Can you file a 1099 income in the next tax year if you forgot this year?

I just made this account to ask a question that's been stressing me out. So I filed my taxes last week and literally the next day I received two 1099 forms in the mail for some freelance work I did last year that completely slipped my mind (facepalm). The tax software I used has this note saying I should wait until I get my refund before filing an amendment. But when I mentioned this to my sister yesterday, she was like "why not just include those 1099s when you file next year?" and that got me thinking. Is that actually allowed? I mean, can I just report this income on next year's taxes instead of amending this year's return? I know it's physically possible to do, but would the IRS consider that legit or could I still get hit with penalties if I wait a whole year? I'm worried about doing the wrong thing. If the IRS doesn't automatically catch and fix it (do they even do that?), I might just amend after getting my refund anyway. But I'd really like to know what the proper way to handle this is.

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22 comments

Daniela Rossi

•8M

No, you cannot file your 1099 income from 2024 on your 2025 tax return. Income must be reported in the tax year it was earned. You need to file an amendment (Form 1040-X) for the tax year these 1099s were issued. Your tax software is giving you good advice - wait until your original return is processed and you receive your refund before filing the amendment. This makes the process cleaner for both you and the IRS. The reason is that if you file an amendment before your original return is processed, it can cause confusion in the system and potentially delay everything. As for penalties, the IRS can charge failure-to-pay penalties and interest on any additional tax owed from the unreported 1099 income. The sooner you file the amendment, the less these penalties will be.

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Daniela Rossi

•8M

Yes, the IRS will almost certainly catch missing 1099 income because these forms are reported directly to them by the payer. Their automated matching system will flag the discrepancy between what was reported to them and what you reported on your return. If the IRS catches it before you amend, they'll send you a CP2000 notice (proposed tax adjustment) which typically includes the additional tax plus interest and possibly penalties. By filing an amendment yourself before they catch it, you demonstrate good faith compliance which can sometimes result in penalty abatement, though you'll still owe the tax and interest on the late payment.

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Zoe Walker

•8M

After struggling with almost this exact situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was a game changer. I had forgotten about some freelance work and wasn't sure how to handle the late 1099s. Their system analyzed my tax docs and clearly showed me exactly what I needed to do with the amendment and even calculated the potential impact on my refund. The nice thing was it gave me a really clear breakdown of the deadlines and potential penalties so I could make an informed decision about when to file the amendment. Saved me hours of stressing and googling contradictory advice.

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Zoe Walker

•8M

You upload your tax documents, including your already-filed return and any new forms you've received, and it analyzes everything to show you the discrepancies and what actions you need to take. It's super straightforward for situations exactly like missing 1099s. This is different from TurboTax or H&R Block because it's specifically designed to analyze document discrepancies and give you guidance on amendments, not just prepare your initial return. It focuses on finding issues between what you filed and what the IRS has on record, then outlines the exact steps to fix it - something the big tax prep software doesn't do well.

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Elijah Brown

•8M

Just wanted to follow up! I checked out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was exactly what I needed. I uploaded my return and the 1099s I received late, and it immediately showed me what I needed to amend and calculated the potential tax difference. The step-by-step amendment instructions were super clear! I was stressing about possibly doing this wrong, but their system showed me the IRS would have caught the missing income anyway and calculated what the penalties might be if I waited vs. amended now. Totally worth it for the peace of mind and probably saved me from a bigger headache later.

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Natalie Chen

•8M

If you're getting overwhelmed trying to reach the IRS about your amendment questions (like I was), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent HOURS trying to get through to an IRS agent about a similar amended return situation with late 1099s, and their callback service actually got me connected to a real person at the IRS in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically they navigate the IRS phone tree for you and get you in the callback queue. Honestly thought it wouldn't work but I was desperate after trying for days to get through on my own.

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Natalie Chen

•8M

It doesn't just call for you - it uses a system that navigates the IRS phone menus and secures you a spot in the callback queue. Then the IRS calls YOU back directly, so you're still talking directly with the IRS, not a third party. The reason it works is that their system knows exactly when to call and which options to select to maximize your chances of getting in the queue before it fills up. The IRS does answer their phones, but the queue fills up incredibly fast, especially during tax season, so timing is everything.

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Maria Gonzalez

•8M

I have to admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing 1099 situation, so I tried it anyway. Honestly shocked that it worked! I had been trying for over a week to get through to the IRS with no luck. Used their service yesterday, and within about 30 minutes I got a call directly from an IRS agent who answered all my questions about how to handle my late 1099s. The agent confirmed I definitely need to amend this year's return and not wait until next year. Saved me from potentially serious penalties!

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Samantha Johnson

•8M

The penalties weren't as bad as I feared, but they still hurt. I had about $4,800 in unreported 1099 income which resulted in owing around $1,200 in additional taxes. The failure-to-pay penalty was around $65 (it accumulates at 0.5% per month) plus interest on the unpaid amount which was roughly $40. What really sucked was the hassle of dealing with the CP2000 notice and having to respond to it. If I had just amended when I realized my mistake, I could have avoided some of the penalties and all of the stress of getting that IRS letter.

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Marcus Marsh

•5M

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I was really hoping I could just wait until next year but it sounds like amending is definitely the way to go. @Daniela Rossi your explanation about the IRS matching system makes total sense - I hadn't thought about the fact that they already have copies of those 1099s. I'm going to wait for my refund like my tax software suggested, then file the amendment. Better to deal with this now than get hit with a surprise letter later! The penalty amounts @Samantha Johnson shared aren't as scary as I imagined, but still not something I want to deal with if I can avoid it. Really appreciate this community - was stressing about this for days and now I have a clear plan forward.

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Jay Lincoln

•3M

Hey @Marcus Marsh, just wanted to chime in as someone who's been lurking here but dealing with a similar situation! I'm also a newcomer to this community and found this thread super helpful. I actually just went through something similar last month - forgot about a 1099-MISC from some side work. The anxiety was real! But like everyone said, the amendment process wasn't as bad as I built it up to be in my head. The hardest part was just making the decision to do it. One thing that helped me was calling the IRS practitioner priority line (if you're working with a tax pro) or using one of those callback services people mentioned. Having someone confirm the steps made me feel way more confident about doing it right. You're definitely making the smart choice filing the amendment rather than waiting. Good luck with everything!

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Alexander Zeus

•2M

As someone who just joined this community after finding myself in almost the exact same situation, I wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful thread! I received a late 1099-NEC for some consulting work I completely forgot about, and I was panicking about what to do. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief. The explanation about the IRS matching system really opened my eyes - I had no idea they automatically receive copies of all 1099s and cross-reference them with our returns. That definitely makes waiting until next year seem like a terrible idea! I'm also going to wait for my refund before filing the amendment, just like the tax software recommended. It's reassuring to hear from people who've actually been through this process that it's not as scary as it seems. The penalty amounts shared here are definitely motivation to get this handled properly rather than hoping it goes unnoticed. This community is amazing - I was losing sleep over this for the past week and now I have a clear path forward. Thanks again everyone!

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Connor Byrne

•1M

Welcome to the community @Alexander Zeus! I'm also pretty new here and was in a similar panic mode when I discovered some missed 1099s from last year. This thread has been a lifesaver - I had no clue about the IRS matching system either and was seriously considering just "forgetting" about the forms until next year. It's crazy how much clearer everything becomes when you actually understand the process. I was imagining these massive penalties and complex paperwork, but hearing from people who've actually done amendments makes it seem much more manageable. The waiting for the refund part is probably going to be the hardest - I keep checking my bank account obsessively! But at least now I know exactly what I need to do once it comes through. Thanks for sharing your experience too - it helps knowing there are others going through the same thing!

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