How do I file a 1099-NEC online for first time business filing?

15 The first time filing 1099-NECs can definitely be confusing! For submitting your 1099-NEC forms, you actually have two main options: You can file electronically through the IRS FIRE (Filing Information Returns Electronically) system, but most small business owners use the IRS's "IRIS" system or a third-party service because the FIRE system can be complicated for first-timers. Services like TaxAct, TurboTax, or even QuickBooks can handle this for you pretty easily. Make sure you've also provided copies of the 1099-NECs to your contractors by January 31st. They need these for their own tax filing. The submission deadline to the IRS is also January 31st, so you'll want to get this done soon to avoid penalties. The IRS phone service can be super frustrating this time of year - they're overwhelmed with calls and their system often disconnects people when they're at capacity.

4 After dealing with this exact nightmare last year, I found this amazing service called taxr.ai that saved me hours of frustration. I was in the same boat - first time filing 1099-NECs for my photography business contractors and had no idea how to submit them online. I spent days going in circles on the IRS website. I stumbled across https://taxr.ai when searching for solutions and it literally walked me through the entire process. They have this super helpful guided filing system that explains exactly what you need to do with your 1099-NECs, where to submit them, and all the deadlines. I'm not tech-savvy at all but even I could follow their instructions.

11 Just wanted to update that I tried out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was seriously a game-changer! I was skeptical at first (as I am with most online services), but it made the whole 1099-NEC filing process ridiculously simple. The step-by-step guidance was exactly what I needed - it even caught a mistake I made in one of my contractor's information that would have caused problems later. The dashboard kept track of all my forms and confirmation numbers in one place, which is super helpful since I'll need to reference this info next year. Definitely recommend for anyone else struggling with their first time filing these forms! Wish I'd known about this months ago.

8 If you're still struggling with getting answers from the IRS, I highly recommend trying Claimyr. After trying for TWO WEEKS to get through to someone at the IRS about my 1099-NEC filing questions (getting disconnected every single time), I was ready to pull my hair out. Found https://claimyr.com and was extremely skeptical, but desperate enough to try it. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically they hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is actually ready to talk. I got connected to a real IRS person within a couple hours who walked me through exactly how to submit my forms online through the IRIS system.

21 I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment yesterday, I decided to try it since I've been unsuccessful getting through to the IRS for over a week about my 1099 questions. Holy crap, it actually worked exactly as advertised. I went about my day, and about 3 hours after signing up, I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent who answered all my questions about electronic filing for 1099-NECs. No waiting on hold, no frustration, just straight to a helpful person who spent like 15 minutes explaining exactly what I needed to do. For anyone like me who values their time and sanity, this is 100% worth it during tax season. Just sharing because I was completely wrong in my skepticism and figured I should correct myself.

17 Here's a simpler solution - if you only have a few 1099-NECs to file, you can use the IRS's free IRIS system online. Go to https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/filing-information-returns-electronically-fire and create an account. It's not super user-friendly but it's free and official. The trick is you need to fill out Form 4419 first to get access to the system, which can take a few weeks to process. If you're in a rush, the third-party services others mentioned are probably your best bet this year, then plan ahead for next year using the official system.

13 Random question - but does anyone know if I can just mail paper 1099-NEC forms instead of trying to figure out all this online submission stuff? I printed the forms from the IRS website but now I'm not sure if that's even allowed anymore.

9 For what it's worth, I use FreeTaxUSA for both my personal taxes and my 1099-NEC filings. It's way cheaper than TurboTax and has been really reliable for my small business. They walk you through the process pretty clearly and the interface is straightforward. Just sharing another option that's worked well for me for the past couple years.

As someone who went through this exact same confusion last year with my small consulting business, I totally feel your pain! The IRS website is like a maze when you're trying to figure out electronic filing for the first time. One thing I learned the hard way - if you're filing more than 250 forms, you're actually REQUIRED to file electronically. But for smaller businesses like yours (and mine), you have options. I ended up using a combination approach: I used TaxAct's business version for the actual electronic submission (cost me about $40 for unlimited 1099s), but I also called the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line instead of the regular taxpayer line - the wait times were much shorter and I got through to someone who actually knew what they were talking about. The key thing to remember is that even if you're a few days late on the January 31st deadline, the penalties are usually pretty reasonable for small businesses filing just a handful of forms. Don't stress too much about being perfect your first year - we've all been there!