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Fontella Bradford

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A selection of landing page content and knowledge base articles for Adams Tax Forms.

Why can’t I file plain paper printouts of IRS “red ink” forms? FAQ

The IRS processed more than 240 million federal returns in fiscal year 2020.

To keep up with that demand, 1099 forms are processed with automating equipment that uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.

Your 1099 Copy A and 1096 forms and W-2 copy A and W-3 forms are printed with OCR red “dropout” ink. This special red ink allows scanners to drop the form template during the imaging process. This cleaner image is easier and faster to scan.

So, what happens if I throw a plain black

Void a form you’re submitting to the IRS

The void box on a 1099 form is a neat little trick to make IRS scanners ignore a form you no longer wish to submit. In essence, the void checkbox says to IRS scanners “don’t read this form”.

When to use the void box

If a completed or partially completed Form 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, or 5498 is incorrect, but you don’t want to waste or reprint all the other forms on the page, enter an “X” in the “VOID” box.

That form is essentially skipped by IRS scanners.

When not to use the void box

D

Do I need to check the FATCA box?

The FATCA checkbox on your 1099 form pertains to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA.

FATCA is a law requiring US citizens living at home or abroad to file annual reports on any foreign account holdings they have.

The FATCA was passed in 2010 as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, designed to encourage transparency among the world’s banking institutions.

You would only check the FATCA box to indicate significant amounts of money—$50,000 or more—held in
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FAQ: Why do I have more than one 1096?

Form 1096, officially called the Annual Summary and Transmittal of US Information Returns, has a big job.

The form submits the totals from the 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G returns to the IRS.

The IRS wants totals per form type. In other words, you’ll need one Form 1096 as a cover sheet for each type of form you submit to the IRS.

Let’s take a look at the 1096 form itself to clarify. You’ll notice the instructions on Box 6 specify that you should enter an “X” in only one box.

Resetting your password

Adams® Tax Forms Helper® Online works to secure your data from unauthorized access and verify your identity at every touchpoint.

That’s why we require separate logins for our online store and the Helper Online. To troubleshoot login issues, let’s first make sure you’re in the right place!

Our online store is where you buy access to the Helper, forms, kits & bundles.

If you need to make purchases or want to review past purchases, you’ll need to login here.

Our secure form filler site is where

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About Me

I’m a copywriter based in St. Louis, MO.

An early background in journalism provides me with the chops for rigorous research and adroit storytelling.

As a writer and researcher, it’s my job to peel away the obvious and lay bare unspoken motivation.

To take complex ideas and distill them into clear, crisp copy.

To wrestle with words and win.

Together, I’m sure we can produce great work that gets noticed and gets results.

Let’s work together.

All the best,

Fontella

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