Your Business's IRS Forms Are Due This Week!

It’s getting down to the nitty-gritty for IRS return filing for business owners!

Not only are your 1099 Forms due by this Friday (well, except for the 1099-MISCs reporting nonemployee compensation that were due January 31), your Affordable Care Act Forms 1094 and 1095 are due as well! And this is the e-filing deadline so, if for some reason, you were thinking of sending in paper forms: don’t. They’ll be counted as late, you’ll incur a late-filing penalty, and you’ll be making the whole ordeal a lot more difficult for yourself - especially since e-filing is the easier, more secure option for filing anyway.

You may remember last year and years before when W-2 Forms were due March 31 as well. Unfortunately - and we tried to warn you! - the IRS changed the W-2 deadline for 2016 tax year forms to January 31, 2017. If you missed the memo, try to get these forms in as soon as possible, but remember there’s a chance you’ll receive IRS penalties anyway.

At any rate, this year for the 2016 tax year, Forms 1099 and ACA Forms 1094 and 1095 are due this Friday, March 31, 2017.

Of course, ExpressIRSForms is here to help you get those forms e-filed correctly and securely on time, but if you’re still a little hesitant, we’ve also got another card to play: Form 8809. Form 8809 is the extension form for information returns like Forms 1099 and 1094/1095 and when you apply, you get an automatic 30-day extension to get your forms to the IRS. Don’t even have to have an excuse or anything! You can e-file Form 8809 and get your extension confirmation email all in just a few hours - and for only $3.55 - with ExpressIRSForms!

You can even go ahead and e-file a Form 8809 and if you still get your other forms in on time, you’re golden! The IRS doesn’t care if you apply for an extension and don’t use it, but they do very much care if you don’t apply for an extension and end up being late.

So, to get started, just log into your ExpressIRSForms account, click the big, orange Start New Form button, and get going on your 8809, 1099, and/or ACA Forms! And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team: we’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat. And we also provide 24/7 assistance at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

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Today is the Last Day to E-file These Information Returns!

Heads up, information return filers!

In case you haven’t heard, today’s a pretty big deadline for 1099 and W-2 filers.

W-2 Forms
As we mentioned a time or two before, the filing deadline for all W-2 Forms for the 2016 tax year is January 31, 2017. This means:

• W-2 Forms to your recipients must be postmarked and sent today.
• W-2 Forms to be filed with the Social Security Administration need to be filed on paper or electronically today.

If you still need to get started, there’s no time to waste. Read on to see how ExpressIRSForms can help!

1099 Forms
1099 Form filers who haven’t begun filing for the 2016 tax year yet may be in slightly less dire straits - if they fall in the right categories. Regardless of the 1099, you need to file or what you need to report on it, the recipient copies must be mailed out today, January 31, 2017.

And if you need to file Form 1099-MISC to report nonemployee compensation in box 7, you must file Copy A of Form 1099-MISC with the IRS today. You may also be required to file a copy of this form with your state today as well.

E-filing with ExpressIRSForms
ExpressIRSForms is the perfect place for last-minute filing. Not only do we begin the IRS e-filing process as soon as you hit transmit (ensuring you that pre-11:59 p.m. timestamp that marks your return on time), we’ll also print, stamp, and mail your recipient copies!

Now, we can only guarantee your recipient copies go out today if you get them in by 11:00 a.m. EST today. But we are pulling extra hours to provide the support you need so get them in as soon as you can anyway.

Speaking of support, if you have any questions as we get down to the wire, we’re here and we’re open late. Give us a call at (704) 684-4751 or send us a live chat and we’ll do our best to help you get everything filed on time. And, as always, you can also send us an email to support@ExpressIRSForms.com and we’ll make sure you get a speedy response!

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Miss the Paper Filing Deadline?

As many of our regular readers should know (we’ve only been posting about it all month), the paper filing deadline form 1099 and W-2 forms was this past Monday, February 29. For e-filers, it was just another Monday. But for scrambling, procrastinating paper filers, it was a Monday for the books.

Unfortunately, when it comes to leaving tasks until the last minute, other things tend to get in the way. And a lot of the time, only the very best of task-jugglers can pull off multiple last minute to-dos right before their deadlines. So what to do if you missed the paper filing deadline this past Monday?

First of all, don’t fret. If you’re not opposed to e-filing, just think of this as missing the practice test (that doesn’t count towards your grade) before the real exam. Sure, it might have helped to have gotten it done, but you’ve still got another chance to provide the information you have to the IRS.

If you decide to e-file instead of sending in your paper forms late, you don’t have to notify the IRS. All you have to do is e-file your forms by March 31, 2016. See? There're an extra 29 days to file without having to do anything at all! And you were going to start fretting.

BUT - and this is an MC Hammer sized “but” - if you’re staunchly against e-filing, you’ll need to complete and send in your paper forms AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because the IRS penalties have already begun.

You see, the IRS fines you for late forms based on when the forms are eventually, correctly, filed. If you get your forms filed within the first 30 days after your deadline (so, by March 29), you’ll only owe $50 per form. If you miss the 30-day deadline but file before August, your penalty goes up to $100 per form. And if you don’t file until after August 1 (or not at all), the IRS can charge you up to $260 per form. The maximum amount you can be fined by the IRS for late filing is $3,193,000 per year ($1,064,000 for small businesses).

Other than e-filing or paper filing as soon as possible, there’s not much else you can do to fix the fact that you’re filing late. There is, however, a small loophole in this whole late-filing-penalty-incurring process. Straight from the horse’s mouth (a.k.a. the IRS website):

“The penalty will not apply to any failure that you can show was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect...you must be able to show that your failure was due to an event beyond your control...You also must be able to show that you acted in a responsible manner and took steps to avoid the failure.”

In other words, get that excuse ready - and try to be a little more creative than just blaming the dog - because it could be the difference between paying $50 to $260 per form and paying $0 per form.

If you need help getting started e-filing, or have any questions about the tax filing deadlines, feel free to get in touch with ExpressIRSForms’s customer support team in Rock Hill, South Carolina. We offer support by phone, chat, and email, in English or Spanish, and we’re always happy to help!

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The 1099 & W-2 Recipient Deadline is Just A Week Away

In the modified words of the late, great Robin Williams: Gooooood morning ExpressIRSFooorms!

Do you know what today is? Other than a Monday, of course. Today marks the start of the last week left to get your 1099s and W-2s to your recipients. The last day to have your recipient copies to your employees or payees is next Monday, February 1st.

The deadline is normally January 31st, but since that’s a Sunday, the deadline gets extended to the next business day.

It’s a common misconception that these forms need to be postmarked by the last day in January when they need to be in the hands of your recipients by that day. It’s important that you get the 1099s and W-2s to your recipients so they can accurately complete their 2015 tax returns by their deadline. If you don’t get your copies to your recipients by February 1st, you can be reported to the IRS and face steep penalties for every form not delivered.

There’s still time to e-file with ExpressIRSForms and have your forms sent to your recipients by our dedicated team. Just log in and file your forms, and from the checkout screen select the Postal Mailing option. But be sure to get your filings in soon: the postal system only works so quickly!

While you’re filing your 1099s and W-2s, why not get started on your ACA forms if you need to file those too? After this year, the recipient copies of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C will be due at the same time as the 1099s and W-2s, so it couldn’t hurt to practice getting them out there sooner rather than later.

If you have questions or need help in the e-filing process, just reach out to our friendly, US-based support team! We’re available by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. We’re also available to take your questions 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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