Form 1099 - Password Support

Question

What should I do if I can't open the 1099 form emailed to me?

Answer

When a payer emails a copy of a 1099 form to the recipient, per IRS instructions, it must be password protected. Here is how to open your PDF in the email:

For Businesses:  If the payer listed you as a business, then  the password will be the first 4 letters of your business name (in lowercase), plus the last 4 digits of your Employer Identification Number (EIN) .

• If the Business Name has any special characters or the first word is less than 4 characters, please skip over the '&' or special character and add letters from the next word until you have 4 characters.
• Example: Company is A&B Characters, last 4 of EIN is 1234. Password would be: abch1234

For Individuals:  If the payer created a 1099 form and submitted the form listing your personal name, then the password will be the first 4 letters of your first name (in lowercase), plus the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, or the first 4 letters of your last name and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. All letters are lowercase.

• If your first name is less than 4 characters, add a character from the last name until you have 4
• Example: Individual is Jo Black, last 4 of SSN is 1234. Password would be: jobl1234

Whatever the name is listed at the beginning of the email after "Dear........" will be what was filed for you. For example: Dear Samantha Jones........The password would be sama plus the last 4 digits of her SSN -3377. The complete password is sama3377. If "Dear Jones, Samantha", then the password is jone3377

The password is solely based on what the filer put for your information. There are times when the filer COULD HAVE filed the incorrect Name or TIN, so even if you enter the correct information, the password could be wrong.

Troubleshooting the password:

• Make sure any letters are all lower case.
• Look at the email and see who it was addressed to: "Dear xxxxxxx" - use the first 4 letters that come after 'Dear'...ignore spaces and special characters
• If you try the first 4 letters of your first name and the last 4 digits of your SSN and this does not work, then try the first 4 letters of your last name and the last 4 digits of your SSN
• If your business name is listed in the email and you enter the first 4 of letters of your business name and the last 4 digits of your EIN and this does not work, then try the first 4 letters of your business name and the last 4 digits of your SSN.

The payer could have filed the wrong number. If you try ALL of these combinations and you can't access the form, there is a chance that the filer entered your information incorrectly.

CORRECTIONS - PLEASE NOTE: If you think or know that your 1099 was filed with the wrong information, notify the payer to have it corrected. We'll be happy to help file a CORRECTED FORM 1099 for you.