Best 1099 Filing Software in 2026: What 25 Contractors Really Cost
For 25 contractors on 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC, TaxBandits is the cheapest of the five per-form tools we compared: $53.75 to e-file all 25 with the IRS (federal only, marginal tiers, checked 19 Oct 2026). 1099-NEC for 2026 payments is due Monday, February 1, 2027. IRS IRIS is free with a transmitter code; QuickBooks is $35 a month at list.
| Tool | Entry price | Cost of the 25-form job | Billing basis | Hidden costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaxBandits | $2.75 per form (first 10 forms) | $53.75 | Per form, marginal tiers | Mail $1.85 per form; tiers need one submission |
| Avalara | $3.10 per form (first 15 forms) | $69.50 | Per form, marginal tiers | State $1.49 per form beyond CF/SF; mail surcharge Jan 27 to 31 |
| Tax1099 | $2.99 per form (first 20 forms) | $72.75 | Per form, marginal tiers | Mail rush fee in the last 5 days of the season |
| Bill.com | $2.99 per form (1 to 200 forms) | $74.75 | Per form, BILL Accounts Payable customers only | AP plans from $49 per user per month |
| efile4Biz | $3.40 per form (1 to 25 forms) | $85.00 | Per form, price set by order size | $5.25 per form with print and mail |
| QuickBooks Contractor Payments | $25 per month (20 contractors) | $35 per month at list | Monthly, $2 per extra contractor | Intro discount skips contractor fees; mail fee not stated |
| Gusto | $49 per month plus $6 per contractor (Simple) | $199 per month you pay contractors | Monthly plan plus per-contractor fee | No 1099-MISC; plan closed to new contractor-only customers |
| IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal | Free | $0 | Free | Needs a transmitter code, typically 45 business days |
Picks 1 to 5 charge by the form, ordered by their federal e-file total for these 25 forms. Picks 6 and 7 charge by the month, ordered by monthly cost, and the free IRS portal closes the list.
Dupple data: we read 7 vendor pricing pages on 19 Oct 2026 and all 7 publish a price for 1099 filing: 5 charge per form and 2, QuickBooks and Gusto, charge by the month.
What is 1099 filing software, and what does the IRS require?
1099 filing software turns contractor payment lists into Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC, e-files them with the IRS and usually delivers recipient copies, with state filing and TIN matching as extras.
The IRS requires e-filing once you have 10 or more information returns in total, so 25 contractors clear the bar (IRS instructions).
Who needs a form. The IRS minimum is $2,000 for 1099-NEC and, on 1099-MISC, for rents, prizes and awards, other income, medical and health care payments, crop insurance proceeds, generally cash from notional principal contracts, section 409A deferrals and nonqualified deferred compensation, and it may be adjusted for inflation from 2027. Royalties and broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest count from $10, gross proceeds paid to an attorney from $600, fishing boat proceeds at any amount, and any payment from which you withheld backup withholding, whatever the amount.
The deadline. The IRS instructions say Section 6071(c) requires you to file Form 1099-NEC on or before January 31, and that a due date falling on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is filed moves to the next business day. January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so 1099-NEC is due Monday, February 1, 2027. For 1099-MISC the IRS says February 28 on paper, a Sunday in 2027, so Monday, March 1, 2027, or March 31, 2027 if you e-file. Our guide to 1099 due dates covers them.
How we chose and ordered the list
This page compares vendor pricing pages and IRS pages; no product was tested. The scenario is 25 contractors and 25 forms, a mix of 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC, e-filed once, and the per-form tools charge the same for either form. Tiers are marginal where the vendor says so (Tax1099, TaxBandits) or lists ranges (Avalara); efile4Biz and Bill.com set one price per band, and 25 forms fall in the first band of each.
TaxBandits: the lowest total of the five per-form tools
TaxBandits bills marginal tiers, so 25 forms cost 10 × $2.75 for the first ten plus 15 × $1.75 for forms 11 to 100: $53.75. State forwarding through the Combined Federal/State Filing program (CF/SF) is free with the federal return, direct state filing is $0.95 per form, and TIN matching is $0.35 per TIN. Recipient copies cost $0.50 per form online or $1.85 per form by domestic mail.
The catch: volume pricing applies only when all forms go in one submission or you buy prepaid credits.
Suits a one-off batch with no payroll or payables system behind it; its total is the lowest of the five per-form tools, federal-only and with state, TIN matching and mail added.
Avalara: recipient e-delivery included in the form fee
Avalara prices in tiers: 15 × $3.10 for the first 15 forms plus 10 × $2.30 for forms 16 to 165 is $69.50, with e-delivery, e-corrections and downloads included. Add-ons: direct state filing $1.49 per form, TIN matching $0.45 per form, and postal mail $1.84 per mailing, or $2.89 from January 27 to 31.
The catch: state filing beyond CF/SF is a $1.49-per-form add-on ($37.25 for 25 forms if every form went direct), the same kind of fee as TaxBandits' $0.95 and Tax1099's direct-state fee.
Pick it over TaxBandits when you want recipient e-delivery bundled in; with TaxBandits' online access added the gap is $3.25 ($66.25 against $69.50).
Tax1099: state forwarding built into the form price
Tax1099 is a Zenwork, Inc. product (its footer reads "Powered by Zenwork, Inc."). Its Essential plan has no subscription and bills per form, and the page says the total is the sum across each achieved tier: 20 × $2.99 for the first 20 forms plus 5 × $2.59 for forms 21 to 150 is $72.75. IRS filing and CF/SF state forwarding are included, while direct-to-state filing for other states is billed per form. TIN matching is $1.00 each, e-delivery $0.50 per form and print and mail $1.95 per form.
The catch is timing: mail requests in the final 5 days of the filing season add a $1 rush-hour fee per mailing, and its page words the window as ending "Feb 2" with no year.
Pick it if you already have a Tax1099 account: at this size it costs $19.00 more than TaxBandits, and its TIN fee ties efile4Biz for highest.
Bill.com: 1099 filing only for BILL Accounts Payable customers
BILL says 1099 filing "is only available to customers that use BILL Accounts Payable", whose plans are $49 Essentials, $65 Team and $89 Corporate per user per month. The same page lists 1099 e-filing with the IRS at $2.99 per form, so 25 forms cost $74.75, with direct state filing at $1.49 and mailing at $1.99 per form.
BILL's pricing page also lists $1.99 per form via its Accountant Console, for accounting firms only.
The catch is a cutoff on BILL's 1099 page: volume bands cover forms filed through January 31, 2027, and forms bought after the February 1 deadline pay standard pricing, which at 25 forms equals the band price.
Pick it only if BILL already runs your vendor payments, since then the form fee is the whole cost; otherwise see our guide to accounts payable software for small business.
efile4Biz: print and mail in one per-form price
efile4Biz sets the price per form by order size: for 1 to 25 forms, e-file only is $3.40 per form and e-file with print and mail is $5.25 per form, so 25 forms cost $85.00 or $131.25. State filing and TIN matching are $1 per form or record, and the Basic plan for one user is free.
The catch is price: it is the dearest of the five per-form tools at 25 forms, and with mail it costs $131.25 against $100.00 at TaxBandits.
Pick it if you want one order that files with the IRS and mails the recipient copies.
QuickBooks Contractor Payments: unlimited 1099 e-filing in a monthly price
QuickBooks Contractor Payments includes 20 contractors and charges $2 per month for each additional one, so 25 contractors cost the list price plus 5 × $2: $35 a month, or $420 over a year. New customers get 50% off the base fee for 3 months but not on per-contractor fees, so those months cost $22.50 and a first year $382.50. Its 1099 page lists unlimited 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC e-filing and no annual contract.
The catch is scope: QuickBooks e-files only payments recorded in QuickBooks, its state filing covers eligible CF/SF states, and print and mail may cost extra at a price the page does not state.
Pick it if you already pay contractors through QuickBooks. One month at list is below every per-form total here, but only if the year's payments are recorded there; otherwise see our contractor accounting software guide.
Gusto: a payroll plan plus a fee per contractor, with no 1099-MISC
Gusto closed its contractor-only plan to new customers on October 1, 2026. New customers pay contractors on a payroll plan: Simple is $49 plus $6 per person, Plus $80 plus $12 and Premium $180 plus $22, all per month. Gusto bills contractors only in months you pay them, so in a month when you pay all 25 contractors, Simple costs the base plus 25 × $6, or $199, against $380 on Plus and $730 on Premium. Its 1099 page says 1099-NEC e-filing carries no extra cost.
The catch is coverage: Gusto does not support 1099-MISC or other 1099 types, so it cannot file this scenario alone.
Pick it if Gusto already runs your payroll and every contractor form is a 1099-NEC; see our payroll software guide.
IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal: free, if you hold a transmitter code
The IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal is free, takes up to 100 returns at a time, typed or uploaded as a CSV file, so 25 forms cost $0. It needs an IRIS Transmitter Control Code, which works only for IRIS, and Pub. 1099 says a typical application is processed within 45 business days. The IRS lists 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC among the forms IRIS accepts, and Pub. 1099 says the portal can take part in the Combined Federal/State Filing Program.
The catch is effort: validation is basic and you download and distribute the recipient copies yourself.
Pick it if you are comfortable with CSV templates and apply for the code now.
What 25 forms really cost: state, TIN matching and mail
This table adds one state filing per form, a TIN match for every payee and mailed recipient copies to the federal-only totals above, each at the vendor's own fee.
| Tool | Direct state filing, 25 forms | TIN match, 25 payees | Mail, 25 copies | Total with federal e-file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaxBandits | $23.75, or free via CF/SF | $8.75 | $46.25 | $132.50 |
| Avalara | $37.25, or free via CF/SF | $11.25 | $46.00 | $164.00 |
| Tax1099 | $74.75, or free via CF/SF | $25.00 | $48.75 | $221.25 |
| Bill.com | $37.25 (CF/SF not priced on its pages) | Not listed | $49.75 | $161.75 |
| efile4Biz | $25.00 (CF/SF not priced on its pages) | $25.00 | $46.25 (print and mail bundle) | $181.25 |
TaxBandits stays lowest, but Tax1099 falls to last once direct state fees apply, and Bill.com's total leaves out TIN matching. Where CF/SF covers your states, TaxBandits falls to $108.75, Avalara to $126.75 and Tax1099 to $146.50.
Late January costs more. Avalara raises mail from $1.84 to $2.89 per mailing from January 27 to 31, which adds $26.25 for 25 copies, and Tax1099 adds its rush-hour fee. TaxBandits says it charges no surge fees. Deliver recipient copies electronically where the recipient has consented, or mail them by mid-January.
How to choose
- One batch, nothing else to buy: TaxBandits, or Avalara if bundled e-delivery matters more than the $3.25 gap.
- BILL Accounts Payable customer: Bill.com, since only the form fee is new.
- Contractors already paid through QuickBooks, or Gusto payroll with only 1099-NEC: that platform.
- No budget and time to wait: the IRS portal, once the code arrives.
Common mistakes
Reading the federal fee as the bill. State, TIN matching and mail add $78.75 at TaxBandits and $148.50 at Tax1099 on the direct-state basis.
Splitting the batch. TaxBandits applies volume pricing only to forms filed in one submission or paid with prepaid credits.
Buying a platform to file. A Gusto month at $199 is about 3.7 times the TaxBandits total, and Gusto cannot file 1099-MISC.
Missing the date. The IRS penalises each return and each payee statement separately; the FAQ has the amounts.
Skipping consent. Electronic copies need the recipient's affirmative consent first (Pub. 1099).
FAQ
What is the best 1099 filing software for 25 contractors?
Among the five per-form tools we compared, TaxBandits is the cheapest for 25 forms at $53.75, federal e-file only, checked 19 October 2026. QuickBooks suits businesses already paying contractors there, and the IRS IRIS portal is free for filers with a transmitter code.
How much does it cost to e-file 25 1099 forms?
Federal-only, the other per-form tools cost $69.50 at Avalara, $72.75 at Tax1099, $74.75 at Bill.com and $85.00 at efile4Biz. QuickBooks is $35 a month at list, Gusto's Simple plan is $199 in each month you pay contractors, and IRIS is free.
Is there a free way to file 1099s?
Yes. The IRS IRIS Taxpayer Portal is free for up to 100 returns at a time, but it needs a transmitter code that typically takes 45 business days.
When are 1099s due for 2026 payments?
1099-NEC is due Monday, February 1, 2027, because January 31 is a Sunday and the IRS moves a weekend due date to the next business day. For 1099-MISC the IRS says February 28 on paper, a Sunday in 2027, so Monday, March 1, 2027, or March 31, 2027 if you e-file.
What happens if I file late?
For returns due in 2026 the IRS charges $60 per return up to 30 days late, $130 through August 1, $340 after that or if never filed, and $680 for intentional disregard; 25 returns at $60 come to $1,500. The table has no row yet for returns due in 2027.
Is TIN matching worth paying for?
The IRS says it anticipates that payers who validate TIN and name combinations before filing receive fewer backup withholding (CP2100) notices and penalty notices (Pub. 1099). Vendor fees for 25 payees run from $8.75 at TaxBandits to nearly three times that at Tax1099 and efile4Biz.
Bottom line
Buy 1099 filing by the form unless a platform already holds your contractor payments. TaxBandits has the lowest total of the five per-form tools, federal-only and with state, TIN matching and mail added, and QuickBooks or the free IRS portal can undercut it for the right business. File the 1099-NECs well before the deadline. For other software costs, Dupple X is a paid membership with 300+ AI courses, $3M+ in partner software deals, an ad-free Techpresso newsletter and a private community.
Sources
Prices and rules checked 19 October 2026 on: TaxBandits, Avalara, Avalara FAQ, Avalara state info, Tax1099, BILL pricing, BILL 1099 filing, efile4Biz, QuickBooks Contractor Payments, QuickBooks 1099 e-file, Gusto pricing, Gusto plan changes, Gusto contractor billing, Gusto 1099 e-file, IRS IRIS portal, IRS 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC instructions, IRS Pub. 1099 and IRS penalties.
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
Across our whole catalogue the median is $24 a month and 33% of tools advertise a free tier. Figures are the lowest recurring monthly price quoted in our own review of each tool, read on 2026-08-19. Full method and every category.
