Upload Multiple Tax Forms with ExpressIRSForms!

Ready or not, the 2016 tax filing season is nearly upon us!

Here at ExpressIRSForms, we want to do everything we can to make sure your e-filing is as simple and smooth as possible. That’s why we’ve built up our program with a ton of features that ensure your filing is done faster and easier than ever before.

And one of those awesome features is one of our most classic: the bulk upload.

Now, we’ve had the option to bulk upload for as long as ExpressIRSForms has been around and then some; it was one of our cutting edge features when we first launched in late 2012 as ExpressTaxFilings. With bulk upload, you can upload all of your information for whichever form you’re filing - 1099, W-2, ACA Forms, whatever! - all at once using our Excel spreadsheet or one of your own! Then, once your information is input into your account, you just review that all the names and numbers went in the correct boxes and e-file.

Seems simple enough because it is! And this year, we’ve even updated our bulk upload to include Xero® and QuickBooks® integration! So now, if you use either Xero® or QuickBooks® to handle your 1099 information, you can easily integrate your data to e-file your forms even more quickly.

To learn more about bulk upload and our other quick filing features, check out our website! You can also contact our stellar customer support team with any e-filing or ExpressIRSForms questions you may have. 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 we offer 24/7 assistance through support@ExpressIRSForms.

Read More »

Extension Form 8809: What You Need to Know

Did you know that you can get an extra 30 days to e-file your information returns with the IRS? All you have to do is apply with Form 8809!

What is Form 8809?
Form 8809 is officially titled the Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns. If you don’t think you’ll be able to have the information returns you’re required to file each year ready on time, you can apply for a quick 30-day extension of time to file with Form 8809.

Now, a couple things to keep in mind about Form 8809:

• It must be filed by the original filing deadline you’re trying to extend. We recommend not waiting til the last minute for this, though, since W-2 extensions are no longer automatic and you’ll need to get verification your extension has been granted.
• Form 8809 does not extend your deadline for having your employee or recipient copies mailed out. So even if you receive an extension to file your 1099 Forms with the IRS, you’ll still need to make sure you have those recipient copies out by the original deadline.

For Which Forms Can I Use Form 8809?

Form 8809 can be used for a myriad of forms, namely Forms

• W-2,
• 1094-C, 1095-C,
• 1095-B,
• 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, W-2G,
• 1042-S,
• 5489,
• 5489-ESA,
• 5498-SA, and
• 8027.

Can Form 8809 Be E-filed?
Yes and no. For most forms, Form 8809 can be e-filed, however, this year is the first year Form 8809 must be completed on paper for W-2 Forms. For every other form, you can e-file Form 8809 with an IRS-authorized filing agent (like ExpressIRSForms*). However, Form W-2 extension requests must be mailed to:

Internal Revenue Service

Attn: Extension of Time Coordinator

240 Murall Drive, Mail Stop 4360

Kearneysville, WV 25430

*For more information about e-filing Form 8809 with ExpressIRSForms, check out our website or give our support team a call! We’re here Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, via phone (704-684-4751) and live chat and we offer 24/7 assistance via email at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

Read More »

E-file Your W-2 Forms with ExpressIRSForms

Did you know about this awesome and simple solution for e-filing your business’s W-2 Forms? If you’ve read the title, you probably know where we’re going with this: it’s ExpressIRSForms!

The E-filing Basics
For a few years now, the IRS hasn’t really kept it a secret that everything goes a lot more smoothly when you e-file. In fact, if you have more than 250 of any one form (W-2s included), you’re required to e-file that return. E-filing is easier to complete, more secure, and faster than our previous filing habits. So why not hop aboard the e-filing train?

The ExpressIRSForms Basics
ExpressIRSForms actually started out as ExpressTaxFilings, which had its first season “way back” in 2013 for 1099 and W-2 e-filing for the 2012 tax year. When we started adding more non-tax information forms (like the W-9 and the ACA forms), we realized we needed a little make-over.

But everything we built into ExpressTaxFilings (and more!) to make e-filing faster and easier than ever - like the bulk upload and error checks - stayed with ExpressIRSForms.

Information Needed to File W-2s
So before you sit down to e-file with ExpressIRSForms, there’s some information you’ll need to complete your W-2 Forms:

• Employee info, like their name, address, and social security number,
• Employer info, like your name, address, EIN, and state ID (if applicable), and 
• Financial information, like their wages, as well as federal and state tax withheld.

E-filing with ExpressIRSForms
Once you create an account with ExpressIRSForms, it only takes a few simple steps to complete your W-2 return:

• From your Dashboard, click “Start New Form” then select the W-2 option.
• Enter your employer information and “Next.”
• Select whether you’d like to enter your employees and their information individually or by bulk uploading an Excel template that contains their data.
• Enter your employee details based on the selection you made in step 3.
• If you selected individually, you’ll enter their basic details then their financial details one by one.
• If you selected bulk upload, use our spreadsheet or one of your own to enter all the data and upload it at once.
• Review your forms on the summary page, pay our low, one-time transmittal fee, and send your forms securely along to the IRS!

You can even decide how to send your Form W-2 employee copies with ExpressIRSForms. You can do it the old-fashioned way by printing the PDFs from your Print Center after you file and mailing them yourself OR you can select to have us do that for you before you transmit. If you choose the latter, we’ll make sure to have your W-2 Forms sent out from our headquarters in Rock Hill, SC by the next business day.


Ready to sign up? Have more questions? Our all-star customer support team is here no matter what you need. Just give us a call (704-684-4751) or send us a live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, or send us an email 24/7 to support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

Read More »

E-filing Forms W-2 and W-3

We’ve covered quite a bit on Form W-2 over the past month or so: everything from the new deadline to new extension form regulations and even a bit about those pesky penalties.

So now it only makes sense to go over how to e-file Form W-2 and what the deal is with its companion form, the W-3.

E-filing Form W-2
First things first: if you have more than 250 W-2 Forms to file, you’re required by the IRS to e-file. Even if you’re not quite there and only have a few W-2 Forms to submit, we (and the IRS) strongly recommend e-filing anyway. It’s easier, faster, and more secure - if you sign on with an IRS-authorized e-file provider like ExpressIRSForms, that is.

With ExpressIRSForms, you can have your W-2 Forms e-filed with the IRS and mailed out to your employees in just a few steps:

1. Create an account.
2. Select that you’d like to create W-2 Forms from your Dashboard.
3. Fill in your basic employer information (name, EIN, address).
4. Fill in your employees’ details, including their basic info as well as their federal and state income and tax withheld.
5. Review your forms and select whether you’d like us to mail your employee copies of Form W-2 for you.
6. Pay the one-time transmittal fee and securely send your return off to the IRS!

It’s that easy. And with built-in error checks, you’re sure to have everything filed correctly the first time around!

And Form W-3
One of the biggest bonuses of filing online is that Form W-3 isn’t required to be completed and sent with your return when you e-file. It’s the transmittal form for Form W-2 which means it summarizes the contents of the W-2 return it accompanies. Because W-2 e-filing is more streamlined than paper filing, Form W-3 isn’t needed online.

If you do insist on paper filing, you will need to complete one Form W-3 to be sent with your W-2 Forms. You’ll need the following information to complete it:

• Payer or Employer type
• Total number of W-2 Forms
• Employer name, EIN, address, and state ID number
• Total income and taxes withheld reported in your W-2 Forms

And your W-2 return, along with Form W-3, should be sent to the following address by January 31, 2017:

Social Security Administration

Data Operations Center

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18769-0001

If sending your return by Certified Mail, change the ZIP code to 18769-0002. And if you use an IRS-approved private delivery service, include in the address “ATTN: W-2 Process, 1150 E. Mountain Dr.” and change the ZIP code to 18702-7997.

Read More »

Penalties Increase When You File W-2 Forms Late

You know how sometimes you’re late and that’s the worst that could happen? Like in a college course with a lenient professor or when you’re the boss and are a few minutes late to a meeting. Unfortunately - and not surprisingly - “being late” isn’t considered a punishment in and of itself with the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Instead, if you file your W-2 forms late, they’ll have you count up even more money this year to send them to give you a chance to think about what you’ve done. In previous years, the absolute most the IRS could fine you for late filing was a measly $3 million ($1 million if you’re a small business). Now, that number can get upwards of $3,193,000, or $1,064,000.

Keep in mind that you could be subject to this penalty if you:

• Fail to file your W-2s on time,
• Fail to include all the required W-2 information in your return,
• Include incorrect information in your W-2 return,
• File on paper when you’re required to e-file,
• Report an incorrect TIN (so like an SSN or EIN),
• Fail to report a TIN at all, or
• Fail to file paper W-2 Forms that are machine readable.

There is a small silver lining: if you have reasonable cause for why you were late or incorrect in your filing, the IRS will work with you to get your W-2s filed correctly rather than penalize you. So best start preparing a better excuse than “the dog ate my information returns” because these are the fees you’re looking at for late or incorrect W-2 filing:

• $50 per W-2 Form if you file correctly within 30 days of your due date
• Maximum penalty: $532,000
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $186,000
• $100 per W-2 Form if you file correctly more than 30 days after your due date but before August 1
• Maximum penalty: $1,596,500
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $532,000
• $260 per W-2 Form if you file after August 1 or don’t file your returns or corrections at all
• Maximum penalty: $3,193,000
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $1,064,000

Now you see why it’s such a big deal to have your W-2 Forms filed on time, especially since that the deadline to complete and submit your W-2 return with the SSA has changed. So it’s a good thing you’ve found your way to ExpressIRSForms! Our program makes e-filing your W-2 Forms as fast and simple as possible. Sign up today to get started and set up your account in preparation for the upcoming tax season!

And if you have any questions about the upcoming tax season or e-filing your W-2 Forms, just give us a call! 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 we also offer 24/7 assistance by email at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

Read More »

E-filing 1099s for Your Independent Contractors

Did you know that by the year 2020, nearly half of America’s workforce (40%) will be made up of independent contractors? And if you look at the ExpressIRSForms numbers, that’s no surprise: a majority of the forms we process and transmit to the IRS are 1099s (the independent contractor version of a W-2 form). But whether someone is considered an independent contractor or an employee in the eyes of the IRS isn’t always as black and white as it may sound. So sit back and take a listen to what makes your contractors so independent that you have to file a Form 1099.

Independent Contractors: What are They?
There are three categories the IRS looks at when considering whether or not the person you’re filing for is an independent contractor:

• Behavioral: Do you control how, when, and where this person works?
• Financial: Do you provide necessary tools, reimburse expenses, or pay a salary to this worker?
• Relationship: Is this worker essential to daily operations of your business?

If your answers are mostly “yes” to these questions for a certain worker, the IRS considers that worker to be an employee, not an independent contractor. Typically, you’ll establish the status of your worker when you hire him/her, but these questions are good to keep in mind during filing time.

Still Not 1099% Sure?
If you need further classification on the differences between independent contractors and employees, you may need to consult with a tax or legal professional. The IRS also offers Form SS-8, which you can send to the IRS and, within six months, they’ll return it with the classification of your worker(s).

Misclassifying Workers
It’s important to make sure you know the status of your worker before you file anything for him/her, because the IRS isn’t too lenient when it comes to misclassifications. If you classify an independent contractor as an employee (or vice versa), you become liable for any:

• unpaid Federal, State, and Local Income Tax,
• Social Security & Medicare contributions,
• unpaid Workers’ Compensation, and
• Unemployment Insurance Premiums.

Additionally, beginning with the 2015 tax year, anyone with 50 or more employees who misclassified those employees will be assessed an additional penalty of $2,000 per employee.

E-filing Form 1099
So you’ve determined your workers are independent contractors, and you need to file a Form 1099-MISC (the miscellaneous revenue 1099 form) to report their wages. Now, all you need to do is e-file them with ExpressIRSForms, the most user-friendly IRS-authorized e-filing program around! Just log into your free account, select the big, orange Start New Form button, and the program takes you through the steps of quickly and easily transmitting your 1099 forms directly to the IRS.

Uhh...Whoops?
If you realize you filed a W-2 when you should have filed a 1099, then it’s time to act. If it hasn't been long since you hit the Transmit button, click the Correction button next to the incorrect form, and our program will be able to recall your form, which will then show as Unsubmitted on your Dashboard. You can then delete that form and file the correct 1099. If your form was already submitted to the Social Security Administration (SSA), you’ll need to contact the W-2 hotline for cancelations, 1-800-772-6270, and they can direct you on how to proceed.

If you filed a 1099 when you should have filed a W-2, you can try to recall your form like in the example above. If your form has already been sent to the IRS, you can e-file a 1099 correction to void the 1099 before e-filing the correct W-2 form.

The Customer Support Spiel
If you have any questions about e-filing, or employee/independent contractor classifications, you can get in touch with our friendly, US-based customer support team. We’re available by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat (www.expressirsforms.com) Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. You can also send us an email anytime at support@expressirsforms.com.

Read More »