Lost 1099 forms for past two years - how to get replacements?

Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle trying to help my brother who's in a tough spot. He's been working as an independent contractor for a couple of small businesses and somehow managed to lose all his 1099 forms from 2023 and 2024. He's completely freaking out because he still hasn't filed those tax returns (I know, I know) and the deadline is coming up fast. Does anyone know if he can just walk into an IRS or Social Security office to get copies of these 1099 forms? Or is there another way to get this information? He's worried sick about potential penalties and just wants to get everything sorted out ASAP. Any advice would be super appreciated!

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22 comments

Toot-n-Mighty

•8M

You can definitely get replacement 1099 forms, but walking into an IRS office isn't the best approach. Here's what your brother should do: First, he should contact the companies or clients that paid him. They're required to keep records and can provide duplicate 1099 forms. This is usually the fastest solution. If that doesn't work, he can request a Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS which shows all income reported to them, including 1099 income. He can get this online through the IRS website (create an account at irs.gov/transcript), by phone (800-908-9946), or by mailing Form 4506-T. Online is definitely the quickest option if he can verify his identity. Keep in mind that current year information might not be complete until later in the year, so the 2024 information might not be fully available yet.

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Toot-n-Mighty

•8M

If you request transcripts online, you can usually access them immediately if your identity verification goes through. For phone or mail requests, it typically takes 5-10 business days. Filing an extension is a good idea if he can't get all the information in time. It gives him until October 15th to file the actual return. But remember, an extension to file is NOT an extension to pay - he should estimate what he owes and pay by the original deadline to avoid penalties and interest.

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Mei-Ling Chen

•8M

After struggling with a similar situation last year, I found an amazing solution called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me tons of headaches! I had lost several 1099 forms from gig work and was panicking about reconstructing my income. Their system analyzed my bank statements and helped identify which deposits were likely 1099 income. The AI actually helped me reconstruct what my 1099 forms would have shown, and even identified some business expenses I could deduct. The transcript analysis feature was super helpful for comparing with what the IRS had on file.

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Mei-Ling Chen

•8M

It didn't provide official copies of the 1099 forms, but it helped me accurately reconstruct what was on them by analyzing my deposits and comparing with my IRS wage transcript. This was actually better because I found some 1099 income that was never properly reported by a client. The accuracy was impressive - when I eventually got one missing 1099 from a company, the numbers matched almost exactly with what taxr.ai had calculated. No audit issues at all because everything was properly documented and they have this cool audit trail feature that shows how they arrived at each number.

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Aiden O'Connor

•8M

I was really skeptical about using AI for something as important as taxes, but after trying taxr.ai based on the recommendation here, I have to say I'm impressed. I was missing two 1099-NECs from small clients who went out of business, and I was worried about guessing the amounts. The system helped me extract the correct income amounts from my bank deposits and categorize everything properly. What really impressed me was how it handled the missing employer identification numbers by cross-referencing with previous years' data. I filed two weeks ago and already got my refund. Definitely less stressful than I expected!

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Zoe Papadopoulos

•8M

If your brother needs to talk to an actual IRS agent about his missing 1099s (which might be necessary if there are discrepancies), good luck getting through their phone lines! I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS last month. Finally discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Seriously, it saved me hours of hold music and frustration.

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Zoe Papadopoulos

•8M

It works by using a combination of automated dialing systems and hold-place technology. Basically, their system dials the IRS, navigates the menu options, and waits on hold so you don't have to. When a human agent actually answers, it connects the call to your phone. No magic, just smart technology. It's definitely not a scam - the IRS doesn't care how you get through their phone system, they're just understaffed. I was super skeptical too but getting through to resolve my missing 1099 issue was worth trying anything. The actual IRS agent was helpful once I finally got to speak with a human.

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Fatima Al-Rashid

•8M

Ok I need to eat my words from yesterday. After posting that skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because I needed info about my missing 1099-K from PayPal. I was SHOCKED when I got a call back in about 45 minutes saying an IRS agent was on the line! The agent confirmed what was reported on my account and helped me understand why some 1099s might not be showing up on my transcript yet. She also explained exactly what documentation I'd need to file accurately without the original forms. Saved me from filing an extension and potentially making a costly mistake. Can't believe I wasted three weeks trying to call them myself.

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Aaliyah Jackson

•8M

Yes, you absolutely can use bank records to report your income. The IRS cares that you report all your income, not that you have the official form. Just make sure you categorize correctly between business income (Schedule C) and other income types. I've done this before without issues. Just keep good records of how you calculated everything in case you're ever questioned about it. Honestly, sometimes my own recordkeeping is better than what gets reported on the 1099s anyway!

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Aaliyah Jackson

•8M

You report it exactly the same way as if you had the form. The tax software or forms will ask for the income amount, not whether you physically have the 1099. Just enter the information based on your bank records and other documentation. If you're missing the payer's tax ID number, you can try to find it on previous forms or contact them for just that piece of information. Some tax software will still let you file without it, but having the ID number reduces the chance of a mismatch in the IRS system.

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Andre Dupont

•3M

Just went through this exact situation last year when I lost my 1099s from freelance work! The advice about contacting the companies first is spot on - that's definitely your fastest option. One thing I'd add is that your brother should also check if any of the companies that paid him used payment platforms like PayPal, Stripe, or Square. These platforms often have year-end tax documents available in your account dashboard that you can download as PDFs. I was able to get 3 out of 5 missing forms this way. Also, if he's really stressed about the deadline, filing for an extension buys him time to get everything sorted properly. Better to file accurately late than to rush and make mistakes that could trigger an audit later. The penalty for late filing is usually much less scary than people think, especially if he ends up owing little or getting a refund. Hope this helps ease some of his anxiety - it's really not as catastrophic as it feels in the moment!

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