1099 Filing Deadline Survival Guide (Jan 31 — No Extensions)

What's due January 31

For each US contractor you paid $600 or more via cash, check, or ACH during the year:

• Mail or electronically deliver Copy B of Form 1099-NEC to the contractor
• File Copy A electronically with the IRS (or mail it with Form 1096)

Both by January 31. There is no standard extension for 1099-NEC — the IRS eliminated it in 2020.

What's NOT due January 31

• 1099-MISC (with Box 8 or 10 amounts): February 15 to recipient, Feb 28 / Mar 31 to IRS
• 1099-MISC (other): January 31 to recipient, Feb 28 / Mar 31 to IRS
• 1099-K (from payment processors): you don't issue these — Stripe, PayPal, etc. do
• 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-R, etc.: different deadlines, typically later

Who you issue 1099-NEC to (in one list)

• US persons (individuals, sole props, SMLLCs, partnerships)
• Who received $600+ during the year
• For services (not products)
• Via cash, check, ACH, or wire (NOT via credit card, PayPal business, Stripe, Venmo business)
• Attorneys: always, regardless of their entity status

Who you do NOT issue 1099-NEC to

• C-corporations and S-corporations (except attorneys)
• Employees (they get W-2)
• Contractors paid exclusively via credit card or third-party payment networks
• Non-US persons with W-8BEN on file doing work outside the US
• Vendors who only sold you products (not services)

The 10-day sprint (January 20–30)

Day 1: Pull contractor list

• Open your expense tracking system
• Filter transactions by category: Contractor / Contract Labor
• Group by payee
• Filter to US persons only
• Filter to aggregate ≥ $600
• Filter out anyone paid exclusively via credit card / Stripe / PayPal

Day 2–3: Collect missing W-9s

For every contractor on your list, verify you have a current W-9. Email the ones you're missing. Most respond within 24–48 hours when you're blunt about the deadline.

Day 4: Pick a filing service

Service	Cost (up to ~10 forms)	Notable
Track1099 (Avalara)	$2.99/form	Industry standard
Tax1099	$2.90/form	Bulk pricing
eFile4Biz	$4.50/form	Higher touch
IRIS (IRS Free)	$0	Free, clunkier UX; e-file-only
QuickBooks Online	$15/form then bulk	If you already use QBO
Gusto (if you have payroll)	Included in some plans	Integrated with payroll

Day 5: Enter contractor data

Service name, W-9 name (exact match), TIN, address, total paid. Double-check TIN — a wrong digit triggers IRS notices to the contractor.

Day 6: Review

Print a draft. Cross-reference to your books. Check totals.

Day 7: E-file and deliver

Click submit. Services handle both delivery to recipients and IRS filing. Keep confirmation.

Day 8–10: Field questions

Contractors may reach out asking why the amount differs from what they track. Almost always a difference between what you paid vs what they invoiced (timing). Send them your payment records.

Penalty schedule (per form)

Lateness	Per form	Annual max (small biz)
Within 30 days	$60	$232,500
31 days through Aug 1	$130	$664,500
After Aug 1 or never	$340	$1,329,000
Intentional disregard	$680+	No cap

For a small business, "small biz" rates apply if your average annual gross receipts are $5M or less.

If you missed January 31

1. File now, not later — every day counts against the penalty
2. Expect a CP-2100 notice from the IRS if there's a TIN mismatch or missing form
3. Penalty assessments come later; you can request abatement with reasonable cause
4. First-time abatement is often granted; write the IRS with explanation

2026 changes to watch for

The e-filing threshold dropped to 10 forms in 2024. If you file 10+ information returns (W-2, 1099s combined), e-filing is mandatory. Paper 1099s with 10+ aggregate forms → $50 per form penalty.

For most solo LLCs, electronic filing is easier anyway.

Pro tip: collect W-9s at onboarding

Make "signed W-9" a prerequisite for first payment. Don't pay anyone without one on file. This eliminates the January scramble entirely.