How do individuals without a business entity file 1099-NEC and 1099-INT with the IRS? IRIS requires EIN but I'm just a landlord
This is my first year having to file 1099-NEC and 1099-INT forms and I'm completely lost. The deadlines are coming up quick and I'm starting to panic. I've been renting out my parents' old house since they moved to assisted living last year. It's just one property, nothing fancy. I had a guy do some major plumbing work that cost $1,200 and I paid a local bookkeeper about $800 to help set everything up. Now I need to file these 1099 forms for them. When I went to the IRS website, it says I need to sign up for this IRIS system to e-file the forms. But when I started the application, it asks for an EIN and all this business structure information. I don't have any of that! I'm just a regular person with a rental property, not a corporation or LLC. Here's where the form starts getting confusing: **Business Structure*** Select Association Church or Church Controlled Organization Corporation Credit Union Estate Federal Government Agency Indian Tribal Governments Limited Liability Corporation Limited Liability Partnership Limited Liability Single Member or Disregarded Entity Local Government Agency Non-Profit Organization Partnership Personal Service Corporation Sole Proprietorship State Government Agency Trust **Employer Identification Number (EIN)*** **Firm/Organization Legal Name*** I don't fit into any of these categories as far as I can tell! How do regular individuals who aren't set up as businesses file these 1099 forms with the IRS? The IRIS system seems to be designed only for business entities with EINs. What am I supposed to do?
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Chris Elmeda
You can absolutely file 1099s as an individual landlord! The confusion is understandable since the IRS doesn't make this particularly clear. As an individual landlord, you'd technically be considered a "Sole Proprietorship" for the purposes of filing 1099s, even if you've never formally established a business. For the EIN requirement, you have two options: 1. You can apply for an EIN online through the IRS website even as an individual landlord. It's free and you'll get it instantly. This is actually the recommended route since it keeps your SSN off the 1099 forms. 2. Alternatively, you can file paper 1099 forms using your SSN instead of an EIN. You'd need to get the official red-ink forms from the IRS (regular printouts won't be accepted). For the Business/Organization Name, you'd simply put your own name (First Name Last Name) unless you've been operating under a different name.
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Jean Claude
•Thanks for the info! If I go the EIN route, will that cause any issues with my regular tax filing? Like will I suddenly need to file business taxes or something? Also, is there a deadline to apply for an EIN before filing the 1099s?
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Chris Elmeda
•Getting an EIN won't cause issues with your regular tax filing. You'll still report rental income on Schedule E of your personal return. You'd only include Schedule C if you were actually running a business. The EIN just gives you a tax ID number to use on forms instead of your SSN. There's no deadline for applying for an EIN, but since the 1099-NEC forms are due by January 31st, you should get one right away. The online application takes just a few minutes, and you'll receive your EIN immediately upon completion.
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Charity Cohan
After struggling with this exact situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much time with my rental property paperwork. I'm not tech-savvy at all, but their system guided me through the whole 1099 filing process without needing to understand all the IRS jargon. I just uploaded my payment records, and it helped identify which ones needed 1099s and handled the filing part.
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Josef Tearle
•How does it work with the EIN issue though? Did you already have one or does the service help you get that too? My situation is similar to OP's - just one rental property and certainly not a "business" in my mind.
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Shelby Bauman
•I'm skeptical about these tax services. Did it actually successfully submit your 1099s to the IRS? And did it give you proof of filing? I've heard horror stories about services claiming to file but the IRS has no record later.
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Charity Cohan
•The service actually walks you through getting an EIN if you don't have one - they have a step-by-step guide that links directly to the IRS application. It took me maybe 5 minutes to get mine, and then I just entered it into the system. Yes, it definitely submitted successfully to the IRS. You get confirmation receipts for each filing, and I even received acknowledgment from the IRS that they accepted my forms. I keep digital copies of everything, which came in handy when one contractor claimed they never got their 1099.
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Josef Tearle
Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and it was surprisingly straightforward! I was really nervous about the whole 1099 process but their guided walkthrough made it much less intimidating. They even helped me understand which payments actually required 1099s (turns out I didn't need to file as many as I thought). The EIN application was integrated right into their workflow, and I was able to get everything submitted well before the deadline.
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Quinn Herbert
If you're struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about this, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to get through to someone at the IRS about my 1099 filing questions. After countless busy signals and disconnections, I found Claimyr and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent within 45 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It was seriously life-changing after the frustration of trying to get through on my own. The agent walked me through exactly what I needed to do as an individual landlord filing 1099s.
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Salim Nasir
•How does Claimyr work exactly? Do they just keep calling for you or something? I'm confused how they can get through when nobody else can.
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Shelby Bauman
•Yeah right. Nobody gets through to the IRS these days. I've called dozens of times and either get disconnected or told to call back later. No way this actually works.
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Quinn Herbert
•They use a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. When they reach a human agent, you get a call connecting you directly to that person. It's not magic - they're just using technology to handle the painful waiting part. They don't call repeatedly - they just stay on hold so you don't have to. It saved me literally hours of frustration, and I got clear answers about exactly which forms to use for my situation.
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Shelby Bauman
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it, and I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS representative in about 35 minutes. The agent confirmed that as individual landlords, we should select "Sole Proprietorship" on the IRIS application, and explained I could either use my SSN or apply for an EIN. He recommended getting an EIN for identity protection reasons. Just wanted to update since my skepticism was misplaced!
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Hazel Garcia
Another option nobody mentioned: You could use a third-party service like TaxBandits to file your 1099s. They charge a fee per form but handle all the complicated stuff. I've used them for years and never had issues. They also guide you through the process if you don't have an EIN yet.
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Laila Fury
•Do they send the recipient copies too or do I have to do that part myself? And roughly how much do they charge per form?
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Hazel Garcia
•They send the forms electronically to the IRS, but they give you PDFs of the recipient copies that you need to distribute yourself. You can email these PDFs or print and mail them. Their pricing changes a bit each year, but it's usually around $3-5 per form depending on how many you're filing. Definitely worth it to avoid the headache of figuring out the IRS systems.
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Geoff Richards
Don't forget that if you're paying contractors less than $600 in a year, you don't need to file a 1099-NEC for them at all. This applies per person/entity, not total. Saved me a bunch of paperwork last year when I realized most of my small repairs didn't meet the threshold!
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Simon White
•This is good advice but don't forget 1099-INT has a much lower threshold. You need to issue those for just $10 or more of interest paid. Different form, different rules.
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