Fill Out IRS Form 1096 Online
Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns
Internal Revenue Service
Summarizes and transmits paper 1099 and other information returns to the IRS; the filed copy must be an official scannable version.
Reviewed July 2026
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IRS Form 1096, the Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns, is the cover sheet that accompanies paper information returns sent to the IRS. It summarizes the forms in the package, including Forms 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G, and identifies the filer.
You can complete Form 1096 in the Universal PDF editor and download the finished PDF for your records. Note the critical caveat: the copy you actually mail to the IRS must be the official scannable version of Form 1096, and Form 1096 is not used at all when you e-file.
What is Form 1096 used for
Form 1096 acts as a transmittal summary for paper information returns. It tells the IRS who is filing, how many forms are enclosed, and the totals for the amounts and withholding reported on them.
It is only used with paper filings. If you file your information returns electronically, no Form 1096 is required, because the electronic submission carries the same summary data.
Who needs to file Form 1096
Any business or person filing paper copies of covered information returns with the IRS must include Form 1096. A separate Form 1096 is required for each type of form being transmitted, so a batch of 1099-NEC forms and a batch of 1099-MISC forms each need their own transmittal.
Filers who reach the IRS threshold for total information returns are required to file electronically instead, which removes the need for Form 1096 entirely. Check the current e-file mandate in the General Instructions for Certain Information Returns.
How to fill out Form 1096
The form is a single page, and each entry should match the totals from the forms it transmits.
- Enter the filer's name and address, plus a contact person with phone number and email address.
- Box 1 or box 2: enter your EIN or your Social Security number, but not both.
- Box 3: enter the total number of forms being transmitted with this Form 1096.
- Box 4: enter the total federal income tax withheld shown on the transmitted forms.
- Box 5: enter the total of the amounts reported on the transmitted forms, following the box-by-box guidance in the instructions.
- Box 6: check exactly one box identifying the type of form being transmitted, such as 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC.
- Sign and date the form before mailing it with the corresponding Copy A forms.
Where to send it and deadlines
Form 1096 is due when the forms it transmits are due. For example, it accompanies 1099-NEC forms by the January 31 deadline, while transmittals for most other 1099 series forms follow the later paper filing deadline listed in the current instructions.
Mail Form 1096 with the Copy A forms to the IRS submission processing center listed for your state in the instructions. The mailed Form 1096 must be an official scannable version; a printout of the standard downloadable PDF is for reference only and cannot be scanned by IRS equipment.
Frequently asked questions
No. Form 1096 is only used for paper filings. Electronic submissions include the summary information automatically.
The version filed with the IRS must be an official scannable form, typically printed in red ink and ordered from the IRS. A downloaded PDF printout is informational and is not accepted for scanning.
One for each type of information return you transmit on paper. If you send both 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC forms, prepare a separate Form 1096 for each batch.
It follows the deadline of the forms it transmits: January 31 for 1099-NEC, and the paper filing deadline in the current instructions for most other forms.
To the IRS submission processing center assigned to your state. The current address table is printed on the form and in the General Instructions for Certain Information Returns.
Related forms
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