1099 and W-2 deadlines for 2027 (2026 payments)
Every due date, with the weekend rolls applied
The law says January 31, February 28 and March 31. When one of those falls on a weekend or a legal holiday, the return is on time if filed the next business day. In 2027, January 31 is a Sunday, February 15 is Washington's Birthday, and February 28 is a Sunday.
| Form | What it reports | To the recipient | To IRS or SSA, paper | To IRS or SSA, e-file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-2 | Wages paid to employees in 2026Same date on paper or electronic. No automatic extension. | February 1, 2027 | February 1, 2027 (to SSA) | February 1, 2027 (to SSA) |
| 1099-NEC | Nonemployee compensation of $2,000 or moreSame date on paper or electronic. No automatic extension. | February 1, 2027 | February 1, 2027 | February 1, 2027 |
| 1099-MISC | Rents, prizes, medical payments, other income of $2,000 or more; royalties of $10 or more | February 1, 2027 (February 16 if only boxes 8 or 10) | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1099-K | Payment card transactions (all amounts); third-party network payments over $20,000 and more than 200 transactions | February 1, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1099-INT | Interest of $10 or more | February 1, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1099-DIV | Dividends and distributions of $10 or more | February 1, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1099-R | Distributions from pensions, IRAs, annuities of $10 or more | February 1, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1099-B / 1099-S | Broker proceeds; real estate sale proceeds | February 16, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 1098 | Mortgage interest of $600 or more | February 1, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
| 5498 | IRA contributionsMay 31, 2027 is Memorial Day. | June 1, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | June 1, 2027 |
Paper filings are timely if postmarked by the date. Electronic filings through IRIS are timely if submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date. A leap year does not move a deadline.
What changed for 2026 payments
The $600 threshold is now $2,000
For tax years beginning after 2025, the minimum amount that triggers a 1099-NEC, and most boxes on a 1099-MISC (rents, other income, medical payments, crop insurance), rose to $2,000. The same $2,000 threshold applies to backup withholding on those payments. Starting in calendar year 2027 the figure is indexed for inflation. Royalties, interest and dividends keep their $10 threshold; gross proceeds paid to attorneys and cash fish purchases stay at $600. A business that paid a contractor $1,500 in 2026 does not file a 1099-NEC for them.
The 1099-K threshold is back to $20,000 and 200
Payment apps and online marketplaces (third-party settlement organizations) report a seller only when the year's gross payments exceed $20,000 and the number of transactions exceeds 200. The IRS confirmed in October 2025 that the July 2025 law reinstated the pre-2021 threshold retroactively, which ended the phased $5,000 and $2,500 figures. Payment card processors still report every amount.
FIRE is retired. IRIS is the only IRS system
The FIRE system takes its last filings at 3 p.m. Eastern on November 19, 2026. Anyone who filed 1099s under their own FIRE transmitter control code needs an IRIS transmitter control code before the 2027 season; if your software transmits under the vendor's code, confirm the vendor has moved to IRIS. The IRIS taxpayer portal is free, accepts keyed entry or a CSV upload, and files up to 100 returns at a time. W-2s still go to the Social Security Administration through Business Services Online, which opens for tax year 2026 uploads on December 8, 2026.
The 10-return e-file rule
If you must file 10 or more information returns in the year, you must e-file all of them. The count adds every type together, including W-2s: four Forms 1098 plus six Forms 1099-NEC is ten, so every one goes electronically. Corrections follow the originals, so if the originals were e-filed, the corrections must be too. A hardship waiver is available on application. Filing on paper when e-filing was required can be penalized on its own.
Extensions
- Most 1099s and 1098s: Form 8809, filed on paper or through IRIS by the due date, gives an automatic 30 days. A second 30 days is available under hardship conditions.
- W-2 and 1099-NEC: no automatic extension. Form 8809 is granted only for the reasons on the form, such as a federally declared disaster, the death or serious illness of the person responsible for filing, or a first-year business. Only one extension is granted for W-2s.
- Employee W-2 copies: Form 15397 requests up to 15 days to furnish copies to employees, or up to 30 days if the need is clearly shown.
Penalties for returns due in 2027
| When corrected or filed | Per return | Annual cap, receipts of $5 million or less | Annual cap, larger businesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 30 days of the due date | $60 | $244,500 | $698,500 |
| After 30 days, by August 1 | $130 | $698,500 | $2,095,500 |
| After August 1, or never filed | $340 | $1,397,000 | $4,191,500 |
| Intentional disregard | $690 or 10% of the amount, whichever is more | No cap | No cap |
The same tiers apply a second time for each recipient statement that was late or wrong, so a 1099-NEC that never went to the contractor or the IRS costs $680. A missing or wrong taxpayer identification number, a wrong surname, or a wrong dollar amount is never an inconsequential error. The penalty does not apply when you can show reasonable cause, and a small number of timely-filed returns with errors are excused under the de minimis rule.
Backup withholding and W-9s
Collect a Form W-9 from every contractor before the first payment. If a payee does not give you a correct taxpayer identification number, or the IRS notifies you that the one they gave is wrong, you must withhold 24 percent of each reportable payment and deposit it, reporting the total on Form 945. The $2,000 threshold applies to backup withholding on nonemployee compensation the same way it applies to the 1099-NEC itself.
A January checklist for the firm
- Now through November 19, 2026: get an IRIS transmitter control code if you filed through FIRE, and confirm your payroll or 1099 software has moved.
- December: pull the vendor list from each client's books, flag every vendor paid $2,000 or more that is not a corporation, and chase missing W-9s. Business Services Online opens for W-2 uploads on December 8.
- By January 15, 2027: reconcile December so the vendor totals are final. A 1099 issued from unreconciled books is the one you correct in March.
- By February 1, 2027: W-2s to employees and the SSA; 1099-NECs to contractors and the IRS; recipient copies of every other 1099.
- By March 1 (paper) or March 31 (electronic), 2027: the remaining 1099s and 1098s to the IRS. File Form 8809 before the due date if you need the 30 days.
In LucaLedger the 1099 summary adds up each client's vendor payments for the tax year from the reconciled ledger, flags the 1099 vendors who cross the threshold, shows whose tax ID is still missing, and exports to CSV for whatever you file with. The catch-up bookkeeping guide covers what to do when the books are not reconciled yet.
Frequently asked questions
When are 1099s due in 2027?
Form 1099-NEC is due to both the contractor and the IRS by February 1, 2027 (January 31 is a Sunday). Most other 1099s (MISC, K, INT, DIV, R) go to the recipient by February 1, 2027, and to the IRS by March 1, 2027 on paper or March 31, 2027 electronically. Brokers' 1099-B and 1099-S statements can go to recipients by February 16, 2027.
When are W-2s due in 2027?
Copy A of Form W-2 with Form W-3 must reach the Social Security Administration by February 1, 2027, and employees must have their copies by the same date, whether you file on paper or electronically.
What is the 1099 threshold for 2026 payments?
For tax years beginning after 2025, the threshold for Form 1099-NEC and most 1099-MISC boxes rose from $600 to $2,000, and it will be adjusted for inflation starting in calendar year 2027. Royalties still trigger at $10, and interest and dividends at $10.
What is the 1099-K threshold for 2026?
Payment apps and online marketplaces report a payee only when gross payments exceed $20,000 and the number of transactions exceeds 200. The IRS announced in October 2025 that the law reinstated this threshold retroactively. Payment card processors report all amounts.
Do I have to e-file 1099s?
If you file 10 or more information returns of any type combined during the year, including W-2s, you must e-file. Four 1098s and six 1099-NECs is ten, so all of them go electronically. From the 2027 filing season the only IRS system for 1099s is IRIS; the FIRE system stops accepting returns on November 19, 2026.
Can I get an extension for 1099s or W-2s?
Form 8809 gives an automatic 30-day extension for most 1099s and 1098s if filed by the due date, with a second 30 days available in hardship cases. There is no automatic extension for W-2 or 1099-NEC; Form 8809 for those is granted only for the listed reasons, such as a disaster or the death or serious illness of the person responsible. Extensions to furnish employee W-2 copies use Form 15397.
What is the penalty for a late 1099 in 2027?
For returns required to be filed in 2027, the penalty per return is $60 if corrected within 30 days, $130 if corrected by August 1, and $340 after that or if never filed, with the same amounts again for each late recipient statement. Intentional disregard is at least $690 per return with no cap. Annual maximums are lower for businesses with average gross receipts of $5 million or less.
Sources
- IRS Publication 1099 (2026), General Instructions for Certain Information Returns: due-date table, weekend and holiday rule, $2,000 threshold, 10-or-more e-file rule, Form 8809, penalty rules.
- Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (12/2026): $2,000 threshold and section 6071(c) January 31 date for the NEC.
- 2026 Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3: February 1, 2027 due dates, Form 8809 and Form 15397 extension rules.
- SSA EFW2 specifications, tax year 2026: February 1, 2027 electronic due date; uploads open December 8, 2026.
- IRS news release IR-2025-107 (October 23, 2025): 1099-K threshold reinstated at $20,000 and 200 transactions.
- IRS news release IR-2026-99 (August 24, 2026): FIRE retirement on November 19, 2026 and the move to IRIS.
- Revenue Procedure 2025-32, sections .57 and .58: penalty amounts for returns required to be filed and statements furnished in 2027.
- IRS, Backup withholding: 24 percent rate.
Dates roll to the next business day under the rule in Publication 1099. Penalty tiers and annual caps are as published for 2027 in Revenue Procedure 2025-32; the IRS may revise them. This is general information, not tax advice.