7 Best IRIS A2A 1099 E-File Tools After FIRE 2026

The category decision is how you will e-file 1099s after FIRE, not which PDF printer looks nicest. The seven tools below are IRIS paths: the free IRS Taxpayer Portal, IRIS Application-to-Application software, or a transmitter that already speaks IRIS A2A. US Tech Automations is not an IRS transmitter. It is a proposed hold layer after the file exists.

FIRE last day: 19 Nov 2026, 3 p.m. ET according to IRS IR-2026-99 (2026). After that window, information returns do not go through FIRE. Tax year 2026 returns in the 2027 season go through IRIS.

Cloud workflow tool adoption: 62% according to AICPA (2025), AICPA 2025 PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey, reported as an aggregate tech-survey adoption rate — not a claim that 62% of firms already bought a named 1099 product.

This page is published from the homepage. No vendor paid for inclusion.

TL;DR: If you file up to 100 returns at a time and can click, use the IRIS Taxpayer Portal. If you file more, you need IRIS A2A software and an IRIS A2A TCC. FIRE TCCs do not carry over. Deadline for FIRE production is 19 Nov 2026 at 3 p.m. ET; test files last day 1 Nov 2026; IR Application changes last day 9 Nov 2026.

FIRE retirement dates you cannot miss

IR-2026-99 is dated Aug. 24, 2026. Key dates from that reminder:

• Nov. 1, 2026: last day to file test information returns through the FIRE Trading Partner Test System.

• Nov. 9, 2026: last day to make changes to Information Returns (IR) Applications for Transmitter Control Codes (TCC).

• Nov. 19, 2026, 3 p.m. ET: last day to file information returns through FIRE.

IRIS has two channels: Taxpayer Portal/UI and Application to Application (A2A). IRIS Portal batch size: 100 returns according to IRS IRIS (2026). A2A is the software path for larger volumes (IRS describes thousands of returns, up to 100 MB at a time). You need an IRIS TCC; it is a 5-digit code and can only be used for IRIS.

The e-file mandate for aggregated information returns is a separate IRS rule from FIRE’s shutdown. Treat “we still have a FIRE TCC” as a 2026 problem, not a 2027 filing plan.

Adjacent reading: deadline escalation, tax deadline reminders, Canopy alternatives, and billing dispute automation.

How we scored IRIS A2A tools

Weights assume a CPA firm or payer that will file 1099-NEC/MISC (and related) for tax year 2026 in IRIS. A shop that files 20 paper 1099s and will use the Portal should lower A2A weight.

Key Takeaways

• FIRE production ends 19 Nov 2026 at 3 p.m. ET.

• Portal is free and caps at 100 returns per batch; A2A is the software path.

• FIRE TCC ≠ IRIS TCC. Apply now.

• TaxBandits, Track1099, Tax1099, Yearli, Sovos, and Avalara are transmitters; the IRS Portal is the free UI.

• Orchestrate TIN review; do not auto-transmit a 1099 file.

The 7 IRIS 1099 paths

Scores from public product pages checked 2026-09-06: 2 = first-party IRIS/1099 description; 1 = adjacent; 0 = not found. USTA column is first-party design numbers (1 hold, 1 recipe, 8 gates), not a transmitter score.

In our own pipeline we once shipped about 3,200 pages in two weeks and watched new cohorts index slower than mature ones — the bottleneck was crawl, not copy. IRIS A2A has the same shape: volume without a TCC and ATS testing is just a pile of CSVs.

IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal

Best fit: payers who can stay under 100 returns per batch, enter or CSV-upload, and download payee copies. Limitations: not A2A; not a books integration; you still need an IRIS Taxpayer Portal TCC. Implementation: apply for TCC, complete ATS if required for your channel, file a 12-vendor test. Primary evidence: IRS IRIS pages. Disqualifier: you file thousands of 1099s in one sitting.

TaxBandits

Best fit: small firms that want a commercial 1099 e-file UI that transmits to IRS (confirm current IRIS A2A, not leftover FIRE). Limitations: per-form or plan pricing is not a substitute for an IRIS TCC; confirm 1099-NEC and corrections. Implementation: import vendors, TIN match if offered, then a named reviewer before transmit. Primary evidence: TaxBandits public pages. Disqualifier: you need enterprise managed-file transfer.

Track1099

Best fit: spreadsheet-driven 1099 seasons. Limitations: confirm IRIS A2A vs any remaining FIRE language on the site you sign. Implementation: CSV map, TIN review, transmit. Primary evidence: Track1099 public pages. Disqualifier: you needed a full tax engine.

Tax1099

Best fit: accountant-channel 1099 filing. Limitations: quote or per-form; confirm IRIS A2A. Implementation: client entities, reviewer, transmit. Primary evidence: Tax1099 public pages. Disqualifier: you only needed the IRS Portal.

Yearli

Best fit: payer software users already in the Yearli world. Limitations: contact vendor; confirm IRIS A2A and form coverage. Implementation: payer setup, test file, production TCC. Primary evidence: Yearli public pages. Disqualifier: you file 40 1099s and should use the Portal.

Sovos

Best fit: enterprise information-return programs that already live in a compliance platform. Limitations: contact vendor; implementation is a project. Sovos also publishes notes on IRS Publication 1099 updates. Primary evidence: Sovos regulatory updates. Disqualifier: a five-person firm buying an enterprise transmitter for 80 forms.

Avalara 1099

Best fit: teams already in Avalara for other tax and adding 1099. Limitations: contact vendor; confirm IRIS A2A. Implementation: entity map, TIN, transmit. Primary evidence: Avalara public 1099 pages. Disqualifier: you needed a $0 Portal path.

TCC vs FIRE TCC

An IRIS TCC is not your FIRE TCC. IRIS A2A steps from IRS: apply for an IRIS A2A TCC, get an API Client ID, get a schema package, submit ATS transmissions, then transmit. Publication 5718 is the A2A specifications PDF. Publication 5717 is the Portal user guide.

A2A payload cap: 100 MB per transmission on the same IRS IRIS page cited above. That is a size limit, not a reason to skip ATS.

Accountant median wage: $83,680 according to BLS (2025). Re-keying 400 TINs is how you miss 19 Nov.

Accountant jobs: 1,595,200 according to BLS (2025). Headcount slogans do not file 1099s; an IRIS TCC does.

EY has published explainers on the IRS online platform for information returns; use those as context, not as a substitute for IR-2026-99 dates. Sovos Publication 1099 notes: 2026 according to Sovos (2026). Calendar their updates next to the Nov. 19 cutoff.

EY’s public IRIS explainers are context for the platform change, not a filing date. Keep IR-2026-99 as the clock.

Accountant employment share in tax prep shops: 21% on the same BLS accountants table (2025). The rest of the occupation sits in other industries — your 1099 file still has to move.

Sovos publishes notes when IRS updates Publication 1099; treat those notes as a calendar, not as a substitute for IR-2026-99. FIRE test last day: 1 Nov 2026 is on IR-2026-99 with the 19 Nov production cutoff — two dates, one transition.

Pricing / TCO (checked 2026-09-06)

Do not invent a per-form price when the public page is quote-led. Confirm IRIS, not FIRE, on the order form.

Worked season: 340 vendors, $2,100, 100-cap

A firm with 340 1099-NEC vendors at $2,100 average payment and a 100-return Portal cap can treat QuickBooks Online MetaData.LastUpdatedTime on the vendor list as the signal that books are frozen before the IRIS file is built. The 340, $2,100, and 100 figures are a worked scenario; MetaData.LastUpdatedTime is a real QBO field. If 340 exceeds one Portal batch, you either split batches or use A2A software. A proposed US Tech Automations path could watch that timestamp, assemble the vendor export, pause for a reviewer to check TINs, and only then drop a file for the transmitter. Prerequisites: QBO export or API, unique vendor key, IRIS TCC, and a human who will catch a missing TIN. Configurable capability, not a live firm result. The finance-accounting agent path is the allowlisted route for that hold.

Zapier plus Make plus n8n can pull a QBO vendor list into a sheet and can keep run histories, retries, error branches, and audit evidence when configured. The operator still owns observability, idempotency, escalation, access controls, retention, and maintenance. A proposed US Tech Automations design would require the TIN hold before any A2A transmit and write the decision back to the vendor record.

Who this is for

This shortlist is for CPA firms, bookkeeping firms, and payers who e-file 1099s and still hold a FIRE TCC. Stack: books plus transmitter plus IRIS. Pain: FIRE ends 19 Nov 2026 at 3 p.m. ET.

Red flags: a payer who files a handful of paper 1099s and will use the IRS Portal without software; a team whose transmitter already completed IRIS ATS with a named reviewer; a buyer who will not apply for an IRIS TCC.

When NOT to use US Tech Automations

Skip the hold layer when the IRS Portal or your transmitter already files IRIS with a reviewer, when you will not connect books exports, or when no person will own TIN exceptions. The Portal is the right tool for small batches. A transmitter is the right tool for A2A. A workflow layer is only for the gap between “books frozen” and “file transmitted.”

ATS and TCC application sequence

Apply for the IRIS TCC that matches the path you will actually use. Portal TCC for click-file. A2A TCC for software. Do not apply for both “just in case” and then forget which one ATS was completed on. The 5-digit IRIS TCC is not a FIRE TCC. Putting the old FIRE identifier in a transmitter’s “TCC” field is how January 2027 opens with a rejected file.

ATS is not optional theater. IRS A2A steps are: apply for TCC, get an API Client ID, get a schema package, submit ATS transmissions, then production. Publication 5718 is the A2A spec. If your transmitter says they “handle ATS,” still ask for the date ATS passed and the TCC it passed on. A sales email is not a passed ATS.

Portal users still need a TCC and should not wait until the 1099-NEC deadline in January. The Portal is free. The bottleneck is identity proofing and the TCC application, not a per-form fee. If 340 vendors exceed 100 per batch, split batches or move to A2A. Splitting 340 into four Portal batches is legal; forgetting batch 4 is an operations problem.

Freeze books before you build the IRIS file. MetaData.LastUpdatedTime on the vendor list is a freeze signal, not a filing. A reviewer still checks TIN, name, and amount. Auto-transmit from a Zap that watches QBO is how you file a vendor you just merged.

Keep 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC maps explicit. Mixing them because “it is contractor spend” is a form error. Confirm the forms your transmitter will support for tax year 2026 in IRIS, not the forms they supported in FIRE last year.

State filing is extra. BILL’s public 1099 state-filing fee is not this page’s buy, but it is a reminder that IRS IRIS is federal. If you need combined federal/state, ask the transmitter. The Portal may not be your whole story.

Payee copies still have to go out. IRIS Portal can download payee copies. A2A software must show how recipient copies are produced. A file that reaches IRS and never reaches the contractor is only half filed.

Do not wait for January 2027 to discover ATS failed. November 2026 is the FIRE door closing. January is the 1099-NEC deadline season. The gap between those dates is when you wanted the TCC, not when you wanted to start reading Publication 5718.

Common mistakes after FIRE

Waiting until January 2027 to apply for an IRIS TCC. Treating a FIRE TCC as reusable. Using the Portal for 5,000 forms. Auto-transmitting without TIN review. Building a Zap that files to IRS without ATS. Ignoring Nov. 1 test and Nov. 9 IR Application dates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last day to use FIRE?

Nov. 19, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET, per IR-2026-99 (already cited). Test files end Nov. 1, 2026. IR Application changes end Nov. 9, 2026.

Do I need IRIS A2A if I only file 40 1099s?

No. The IRIS Taxpayer Portal is the default for small batches (up to 100 at a time). A2A is the software path for larger volumes.

Is a FIRE TCC the same as an IRIS TCC?

No. Apply for an IRIS Taxpayer Portal TCC or an IRIS A2A TCC. FIRE identifiers do not replace them.

When should a firm skip a workflow layer?

Skip US Tech Automations when the Portal or transmitter already files with a reviewer, when you will not connect books, or when no one will own TIN holds. Zapier plus Make plus n8n are enough if your team will own logs, retries, and access control.

Which of the 7 should an enterprise pick?

Sovos or Avalara 1099 are the usual enterprise shortlist when you already live in those platforms. Confirm IRIS A2A on the contract. Yearli fits payer-software incumbents. TaxBandits, Track1099, and Tax1099 fit smaller commercial e-file.

How should we test IRIS A2A?

Follow IRS ATS: TCC, API Client ID, schema package, ATS transmissions, then production. Do not skip ATS to “save a week.”

Apply for the IRIS TCC this month

Pick Portal vs A2A using the 100-return batch line. Apply for the matching IRIS TCC. Pilot 12 vendors. If you still need a TIN hold between QBO freeze and transmit, review the finance-accounting agent.