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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There are Only TWO Weeks Left to File Form W-2!

Alright, guys, January 31 is two weeks away and you know what that means:

You have two weeks left to file your W-2 Forms for employees you paid in 2016.

As we mentioned before, the deadline for all W-2 Forms to be in the hands they need to be (your employees’ and the SSA’s), in any format (paper or e-filing), is January 31, 2017. The Social Security Administration changed the deadline at the end of last year to apply beginning in 2017 with the 2016 tax year.

To spell it out for you, this means that

• Your employee copies of Form W-2 must be mailed out by January 31, and
• Your SSA paper copies of Form W-2 must be mailed out by January 31, or
• Your SSA electronic copies of Form W-2 must be e-filed by January 31.

You may still have time to file an extension form (Form 8809), but keep in mind that it’s no longer automatic and you’re required to have a reason for needing more time to file. So you can apply, but if your extension is denied, you’ll still need to have your W-2 Forms in by January 31. Even if your extension is approved, this only applies for your time to file with the SSA, not for your time to get your employee copies out.

Of course, the quickest and easiest way to file your W-2 Forms and get your employee copies out is to do everything with ExpressIRSForms!

With ExpressIRSForms, you can easily and quickly enter in your W-2 information (either individually or with our bulk upload), then our program creates the IRS-authorized forms you need. Once you review that everything is entered correctly, just pay our one-time e-filing fee and securely e-file your forms directly with the SSA. And if you select postal mailing before you check out, we’ll mail your forms to your employees for you! By the next business day, we’ll print IRS-authorized copies of Form W-2 to send off to the employees for whom you filed.

In other words, just spending a few minutes on ExpressIRSForms could get all of your W-2 Form filing completely done!

If you have any questions about getting started, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team! We’re available by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST and offer 24/7 assistance at support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

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Time's Running Out to File Your 2016 W-2 Forms!

Quick - have you heard?!

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has changed the deadline for all filings for Form W-2 - paper filing, e-filing, and even employee copies - to January 31 starting with the 2016 tax year.

That means those paper forms you thought you had until February 28th, 2017 to send or the e-filing you intended to put off until March 31, 2017, for this year's set of W-2s are actually due by January 31, 2017.

The employee copies of your W-2 Forms were already due to be out by January 31, 2017, anyway, but now you need to make sure your W-2s are submitted to the SSA in some form by that date. Which means you don’t have much time left to get your W-2 Forms ready to go!

Of course, ExpressIRSForms will be here the moment the SSA opens up e-filing for the 2016 tax year to help get your forms filed and sent out on time! As an IRS-authorized e-file provider, we’ve got the edge to help securely e-file your forms as early as possible and the features to do it in no time at all.

And did we mention we do postal mailing? That’s right: before you e-file, just select the option to add in postal mailing. We’ll get an alert here at our headquarters in Rock Hill, SC and begin printing the employee copies of your W-2 Forms to securely mail them by the next business day.

Why, with ExpressIRSForms, you could have your W-2 Forms submitted to the SSA and sent to your employees in a matter of minutes - and well before the January 31 deadline too!

Head on over to ExpressIRSForms now to sign up for an account and learn more about e-filing with us! And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call (704-684-4751) or send us a live chat; we’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. And we also provide 24/7 customer assistance through email at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

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The SSA Deadline to File W-2 Forms Has Changed

Heads up, business filers!

You know how when you fill out your W-2 Forms for your employees every year you have to send a copy to them by January 31 and e-file a copy with the Social Security Administration - or SSA - by March 31 (February 28/29 if paper filing)?

Well the SSA is changing all of that this year. As if the IRS’s Affordable Care Act deadlines moving back up wasn’t enough of a tax season stressor, the SSA is now requiring all filers (paper and electronic alike) to submit their W-2s to the SSA by January 31, the same day they’re due for your employees.

Naturally, if January 31 happens to fall on a weekend or a national holiday, the deadline will be extended to the next business day. Unfortunately, in 2017 - the first year this new deadline will take effect - January 31 falls on a plain, old Tuesday, so make sure you’re completely prepared to have your W-2 Forms filed on time. If you’re late, you stand to incur some pretty hefty fines.

ExpressIRSForms can help guarantee your W-2 Forms are in the hands (or on the computers) of those who need them by the time they’re required to have them. With features like an online address book as well as cloud-based programming and bulk uploading capabilities, it’s never been easier to complete and e-file your W-2s.

And before you e-file, click to engage our Postal Mailing feature; we’ll get an alert here at our offices in Rock Hill, South Carolina and mail out the employee copies of your W-2 Forms by the next business day!

While it’s still too early to e-file, you can create an account with ExpressIRSForms today. And if you have any questions about getting started or the e-filing process, we’re here to help! Just give us a call at (704) 684-4751 or send us a live chat during our office hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. You can also send us an email anytime to support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

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Tomorrow's Another Tax Deadline...Are You Ready?

Tomorrow’s a big day for the IRS and, quite possibly, a big day for you! That’s because March 31, 2016, is the deadline for not one, not two, but three types of 2015 IRS tax forms: 1099s, W-2s, and ACA Forms.

Now, personal income tax filers of these forms - if you happen to have stumbled upon this blog - tomorrow’s not your deadline; that’s not until April 18 (April 19 in Maine and Massachusetts). Tomorrow is the deadline for businesses and other payers to complete their copies of the 1099s and W-2s and e-file them with the IRS. It’s also the deadline to have all ACA Forms 1095-B and 1095-C postmarked and sent to the appropriate recipients.

If you are a business owner and this is all news to you, well sit back and pay attention, because we’ve got a few things to go over:

What’s Due and By When?

• Form 1099: If you have to file 1099 forms (of any kind) for your payees, these must be e-filed by 11:59 p.m. (your time) on March 31, 2016.
• Form W-2: If you need to file W-2 forms for your employees, these must be e-filed by 11:59 p.m. (your time), March 31, 2016.
• ACA Forms: If you have to report health insurance coverage offered to your employees or recipients, the recipient copies must be postmarked and mailed out on March 31, 2016.

Are There Any Penalties for Filing Late?
Is the pope Catholic?

But, in some seriousness, it’s the IRS, so of course there are penalties for filing late. For 1099 and W-2 forms, depending on when you get your corrected forms filed determines your total penalty:

• $50 per form if you file correctly within 30 days of the due date, with a maximum penalty of $532,000 per year ($186,000 for small businesses)
• $100 per form if you file correctly after 30 days but before August 1, with a maximum penalty of $1,596,500 per year ($532,000 for small businesses)
• $260 per form if you file after August 1 or not at all, with a maximum penalty of $3,193,000 per year ($1,064,000 for small businesses)

You may also incur a penalty by filing your forms on paper, even if your forms are in by tomorrow. Since the paper filing deadline was February 29, any paper forms filed now are considered late, so you must e-file by March 31 to have your forms in on time. If you’ve never e-filed before, there’s no need to alert the IRS you’re doing so now.

As for the ACA forms, this year only, the IRS is forgiving any late filing penalties as long as you can prove you made every effort to file on time. Next year, you won’t be so lucky. Also, next year, this deadline will be moved back up to its original date, January 31, and your ACA forms must be e-filed by March 31 (just like the 1099s and W-2s).

What Can I Do to Make Sure I’m Not Late?
If you’re not sure you’ll be able to get your 1099s and W-2s in on time, you can e-file Form 8809 with ExpressIRSForms. Form 8809 is an IRS extension form used for 1099s, W-2s, and various other information returns. If you e-file this, you’ll get an automatic 30 day extension to e-file your forms. And if you end up not using it, you won’t be penalized for having filed one.

As for your ACA forms, just make sure to have them postmarked by tomorrow. If you don’t think you’ll be able to do that, you can have ExpressIRSForms do it! Just make sure you get in your postal mailing order by 5:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow so we can guarantee it’s postmarked on the 31st. Although the IRS won’t know these forms are late unless one of your recipients reports not having gotten theirs, it’s important to get these out sooner rather than later since your recipients need them to complete their tax returns.

What If I Have More Questions?
That’s what our friendly and helpful support team is here for! We’re here until 6:00 p.m. EDT today to answer any phone calls (704-839-2270) and chats coming in, then we’ll come back tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. and stay as late as we need to help you get your filing complete. You can also utilize our 24/7 support email by sending in your question to support@expressirsforms.com.

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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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