You have three ways to get 1099-NEC forms: order official scannable forms free from the IRS, buy pre-printed kits from an office supply store or tax software vendor, or skip paper entirely and file electronically. The catch that sends people scrambling every January is that Copy A, the version the IRS actually processes, has to be printed in a specific scannable red ink. You cannot print it yourself from the PDF on IRS.gov and mail it in.1Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099-NEC (Rev. April 2025)
Why Copy A Has to Come From the IRS or a Vendor
A 1099-NEC comes in several copies. Copy B goes to the contractor. Copies C and 2 stay with the payer and recipient for their records. Those can all be printed on plain paper straight from the IRS website or generated by your accounting software.1Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099-NEC (Rev. April 2025)
Copy A is the one that goes to the IRS, and it is different. The IRS processes information returns with optical character recognition equipment calibrated to a specific red ink. A black-and-white printout from a standard laser printer will not scan, and the IRS states directly on its downloadable PDF that filing a printed version “may result in a penalty.”1Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099-NEC (Rev. April 2025) The same rule applies to Form 1096, the transmittal cover sheet that has to accompany any paper 1099 submission.2Internal Revenue Service. General Instructions for Certain Information Returns (2025)
So if you plan to paper file, you need real forms in hand. Here is where to get them.
Ordering Free Forms Directly From the IRS
The IRS supplies official scannable 1099-NEC forms and Form 1096 at no cost. Orders go through a dedicated page for information returns and employer returns, which is separate from the standard forms-by-mail system used for individual returns like the 1040.3Internal Revenue Service. Order Paper Information Returns and Employer Returns4Internal Revenue Service. Forms and Publications by U.S. Mail
Delivery takes up to 15 business days.3Internal Revenue Service. Order Paper Information Returns and Employer Returns That is the whole reason ordering is a December task, not a January task. For the 2025 tax year, both the IRS filing and the recipient copies are due January 31, 2026.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation Placing an order in early December gives you a real buffer. Waiting until mid-January is gambling with the deadline, and the 1099-NEC does not qualify for an automatic extension.6Internal Revenue Service. Form 8809 Application for Extension of Time To File Information Returns
When you place the order, request both 1099-NEC forms and Form 1096 transmittals. You need one 1096 per type of information return you are submitting, so if you are also filing 1099-MISC forms, order a separate 1096 for those too.2Internal Revenue Service. General Instructions for Certain Information Returns (2025) The forms arrive as laser-compatible sheets you fill out with accounting software or a typewriter, not carbon paper packs.3Internal Revenue Service. Order Paper Information Returns and Employer Returns
How many should you order? Get a few extras beyond your contractor count. Voided forms, printer misfeeds, and last-minute additions all eat into your stack, and reordering means another 15-business-day wait.
Buying Forms From Office Supply Stores and Software Vendors
If the IRS delivery window will not work for your timeline, office supply retailers and tax software providers sell IRS-compatible 1099-NEC form kits. These come pre-printed with the required red ink and formatted to meet IRS scanning specifications. Kits typically include Copy A, Copy B, and sometimes envelopes, bundled with a Form 1096.
Pricing varies by quantity and vendor. A 50-form kit with envelopes generally runs between $20 and $50, with 100-form kits in a similar range. That gets you the physical forms only, not e-filing software. You are essentially paying retail for speed the free IRS option cannot match once the calendar gets tight.
A few things to check before you buy. Confirm the kit is labeled for the correct tax year, since the form is periodically revised and older stock still shows up on shelves. Confirm it includes Copy A in the scannable red ink, not just plain-paper recipient copies. And confirm the perforation and layout match what your accounting software prints, because a misalignment between your software’s print template and the vendor’s form will produce forms the IRS scanners cannot read.
Skipping Paper: Electronic Filing Through IRIS or FIRE
The cleanest way to sidestep the whole paper-forms question is to e-file. If your business files 10 or more information returns of any type combined during the year, including 1099-NECs, 1099-MISCs, W-2s, and others, electronic filing is required.7Internal Revenue Service. Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE) Below 10 returns you can still e-file voluntarily, and doing so eliminates the need to order paper Copy A stock at all.
The IRS runs two systems. The newer one is the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), a free online portal the IRS is actively pushing filers toward. The older one, FIRE (Filing Information Returns Electronically), takes uploaded files in the specific record layouts detailed in IRS Publication 1220. Both require a Transmitter Control Code (TCC), which you apply for through the IRS. TCC applications take roughly 45 business days to process, so if you are planning to file directly through IRIS or FIRE, apply well before filing season.7Internal Revenue Service. Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE)
Most small businesses skip the TCC step by e-filing through third-party tax software. These services handle the formatting and submission for a fee and typically do not require you to hold your own TCC. If you go this route, you do not need to order any Copy A forms from the IRS. You still need to furnish Copy B to each contractor, which you can print on plain paper or send electronically with the contractor’s prior consent.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (04/2025)
One Threshold Change Worth Knowing Before You Order
For payments made through December 31, 2025, you must file a 1099-NEC for any non-employee paid $600 or more for services during the year. That is the threshold that applies when you file in early 2026 for the 2025 tax year.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (04/2025)
For payments made after December 31, 2025, the threshold rises to $2,000 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with future inflation adjustments. The threshold applies per contractor, not to your total contractor spending. Under the new rule, five contractors paid $1,500 each during 2026 would not trigger any 1099-NEC filings, even though you spent $7,500 across them.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 1099 NEC and Independent Contractors
The reason this matters when ordering forms: it directly affects how many you need. Run the numbers on who crosses the applicable threshold before you place the order, and you avoid both a shortage and a wasteful over-order.
Picking the Right Route
Order free from the IRS if you are paper filing, know your contractor count in December, and have time for a 15-business-day delivery. It is the cheapest option and the forms are identical to what vendors sell.
Buy from a vendor if you missed the IRS ordering window, need forms on short notice, or want the convenience of a bundled kit with envelopes. You are paying for speed.
E-file if you have 10 or more information returns combined (in which case it is required), if you want to eliminate mailing entirely, or if you already use accounting or payroll software that offers e-filing as a built-in service. This is the route that removes the ordering question altogether, and for most small businesses filing more than a handful of 1099s it is the least painful path through January.