Form 1096 is the annual summary and transmittal of US information returns. Use this tax form to report the information returns you filed during the tax year. More specifically, the following tax forms.
Form 1096 looks very simple on the outside, but there is more to it than just filling out a paper copy and mailing it to the Internal Revenue Service. In a way, entering information on the document when preparing a proper copy of Form 1096 is the easiest part, whereas meeting the other requirements is what challenges most people.
Here is a breakdown of everything you need to do when filling out a paper Form 1096 and things to pay attention to when mailing it to the Internal Revenue Service.
A simple, box-by-box guide to file Form 1096
Enter your personal information on the first part of Form 1096, such as name and contact information.
Box 1: Enter your Employer Identification Number.
Box 2: Enter your Social Security Number even though you entered EIN.
Box 3: Enter the number of forms you’re submitting with this 1096 in particular.
Box 4: Enter the total amount of federal income tax withheld from all the information returns with this 1096.
Box 5: Enter the total amount you’re reporting with this 1096.
Box 6: Check the box corresponding to the information return you’re submitting with this 1096.
Note these before mailing
As you can see, we’ve noted lots of “with this 1096” in this guide. The reason for this is you don’t file Form 1096 for all the information returns you filed – technically, yes, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
Form 1096 is filed for each variant of the information return. For example, you don’t just go and send all the 1099s you filed during the course of the tax year. Instead, you break it down into pieces, like mailing Form 1096 with the 1099-MISCs you filed or 1099-NECs, and so on.
Start filling out 1096 Form 2024 here.