S Corp Owner Filing Help - Do I need to send K-1 forms with 1120-S to the IRS? What other forms are required?
Title: S Corp Owner Filing Help - Do I need to send K-1 forms with 1120-S to the IRS? What other forms are required? 1 I'm helping my sister with her S Corporation tax filing and I'm about to mail everything today. I've already completed her Form 1120-S, but I'm confused about what exactly needs to be sent to the IRS. After filling out the 1120-S, I also prepared the Schedule K-1 forms for the shareholders. My main question is: do I need to include these K-1 forms when sending the 1120-S to the IRS? Or are the K-1s just for the shareholders to use when filing their personal tax returns? Also wondering if there are any other mandatory forms I need to include in this mailing. Is it really just the 5 pages of the 1120-S? Do I need some kind of cover letter or anything else to go with it? The S Corp is basically inactive with minimal activity and no real income this year. I'm not worried about any specialized schedules - just want to make sure I'm including all the basic required paperwork so they don't get in trouble with the IRS.
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GalacticGuardian
6 Yes, the Schedule K-1 forms MUST be attached to the Form 1120-S when you file with the IRS. They are not just for the shareholders. The K-1s are considered part of the 1120-S tax return package. For an inactive or low-activity S Corp, you'll typically need to submit: - Form 1120-S (all pages) - Schedule K-1 for each shareholder - Any supporting schedules referenced within Form 1120-S You don't need a cover letter. Just make sure to include a check if there are any taxes due (though S Corps typically pass through income rather than paying directly). And don't forget that your sister needs to sign the form before mailing.
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GalacticGuardian
•12 Thanks for the response! Does each K-1 need to be signed by the shareholders before sending to the IRS? Also, can I just paperclip everything together or should I staple the forms in a specific order?
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GalacticGuardian
•6 The shareholders don't need to sign the K-1 forms - only the officer of the corporation needs to sign the 1120-S. For assembling the return, you should put all the forms in the correct order (1120-S first, followed by any schedules and the K-1s) and staple them in the upper left-hand corner. Don't use paperclips as they can come loose during processing.
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GalacticGuardian
19 I went through this exact headache last year with my own S Corp. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to make sure I was including the right forms. It analyzes your tax situation and tells you exactly what forms you need and how to organize them. Saved me so much stress because I was missing a required schedule that would have caused problems. For my S Corp, they confirmed I needed to include all K-1s with the 1120-S filing, plus a few other schedules I didn't realize were required even for a business with minimal activity. They also explained how to organize everything correctly for mailing.
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GalacticGuardian
•3 How accurate is this tool? I'm worried about trusting online services with tax stuff since the consequences of filing wrong can be pretty serious.
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GalacticGuardian
•17 Does taxr.ai help with state filings too? My brother has an S Corp in California and their requirements seem different from federal.
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GalacticGuardian
•19 The accuracy has been spot-on in my experience. It's not just giving generic advice - it actually analyzes your specific situation based on the documents you upload. I double-checked with my old accountant on a few things, and the recommendations matched what he told me. Yes, it does help with state filings too. My S Corp is in New York, and the tool correctly identified all the state-specific forms I needed. It shows you both federal and state requirements based on your business location, which was super helpful since states often have their own quirks.
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GalacticGuardian
17 Just wanted to update that I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. It was actually really helpful for my brother's California S Corp filing. Uploaded his docs and it confirmed exactly what forms needed to be filed together with the 1120-S. Identified a couple California-specific schedules we would have missed otherwise. Definitely recommend for anyone confused about S Corp filing requirements!
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GalacticGuardian
8 If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about specific filing requirements (which is super common), I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. They got me connected to a real person at the IRS in about 15 minutes when I was dealing with a similar S Corp filing question. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what forms needed to be included with my 1120-S and answered some specific questions about my situation. It was way better than guessing or relying on general online advice.
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GalacticGuardian
•22 How does this even work? The IRS phone lines are always jammed. I tried calling about my S Corp last month and gave up after being on hold for 2 hours.
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GalacticGuardian
•14 Sounds like BS honestly. I don't believe any service can magically get you through to the IRS faster than waiting in the queue like everyone else. They probably just keep you on hold themselves and then transfer you.
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GalacticGuardian
•8 It works by using technology that monitors the IRS phone queue and calls repeatedly until it gets through, then it calls you to connect. So instead of you sitting on hold for hours, their system does the waiting for you. The service definitely works. I was skeptical at first too, but when you need answers directly from the IRS before a filing deadline, it's worth trying. They only charge if they successfully connect you, and I got through in about 15 minutes when I had been unable to get through on my own after multiple attempts.
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GalacticGuardian
14 I was wrong about Claimyr. I tried it yesterday out of desperation because I needed clarification on some S Corp filing requirements before the deadline. It actually worked exactly as advertised. Got a call back in about 20 minutes and was connected to an IRS representative who answered all my questions about including K-1s with the 1120-S filing. Saved me hours of frustration and guesswork. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong about something!
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GalacticGuardian
5 Don't forget you also need to send copies of the K-1s to each shareholder (in addition to including them with the 1120-S to the IRS). They need them for their personal tax returns. Also, make sure you've calculated and paid any estimated taxes for the year if required. Even with little or no activity, there might be minimum tax requirements depending on your state.
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GalacticGuardian
•15 How soon do the shareholders need their K-1s? My accountant is taking forever to finalize our S Corp return, and I'm getting anxious about filing my personal taxes.
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GalacticGuardian
•5 Shareholders should receive their K-1s as soon as possible after the S Corp return is completed. Technically, S Corps need to provide K-1s to shareholders by the due date of the 1120-S (March 15th for calendar year S Corps). If your accountant is delaying, you might want to file an extension for your personal return. Just remember that an extension gives you more time to file, but not more time to pay any taxes due. So you'll still need to estimate what you owe and pay by the personal tax deadline to avoid penalties.
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GalacticGuardian
11 Make sure you're sending your forms to the correct IRS address! The mailing address depends on where the business is located and whether you're including a payment. I sent my S Corp return to the wrong address last year and it delayed processing by months.
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GalacticGuardian
•2 Do you know where I can find the correct address? I'm in Texas.
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Isabella Santos
For Texas S Corporations, you'll mail your Form 1120-S to: Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Austin, TX 73301-0012 This is the address if you're NOT including a payment. If you ARE including a payment with your return, use: Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 1302 Charlotte, NC 28201-1302 You can double-check the current addresses in the instructions for Form 1120-S or on the IRS website, as these occasionally change. Also consider using certified mail or a delivery service that provides tracking, especially since you're filing close to the deadline.
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