for both providing forms to contractors AND filing with the IRS - it's coming up fast! Good luck with your filings.

Just went through this last month!!! The way it was explained to me is super simple: 1) company gave me $18k for moving expenses 2) but that $18k is taxable income so I'd lose like $5k to taxes 3) company doesn't want me to lose that $5k, so they ALSO give me enough extra money to cover those taxes 4) but that extra money is ALSO taxable! 5) so they do this calculation that ends up being more than just the taxes on the original amount On my paystub it showed up almost exactly like yours - a big gross up amount and then this weird "offset" that confused the hell out of me. In the end, my tax guy said it's all correct and the company is paying the full freight including all the taxes. Don't worry about it!

This is actually a really common source of confusion! I work in HR and see this question all the time during relocation season. What you're seeing is completely normal and your company is actually doing you a huge favor. Think of it this way: without the gross up, you would have received your relocation reimbursement and then been hit with a massive tax bill at the end of the year. Instead, your company calculated how much extra they needed to pay you so that after all taxes are paid, you're essentially made whole. The $21,950 offset isn't money being taken away from you - it's just the payroll system's way of showing the math behind the gross up calculation. Your company determined they needed to pay you an additional $31,000 total to cover both your relocation costs AND all the associated taxes. Of that $31K, about $22K was specifically the "tax cushion" portion. Come tax time, yes, the full $31K will be reported as taxable income on your W-2, but remember - your company already factored that into their calculation. You should end up in roughly the same tax position as if the relocation never happened, which is the whole point of doing a gross up in the first place.

I'm also with BoA and waiting on a 3/24 DDD! Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like we're definitely waiting until the actual date. I've been checking obsessively too, but I'm going to try to be patient and just check Monday morning. One thing I noticed is that my transcript shows the 846 code with 20240324, so that seems to confirm the exact date. Has anyone else noticed if BoA sends a mobile notification when the deposit hits, or do you have to check the app manually? Trying to figure out if I'll know right away or need to keep checking throughout Monday morning.

I'm with BoA too and have been through this waiting game before! From my experience over the past few years, they are very strict about the DDD - no early deposits like some of the other banks offer. I'd recommend checking your IRS transcript to make sure that 3/24 date is solid (look for the 846 code). If March 24th falls on a weekend, it might actually deposit on the next business day instead. The good news is BoA usually processes these early in the morning once the date hits, typically between midnight and 6am. I know the waiting is torture when you're expecting a refund, but at least with BoA you can count on it being very predictable timing-wise!

just curious - how long ago did u file the injured spouse form?

Ugh I feel your pain! Same situation happened to me last year - filed jointly and got hit with the child support offset. The waiting is the worst part honestly. I ended up using taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was super helpful for understanding exactly what was happening with my refund. It showed me the breakdown of how much was being taken vs what I'd actually get back. Way better than trying to decode those cryptic transcript codes myself! Hang in there, the money will come eventually 🤞

Hey Micah! I totally feel your frustration - the empty transcript thing is so stressful when you're waiting for your refund. From what I've seen in this community, it's pretty normal for transcripts to stay blank for 3-4 weeks after filing, especially early in the season when the IRS is still ramping up processing. The good news is that efiling usually means you're in a better spot than paper filers. I'd say give it another week or two before really worrying. In the meantime, you can always check the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website for any status updates. Hang in there! 🤞

Same exact situation here! Filed electronically 3 weeks ago and my transcript is completely empty - not even my basic info shows up. I've been checking every few days and it's driving me crazy seeing everyone else's transcripts with all these codes and cycle dates. At least I know I'm not alone in this! The waiting is the worst part, especially when you're expecting a decent refund. Hopefully we'll see some movement soon 🤞