The Best 1099 Software for E-Filing in 2026
It mostly comes down to volume. Federal e-file for 100 forms runs from $0 on the free IRS portal to $267 with an online service, or a flat $319 for desktop software.
1099 software prepares and e-files the information returns US payers send to the IRS and to payees: contractor pay (1099-NEC), rents and royalties (1099-MISC), interest (1099-INT), dividends (1099-DIV), payment platform volume (1099-K), and 1042-S for foreign payees.
The short answer: TaxBandits is the cheapest at every volume and covers almost every form. Avalara 1099 & W-9 (formerly Track1099) wins past 2,000 forms and for ERP-driven filing. Tax1099 fits teams that also handle W-2s and IRS notices. The IRS IRIS portal is free. For desktop software, CheckMark 1099 sells a flat license and 1099 Pro serves very large filers. eFileMyForms sells one per-form price with mailing included.
We priced every official rate card at three volumes: 10, 100 and 1,000 forms in a year. Running a small business with a handful of contractors? Our 1099 software for small business ranking goes deeper on that case.
This ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best 1099 software for your volume and forms
$185 for 100 forms, $1,007.50 for 1,000
For large volumes$0.63 a form after 500, e-delivery included
1099s, W-2s and IRS noticesTeams at $249 a year, Scale at $349 with API
Free and official$0, 100 returns per submission, apply for a TCC early
Desktop software, flat price$319 a year, unlimited recipients
Thousands of forms, many entitiesLicense from $699, filed under Sovos's TCC
Seven 1099 e-file tools compared
The cost column shows federal e-file only, at the official price, for 100 and then 1,000 forms in a year. Add-ons (state, mail, TIN Matching) are broken down in each card.
| Best for | Federal e-file for 100 and 1,000 forms | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TaxBandits | Best price and form coverage | $185 for 100, $1,007.50 for 1,000 | 4.4/5 | $2.75/form | — | 10 to 2,000 forms | Visit → |
| 2 | Avalara 1099 & W-9 | Best for high volume and ERP filing | $242 for 100, $1,142 for 1,000 | 4.3/5 | $3.10/form | — | 500+ forms, ERP | Visit → |
| 3 | Tax1099 | Best for teams and full compliance | $267 for 100, $1,310.50 for 1,000 | 4.1/5 | $2.99/form | — | Teams, 50 to 1,000 forms | Visit → |
| 4 | IRS IRIS | Best free option | $0 at any volume | 4.0/5 | Free | ✓ | Low volume, filed early | Visit → |
| 5 | CheckMark 1099 | Best desktop software, flat price | $319 at any form count | 3.9/5 | $319 e-file license | — | Firms, steady volume | Visit → |
| 6 | eFileMyForms | Best all-in price per form | $239 for 100, e-file only | 3.8/5 | $2.99/form | — | Small batches with mail | Visit → |
| 7 | 1099 Pro Enterprise | Best for very large filers | $699 license plus Sovos filing fees | 3.7/5 | $699 license | — | Thousands of records | Visit → |
Prices read on official vendor and IRS pages in 2026, in US dollars, before tax. None of these tools has a Labs review yet: scores come from our 1099 rankings and match across pages.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
The top results for "1099 software" are mostly vendor pages for desktop products, plus a few rankings that price a single scenario of about 25 forms and skip desktop software entirely. None tells you which tool files which forms, or what changes when you go from 100 to 1,000 returns.
We read the official rate cards of all seven vendors and the IRS pages on IRIS, tax year 2026 thresholds and penalties. We priced each tool at 10, 100 and 1,000 forms, mapped the forms each one covers, then went through accountants' forum threads and published reviews, negative ones first.
Three tools from our small business page stay out of this ranking. QuickBooks Contractor Payments and Gusto file 1099s for contractors you pay inside them: useful if you're already there, not for filing a file from elsewhere. Yearli sells annual plans whose per-form prices sit on a separate sheet. All three are compared on our small business 1099 page.
- Ease of useFile import, error checks and ready recipient copies without knowing the IRS format.20%
- Value for moneyCost at 10, 100 and 1,000 forms with add-ons, not just the headline price.25%
- Features and depthForms covered (1099, W-2, 1042-S, ACA), states, W-9, TIN Matching, corrections, multiple entities.30%
- Customer supportResponsiveness in January, during filing season, and quality of help content.15%
- IntegrationsImport from accounting or ERP, file formats, API.10%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
TaxBandits
TaxBandits is an online e-file service for US information returns. You upload an Excel or CSV file, it validates the data, transmits to the IRS and the states, and prepares recipient copies.
For the broad "1099 software" question, it wins because it stays the cheapest at every volume we priced. Ten forms cost $27.50 to e-file federally. A hundred cost $185. A thousand cost $1,007.50, about a dollar a form. Above 2,000, you get a quote.
Coverage is wide. The price list covers almost the whole 1099 series (NEC, MISC, K, INT, DIV, R, S, G, B and more), plus W-2G and 1097-BTC, with separate sections for W-2, 1042-S for foreign payees, and ACA forms (from $2.99). One account handles multiple businesses, which matters for firms. And Sage Intacct picked TaxBandits as the engine behind its built-in 1099 e-file.
Add-ons are the cheapest in this comparison: TIN Matching at $0.35, free transmission to states in the IRS Combined Federal/State program (CF/SF), $0.95 for direct state filing, $1.85 to mail a copy.
The catch: independent reviews are still thin, and the pricing page contradicts itself on W-9 requests (ten free then $0.35 in one place, unlimited in another). Budget for the paid version. There's an API, but no published API pricing.
Tip: if you also file W-2s or 1042-S forms, keep them in the same account. Your TINs and corrections live in one place instead of two tools.
- 1099, W-2, 1042-S and ACA in one account
- CF/SF states transmitted free
- Powers Sage Intacct's 1099 e-file
- ✓Cheapest at 10, 100 and 1,000 forms
- ✓Multiple businesses in one account
- ✓Excel and CSV import with error checks
- ✗Few independent reviews
- ✗API pricing not published
- ✗Conflicting W-9 pricing on the page
The default pick, from SMB to accounting firm: the lowest price at every tier and nearly every form in one place.
Avalara 1099 & W-9
Avalara 1099 & W-9 is the old Track1099, bought by Avalara in 2021. Track1099 already served more than 40,000 customers back then, and accountants on practitioner forums still name it as one of the two services they use most for clients.
Its edge is the top of the price list. The first tier is the most expensive here ($3.10 for the first 15 forms), but from form 501 the price drops to $0.63. At 1,000 forms, federal e-file costs $1,142, just behind TaxBandits. At 2,000, it pulls ahead.
The price includes what others charge for: recipient e-delivery, electronic corrections and PDF/CSV exports. Online collection covers W-9, W-8 and W-4, and the pricing page names 1099-NEC, MISC, DIV, 1042-S and 1098. Add-ons are itemized: $1.49 per form for state filing, $0.45 for TIN Matching, $0.07 to validate an address.
The catch: mail jumps to $2.89 in the last week of January, and annual subscriptions go through a demo with no public price. Several reviews also say support got slower after the acquisition.
Tip: ask payees to consent to electronic copies when you collect the W-9. You drop the mail line, the biggest add-on on the bill.
- $0.63 per form past 500
- E-delivery and corrections included
- W-9, W-8 and W-4 collection
- ✓Catches TaxBandits around 2,000 forms
- ✓Itemized, public add-on prices
- ✓API and accounting integrations
- ✗$3.10 first tier
- ✗Mail at $2.89 in late January
- ✗Support called slower since the acquisition
The pick for high volume and teams filing from an ERP. Under a few hundred forms, TaxBandits is cheaper.
Tax1099
Tax1099, from Zenwork, has the widest scope in this comparison. It files the 1099 series (including 1099-K), W-2s, 1042-S, ACA forms and even quarterly payroll returns (941 and friends).
The Essential plan is free: you pay per form, $2.99 up to 20, sliding down to $0.72 between 501 and 1,000. Teams, at $249 a year, adds multiple users and 250 free TIN matches. Scale, at $349 a year, adds the API, approval workflow, action tracking and IRS notice management (otherwise $199 per notice).
A hundred forms cost $267 to e-file federally. A thousand cost $1,310.50. Add-ons run higher than elsewhere: $1.00 for a real-time TIN match, $1.95 to mail, plus $1 in the last five days of the season. But bulk TIN matching is $150 per 10,000 records, which is a bargain on a big file.
The catch: support keeps showing up in negative reviews, and the per-form state filing price isn't readable on the pricing page.
Tip: for a file with thousands of payees, use bulk TIN matching rather than real-time. The cost per TIN drops by more than 60x.
- 1099, W-2, 1042-S, ACA and 941
- IRS notice management
- Bulk TIN at $150 per 10,000
- ✓Widest form coverage
- ✓Public multi-user plan pricing
- ✓API on the Scale plan
- ✗$1.00 real-time TIN match
- ✗State filing price not readable
- ✗Support criticized in reviews
A strong tool for a team that runs all US information-return compliance in one place. For 1099s alone, TaxBandits costs less.
IRS IRIS
IRIS is the IRS system for information returns. Its web Taxpayer Portal is free: you key in forms or upload a CSV, up to 100 returns per submission, and download recipient copies. Software uses the A2A channel, which takes files up to 100 MB.
With FIRE retired at the end of 2026, IRIS is the only IRS door for tax year 2026. Every paid service in this ranking files through it for you. The portal takes most 1099s, 1042-S, 1098, 5498 and W-2G.
You need an IRIS Transmitter Control Code, which only works for IRIS (an old FIRE TCC won't), and it takes weeks to get. And free stops at federal: no mail, no W-9 collection, no built-in TIN check.
The most common trap is the CSV. IRIS working group notes report "headers don't match" rejections on files that looked right, partly because templates posted on irs.gov were out of date. After a rejection, you have 60 days to send a replacement file.
Tip: always download the CSV template from the portal itself, in the upload tile, not from irs.gov.
- $0 at any volume
- The only IRS channel after FIRE
- 1099, 1042-S, 1098 and W-2G
- ✓Free and official
- ✓CSV upload and corrections in one place
- ✓Downloadable recipient copies
- ✗TCC application weeks in advance
- ✗No mail, W-9 or TIN check
- ✗Picky CSV templates
Great for a handful of forms if you start early. Once you mail copies or file for several clients, a $2-a-form service saves hours.
CheckMark 1099
CheckMark 1099 is desktop software for Windows and Mac, sold per tax year. You enter or import payees, print on blank or preprinted forms, and the E-File edition prepares the electronic filing through the IRIS Taxpayer Portal.
The price is flat. E-File Pro costs $319 for tax year 2026, with unlimited recipients, printing, e-filing and corrections. The first company is included, each extra company is $20, and a second computer is $99. A firm with 10 clients pays $499: $319 plus nine companies at $20. At 1,000 forms, it's by far the cheapest paid option here.
Form coverage is narrower than online: 1099-NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, R and S. No 1099-K, no 1042-S. And since filing runs through the IRIS portal, you need your own IRIS TCC, with the same limits as the free portal.
Support is metered too: Pro includes a set amount of support time per tax year, Pro+ adds more, plus a toll-free line and chat. Public reviews are very few and positive on price.
Tip: the $239 Print edition is enough if you file fewer than 10 returns a year and stay on paper. Past that, e-filing is mandatory, so go straight to E-File.
- Unlimited recipients and corrections
- Windows and Mac
- Blank or preprinted form printing
- ✓Flat price, unbeatable past 300 forms
- ✓Extra companies at $20
- ✓Data stays on your machine
- ✗You need your own IRIS TCC
- ✗No 1099-K or 1042-S
- ✗Mail and state filing are on you
The best math for a firm that files the same forms every year and doesn't mind handling IRIS. Everyone else saves the hassle with an online service.
eFileMyForms
eFileMyForms is the online service from Sovos, the company that also owns 1099 Pro. It sells forms per order, no subscription, in two flavors: e-file only, or e-file plus printing and mailing recipient copies.
Pricing is per order. E-file only costs $2.99 a form up to 20, $2.69 up to 75, $2.39 up to 150, $1.99 up to 250, $1.79 up to 500, $1.39 up to 1,000 and $1.19 beyond. With print and mail, expect $4.89 on a small order, then $4.59 and $4.19. One accountant on the Lacerte forum put it simply: "around $5/form" with mailing for his clients.
A hundred forms e-file only come to $239, level with Avalara. Direct state filing is $1.49 and a TIN match is $1.00.
The catch: volume discounts don't stack across form types or services. And any print-and-mail order placed from January 28 adds $1 per form.
Tip: batch your 1099-NECs into one order before January 28. You stay on the best tier and dodge the late-season surcharge.
- Print and mail in the price
- No subscription
- Run by Sovos
- ✓Simple per-form price
- ✓Clear mail-included option
- ✓Quick to learn
- ✗Discounts don't stack across forms
- ✗+$1 mail from January 28
- ✗$1.00 TIN match
The simplest pick if you want one price with mailed copies included. If you don't need mail, TaxBandits is cheaper.
1099 Pro Enterprise
1099 Pro is the desktop software of large filers: banks, insurers, payment platforms, fund administrators. The Enterprise edition handles unlimited entities, 5,000 records per entity ($125 per extra 1,000), and the longest form list in this comparison: 1098, the full 1099 series from A to SA (K, INT, DIV, R, NEC and MISC included), 3921, 3922, 5498 and W-2G.
A license costs $699 for one user, $1,399 for 2 to 5, $2,199 unlimited, for tax year 2026. It imports Excel, CSV and IRS Publication 1220 files, and includes a TIN management utility for W-9 requests and B-Notices, the letters you send when a TIN doesn't match.
The 2026 change to know: self-filing through FIRE is gone. Federal e-file now has to go through the Sovos Service Bureau, which converts your files to IRIS XML and transmits them under its own TCC. So you don't need a TCC, and CF/SF state filing comes with federal e-file orders.
The catch is the final price: Service Bureau fees (e-file, direct state, print and mail, TIN, corrections) aren't published. You need a quote, and the software takes real onboarding.
Tip: get the Sovos quote before you buy the license. That number decides between 1099 Pro and an online service like Avalara.
- Unlimited entities
- 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, W-2G
- No TCC needed, filed under Sovos's
- ✓Deepest form coverage
- ✓Built-in B-Notice handling
- ✓Up to unlimited users
- ✗Sovos filing fees unpublished
- ✗Steep learning curve
- ✗License from $699
Built for filers counting in thousands of forms and dozens of entities. For an SMB, it's too heavy and too expensive.
What your 1099s cost at your volume
The right software changes with volume. Under 10 forms, free works. Between 10 and 1,000, a per-form service wins. Beyond that, or if you file for many clients, a flat license or a deep tier changes the math. From tax year 2023 on, the IRS requires e-filing as soon as your information returns reach 10 in a year, counting every type, W-2s included.
10 forms
100 forms
1,000 forms and up
- List the forms you file (NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, K, 1042-S, W-2) and check the tool covers all of them.
- Count every information return for the year: at 10, paper is no longer allowed.
- With desktop software or the free portal, apply for your IRIS TCC weeks before January 31.
- Match TINs before you file: without a valid TIN, you must withhold 24% of payments.
- Check whether each state takes CF/SF or requires direct filing.
- For a firm, compare cost per client: license plus extra companies, or an online service's tiers.
Six tips to file your 1099s without losing January
Accountants on practitioner forums say the same thing: filing takes an hour, it's missing TINs, rejected files and last-minute mail that cost you.
Pick the model before the tool: online, desktop or portal
MethodAn online service (TaxBandits, Avalara, Tax1099, eFileMyForms) files for you under its own TCC: nothing to request from the IRS. Desktop software like CheckMark builds the file, but you upload it to IRIS with your own TCC. 1099 Pro sits in between: a license on your machine, filing through the Sovos Service Bureau. If you don't have an IRIS TCC by December, rule out anything that needs one.
- No TCC of your own
- Online services, 1099 Pro
Get the CSV template from the IRIS portal, not irs.gov
TrapIRIS working group notes report "headers don't match" rejections on files that followed the template. The cause: templates on irs.gov that were out of date. Download the template from the portal's upload tile, reuse it year to year and don't rename a single column. After a rejection, you have 60 days to file a replacement.
- Replacement window
- 60 days
Match TINs in bulk, not one by one
SavingsOn a big file, per-TIN matching adds up: $1.00 at Tax1099 and eFileMyForms, $0.45 at Avalara, $0.35 at TaxBandits. Tax1099 also sells bulk matching at $150 per 10,000 records, $0.015 each. The IRS runs a free service too, open to registered payers with an online account and authorization. Run it in November so you have time to chase bad W-9s.
- Bulk at Tax1099
- $150 per 10,000
Place mail orders before the last week of January
TrapThree vendors charge more for late-season mail: Avalara goes from $1.84 to $2.89 on January 27 to 31, eFileMyForms adds $1 a form from January 28, Tax1099 adds $1 in the last five days. On 500 mailed copies, that's $500 extra. Better yet, get e-delivery consent when you collect the W-9.
- Surcharge
- +$1 per copy
Check form coverage before you import anything
MethodCheckMark stops at NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, R and S: no 1099-K, no 1042-S. If you pay foreign persons, 1042-S goes through TaxBandits, Tax1099, Avalara or IRIS. If you're a payment platform, the federal 1099-K threshold is back to more than $20,000 and 200 transactions per payee, but some states set lower thresholds: make sure your tool handles those state filings.
- Federal 1099-K
- Over $20,000 and 200 transactions
For a firm, price per client, not per form
SavingsAn accountant filing for 10 clients at 30 forms each handles 300 forms. With CheckMark E-File Pro, that's $319 plus 9 companies at $20, so $499 for the year regardless of forms per client. An online service removes the TCC and mail work. Run the numbers on your real client list, and bill the service as its own line.
- CheckMark, 10 clients
- $499 a year
1099s sorted, what's next
1099s are one piece of US compliance. These pages cover the neighboring topics.
Real cost of 25 forms, QuickBooks, Gusto and Yearli.
You want to leave QuickBooksQuickBooks alternativesAccounting, migration and pricing.
Your books need to scaleBest accounting software for SMBsMulti-entity and reconciliation.
You also pay employeesBest small business payroll softwarePay runs, filings and per-employee pricing.
You sell across states or countriesBest international sales tax softwareSales tax, VAT and thresholds.
You need business tax returns doneBest business tax softwareReturns, entities and pricing.
1099 software · FAQ
What is the best software to file 1099s?
For most businesses, a per-form online service: TaxBandits is the cheapest at 10, 100 and 1,000 forms and covers nearly the whole 1099 series. Around 2,000 forms, Avalara catches up thanks to its $0.63 tier. A firm filing the same forms every year may prefer a flat license like CheckMark 1099 at $319.
Can I e-file 1099s for free?
Yes, through the IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal: free, up to 100 returns per submission, by hand or CSV. You need an IRIS TCC first, which takes weeks. Free covers federal only, so mailing copies, W-9 collection, TIN checks and direct state filing stay on you.
Is desktop 1099 software better than an online service?
Only if you file a lot and don't mind handling IRIS yourself. Online services file under their own TCC and can mail copies. Desktop software like CheckMark costs a flat price, but you need your own IRIS TCC and upload the file yourself. 1099 Pro is the exception: Sovos files for you.
Can 1099 software still file through FIRE?
No. The IRS shuts FIRE down at the end of 2026: tax year 2026 returns, filed in 2027, can only go through IRIS. 1099 Pro states it plainly: self-filing through FIRE is no longer possible. If your old software built FIRE files, check that it can produce IRIS files, or switch.
What 1099 software do accountants use?
On practitioner forums, Track1099 (now Avalara 1099) and TaxBandits come up most, both with multiple businesses in one account. For a flat price, CheckMark charges $20 per extra company on top of the license. Tax1099 Teams, at $249 a year, adds multiple users and 250 free TIN matches.
Which software files Form 1042-S?
TaxBandits, Tax1099 and Avalara file it, and the IRIS portal accepts it too. CheckMark doesn't cover it. Form 1042-S reports US-source income paid to foreign persons, with withholding, so confirm treaty questions with a tax pro.
How much does it cost to e-file 1,000 1099s?
Between $319 and $1,390 for federal e-file, depending on the model. CheckMark E-File Pro stays at a flat $319, TaxBandits comes to $1,007.50, Avalara $1,142, Tax1099 $1,310.50 and eFileMyForms $1,390. Mail and state filing can double that, so e-delivery pays off fast at this volume.
Does 1099 software file with the states too?
Online services do, with varying fees: free at TaxBandits for CF/SF states, then $0.95 for direct filing, $1.49 at Avalara and eFileMyForms. 1099 Pro includes CF/SF with federal e-file. With CheckMark or the IRIS portal, states that require direct filing are on you.