January is calm when the W-9s were collected in March
Payee Ledger connects to each client's QuickBooks Online or Xero, tracks what every vendor has been paid against the $2,000 reporting threshold, collects and stores W-9s before they are urgent, and produces 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC forms formatted for the IRS's IRIS system. It is about year-round readiness, not just the filing.
- One dashboard: every client, every vendor approaching the threshold, every missing W-9
- Electronic W-9 requests with e-signature, reminders that stop when the form arrives, and TIN formatting checks
- Payments by card or payment app are excluded automatically, so you do not report what the processor reports
Two rule changes, one January, and the W-9s are still missing
Every January, bookkeepers discover which vendors never returned a W-9. The forms are due at the end of the month, the vendor does not answer email in the holidays, and the client cannot remember whether that $3,400 to a contractor was paid by check or by card. The filing itself is cheap; the chasing is what eats the season.
For payments made in 2026 the rules change twice. The reporting threshold for 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC rises from $600 to $2,000, which means fewer forms but a new question to track for every vendor all year. And the IRS is retiring its old FIRE e-filing system, so all 2026 forms go through the newer IRIS platform, which many small practices have never used.
The cost of getting it wrong falls on the client: penalties per late or incorrect form, and the obligation to withhold 24% from a vendor who never supplied a TIN. The cost of doing it by hand falls on you: spreadsheets per client, December evenings, and a January that starts with apologies.
- For payments made in 2026, the 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC reporting threshold, and the backup withholding threshold, rises from $600 to $2,000. Source: blog.taxbandits.com
- The IRS is retiring its FIRE e-filing system; all tax-year 2026 information returns are to be filed through IRIS. Source: irs.gov
Without it
- E-file services such as TaxBandits: Filing is cheap and commoditized: roughly $0.80–2.75 per form and about $0.35 per W-9 request. They are excellent for…
- QuickBooks' built-in 1099 wizard: Included with QuickBooks Online for one company, with per-form filing fees. Fine for a single business. It does not…
- Accounts-payable suites: Products like Bill.com include W-9 collection and 1099s as part of a full payables workflow, priced per user per…
With Payee Ledger
- One dashboard: every client, every vendor approaching the threshold, every missing W-9
- Electronic W-9 requests with e-signature, reminders that stop when the form arrives, and TIN formatting checks
- Payments by card or payment app are excluded automatically, so you do not report what the processor reports
- Electronic W-9 collection
- Running totals from the books
How it works
- 1
Connect client books
Authorize Payee Ledger in each client's QuickBooks Online or Xero. Vendors and payments are imported, and payment methods are read so card and payment-app transactions are set aside.
- 2
Classify vendors
Each vendor is marked reportable, exempt (for example most corporations) or unknown. Unknown vendors get a W-9 request link; the answer sets the classification.
- 3
Watch the year
Running totals update as payments post. When a vendor without a W-9 crosses $1,500 you are alerted, before the $2,000 threshold makes it a withholding problem.
- 4
Produce the forms
In January, review the 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC data per client, generate recipient copies, and export the IRIS-formatted file. See the FAQ for how e-filing works in early access.
Features
Electronic W-9 collection
Send a vendor a link; they complete and e-sign a W-9 on their phone. The form, signature and timestamp are stored against the vendor, and the TIN is checked for format before it is accepted.
Running totals from the books
Payments are pulled from QuickBooks Online or Xero daily and totalled per vendor per calendar year, with the payment method shown, so card and third-party network payments are excluded from the reportable total.
Threshold and withholding alerts
Alerts at $1,500 and $2,000 for any vendor without a valid W-9 on file, with a note explaining that backup withholding at 24% applies to further payments until the TIN is provided.
Multi-client dashboard
Readiness per client: vendors over threshold, W-9s missing, requests outstanding, forms ready. Sort by what needs chasing this week.
TIN Matching file
Produces the bulk file for the IRS TIN Matching program in e-Services so you can verify names and TINs before filing, and imports the results to flag mismatches.
1099-NEC and 1099-MISC generation
Builds the forms from the year's totals, lets you adjust any box, and produces recipient copies as PDF for print or, with the recipient's consent, electronic delivery.
IRIS-ready export
Exports the forms in the CSV layout the IRIS Taxpayer Portal accepts, per client, so filing is an upload rather than data entry.
Automated reminders
W-9 requests are re-sent on a schedule you set and stop the moment the form arrives.
A look inside
What you see day to day: the working view and the monthly summary.
Who it's for
Bookkeepers with 20–300 clients
You file 1099s for most of your clients and the chasing is the worst part of your year. You get one list of what is missing across all of them, all year.
CPA firms with a 1099 service line
You charge for 1099 preparation and want it to be a review step, not a scramble. You get clean data and IRIS files per client.
Small businesses with many contractors
Trades, agencies, clinics. You get W-9s before the first payment and know your exposure at any time.
Clients moving from FIRE to IRIS
You used FIRE for years and need a straightforward path to the new system for 2026 forms.
Works with
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal CSV format
- IRS TIN Matching bulk file (e-Services)
- Electronic Form W-9 with e-signature
- PDF recipient copies (1099-NEC, 1099-MISC)
- Email and SMS vendor reminders
Pricing
Billed per season: twelve months from activation, covering one tax year's payments and the following January filing. Founding customer pricing is fixed for two seasons. All plans include W-9 collection, running totals, alerts and IRIS-ready exports.
Solo
$99 per season
One company, up to 50 vendors
- 1 company
- Up to 50 vendors
- QuickBooks Online or Xero connection
- Electronic W-9 requests and reminders
- 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC generation
- IRIS CSV export
Bookkeeper
$199 per season
Up to 10 client companies
- Up to 10 companies, 500 vendors
- Multi-client dashboard
- TIN Matching file and results import
- Recipient copies with electronic delivery consent
- Client read-only logins
- Everything in Solo
Firm
$299 per season
Up to 50 client companies
- Up to 50 companies, then $4 each
- 2,000 vendors included
- Staff logins with per-client access
- Bulk W-9 campaigns across clients
- Priority support in December and January
Compared with the alternatives
- E-file services such as TaxBandits
- Filing is cheap and commoditized: roughly $0.80–2.75 per form and about $0.35 per W-9 request. They are excellent for the January step. Payee Ledger is the March-to-December part: knowing what you will need to file and having the W-9s already.
- QuickBooks' built-in 1099 wizard
- Included with QuickBooks Online for one company, with per-form filing fees. Fine for a single business. It does not give a bookkeeper a view across clients or chase W-9s on a schedule.
- Accounts-payable suites
- Products like Bill.com include W-9 collection and 1099s as part of a full payables workflow, priced per user per month. Right if the client wants the whole AP process; heavy if you only need the 1099 side.
- Spreadsheets
- Free, familiar, and the reason January is hard. One sheet per client, no payment-method data, no reminders.
Your first week
We onboard new accounts within 2 business days. For firms we connect clients in a batch and run the first W-9 campaign with you.
- Day 1: Request service and tell us how many clients and vendors you handle and which accounting systems they use.
- Day 2–3: Your account is live. Connect client books; vendors and year-to-date payments are imported and classified.
- Day 4–5: Review the vendors flagged as unknown or missing a W-9 and send the first round of requests.
- Day 7: The dashboard shows readiness per client. From here, alerts tell you when a vendor approaches the threshold without a W-9.
Security and data
- Data is stored in a US data-centre region, encrypted at rest and in transit (TLS 1.2 or higher); TINs and SSNs are additionally encrypted with a separate key and displayed masked.
- Only your firm's users, and client users you invite, can see a client's vendors; access is per client and every view of an unmasked TIN is logged.
- QuickBooks Online and Xero connections use OAuth 2.0 with read scopes; we never hold accounting passwords and you can revoke access from the platform.
- W-9s, totals and generated forms are kept for four years after the season ends, in line with IRS record-retention guidance for information returns, unless you delete them sooner.
- Full export at any time and deletion on request within 30 days, confirmed by email.
Questions
Does Payee Ledger e-file to the IRS directly?
Not yet. In early access we produce the CSV file the IRIS Taxpayer Portal accepts, and you upload it under your own IRIS account, which gives you the IRS receipt directly. Our application to transmit through IRIS on your behalf is in progress, and founding customers will be told when it is approved.
Is this tax advice?
No. Payee Ledger is record-keeping and form-preparation software. It applies the classification you set and the thresholds published by the IRS. Whether a particular payment is reportable, whether a vendor is exempt, and when backup withholding applies are questions for a tax professional.
Does the higher threshold mean I need fewer forms?
Yes, for most clients. Vendors paid less than $2,000 in 2026 no longer need a 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC. You still want a W-9 for anyone who might cross the line, because the backup withholding obligation starts at the same threshold.
What about 1099-K, and payments by card?
Payments by credit card, debit card or payment app are reported by the processor on a 1099-K, not by you. Payee Ledger excludes them from vendor totals using the payment method recorded in the books, and flags vendors where the method is missing.
Do you handle state filings?
Not in early access. We export a per-state list of recipients so you can meet state requirements through your usual route. Combined Federal/State filing support is on the roadmap.
How is the W-9 data protected?
TINs are encrypted with a separate key, shown masked, and revealed only to users with permission. See the security section for retention and deletion.
What if a client is on desktop QuickBooks or another system?
Upload a vendor payment CSV instead. Totals, W-9 collection and form generation work the same way; only the daily sync is missing.
Ready when you are
Tell us about your setup. We confirm by email and get you running within 2 business days.
Request service