The IRS’s January 25 announcement introduced the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), a free electronic filing service that required no special software. Businesses could create, upload, edit and view 1099-series information, then download completed copies for distribution and verification. Filing could be done by entering information directly or uploading a file built from a downloadable template; the system accepted tax-year 2022 forms and later. [story-s1]
For small businesses accustomed to paper submissions, the operational pitch was practical rather than mandatory: the IRS highlighted error and missing-information alerts, extensions and corrections, receipt acknowledgment potentially within 48 hours, and reuse of issuer information across years. Those are workflow features, not a guarantee that every filing would be accepted or every business would save money. The agency described possible savings in postage, paper and storage, and encouraged early enrollment. [story-s1]
The announcement also made clear that IRIS did not immediately displace the existing bulk route. FIRE would remain available for bulk filing Forms 1099 and other information returns through at least the 2023 filing season. For a business evaluating a switch, the distinction mattered: IRIS offered a new no-cost web workflow, while the transition period left an established bulk-filing option in place. The release therefore described overlapping filing paths during a defined transition, rather than an immediate cutover for all issuers. [story-s1]
Source documents
- IRS opens free portal to file information returns; new electronic option can reduce millions of paper Forms 1099 estimated to be filed by businesses in 2023 | Internal Revenue Servicehttps://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-opens-free-portal-to-file-information-returns-new-electronic-option-can-reduce-millions-of-paper-forms-1099-estimated-to-be-filed-by-businesses-in-2023