Help
Set up
- Keep one row per payment (or per payee) on one sheet, with a header row. Typical headers: Payee, Business name, First name, Last name, TIN, Address, City, State, ZIP, Amount, Federal tax withheld, W-9 received.
- In Google Sheets choose Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons, search for 1099 Ready and install it.
- Choose Extensions → 1099 Ready → Open 1099 Ready. The sidebar maps your columns from the headers; correct any mapping and pick 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC.
- Click Check. The summary shows payees, how many must get a form, and errors by type. Problem cells are highlighted; Clear highlights puts your colors back.
- Fix the cells and check again until must-file payees show no errors.
- Pro: enter payer details once, then Download IRIS CSV. Upload the files in IRIS yourself.
How payees are added up
Rows with the same TIN are one payee. Rows without a TIN are grouped by name and ZIP — the same name with a different ZIP counts as a different payee, so compare the payee count in the summary with what you expect. A payee must get a form for tax year 2026 when the total is $2,000 or more (1099-NEC), or any federal tax was withheld. Name, TIN and address are checked only for must-file payees; amounts are checked on every row.
Error types
| In the sidebar | What it means |
|---|---|
| TIN format | Not 9 digits, a pattern the IRS never issues (SSN starting 000, 666 or 9xx outside the ITIN ranges; an EIN prefix not in use), or a placeholder like 123456789. Leading zeros dropped by Sheets are restored when the cell is a number. |
| Required cell blank | A must-file payee is missing a name, TIN, address, city, state or ZIP. Collect a Form W-9 from the payee. |
| State code | Must be the 2-letter USPS code. Full state names are recognized and the code is suggested. |
| ZIP | 5 or 9 digits for US addresses (12345 or 12345-6789). ZIPs that lost a leading zero are flagged. |
| Too long | IRIS limits: business name 40 characters, individual first/last name 20, address 35, city 40. |
| Characters IRIS rejects | Business names allow letters, digits, spaces and - # ( ) & '. Addresses allow letters, digits, spaces, - and /. |
| Extra spaces | Leading, trailing or double spaces. IRIS rejects them; they are invisible in the sheet. |
| Amount format | Negative amounts, text, scientific notation (1.2E+04) or more than 2 decimals. |
| Name | Individual payees need a first and last name; a business needs a business name. |
Pro
- After buying, open the sidebar → Pro → paste the key (NN-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX) → Activate. The plan label shows “Pro · tax year 2026”.
- The key binds to the Google account you activate it on and works in all its spreadsheets.
- CSV export leaves out payees that still have errors and tells you how many — IRIS would reject them. Files hold up to 100 returns each, the IRIS upload limit.
- The add-on re-checks the key about once a month; offline, Pro keeps working for 90 days.
Uploading in IRIS
IRIS is the IRS’s free portal for information returns. You need an IRIS Transmitter Control Code (TCC) first — apply well before January; approval is not instant. See E-file information returns with IRIS. The CSV layout follows the IRS IRIS CSV templates.
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