1099-NEC Issuance Deadline — January 31
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Form 1099-NEC must be issued to contractors and filed with the IRS by January 31, 2026.
Who must file or pay
Businesses and self-employed individuals who paid $600 or more to any contractor, vendor, or service provider during 2025 must issue Form 1099-NEC.
What you need to know
Form 1099-NEC reports non-employee compensation to contractors, gig workers, and any individual or LLC (non-S-Corp, non-C-Corp) paid $600 or more during the year. The January 31 deadline covers both recipient copies and IRS filing.
Important: 1099-MISC has a later IRS filing deadline (February 28 on paper, March 31 electronic) but if Box 7 (nonemployee compensation) is involved, use 1099-NEC which has the January 31 hard deadline.
Common mistakes: forgetting to issue 1099s to landlords for office rent, attorneys for legal fees, or unincorporated marketing agencies. TaxosAgent's bookkeeping module flags payee records requiring a 1099 during the Q4 vendor review.
Same penalty structure as W-2s: $60–$310 per form, up to $630 for intentional disregard. Failure to collect W-9s before payment is a separate compliance risk — you may be required to withhold 24% backup withholding.
Required forms
- →Form 1099-NEC
- →Form 1096 (if paper filing)
- →Form W-9 (collect before payment, not after)
A licensed TaxosAgent professional reviews your situation before this deadline — so you maximize savings, not just compliance.
Book a strategy call→Free audit first →guaranteed, or your money back.
Other dates to know
Q4 2026 Estimated Tax — January 15, 2027
Fourth and final quarter 2026 estimated tax payment due January 15, 2027 — covering September 1 through December 31.
W-2 Issuance Deadline — January 31
Employers must issue W-2s to employees and file with SSA by January 31, 2026.
Form 941 Quarterly Payroll — Q1 April 30
Form 941 quarterly payroll tax return due April 30, 2026 (Q1) — subsequent quarters due July 31, October 31, and January 31.