Can You Handwrite a 1099 Form? And Other Tax Form Questions Answered

Beginning with tax year 2020, nonemployee compensation will no longer be reported in Box 7 of the 1099-MISC form. Instead, all nonemployee compensation must now be reported on a separate Form 1099-NEC. If you pay an independent contractor nonemployee compensation, you must separate nonemployee compensation payments from all of your other Form 1099-MISC payments. Click here to learn more, or buy 1099-NEC forms here.

Best Practices for Handwritten W2s and 1099s

Use Plain Block Letters

When handwriting any tax form, always use legible block letters. If any letters are in a script font, or if they are disproportionate, they will not be read correctly by the machine readers. Practice ahead of time to ensure you don’t make a mistake. Take your time, and if you haven’t written with block letters in a while, test out your handwriting on another piece of paper to make sure your writing is clear.

 

Use Black Ink

Black ink is required for handwriting tax forms. This is because other colors, including blue and red ink, cannot be read correctly by IRS machines. Test your pen on another piece of paper before you begin filling out your forms. Ensure it won’t smudge as you complete the form so that you don’t waste any forms or create marks that would confuse machine readers.

 

Include a Decimal Point

When writing a dollar amount, always include the decimal point even if the decimal point conveys zero. You always need to add the cents portion of any money amounts. $500 would be written 500.00, not 500, or $500.

 

Do Not Add Dollar Signs

For dollar amounts, do not include the dollar sign. These are already preprinted on the tax forms. Adding extra symbols will only confuse the machine readers.

 

Do Not Use Special Characters

Avoid any other symbols, unless otherwise stated to use one. These are unneeded, and they could confuse machine readers resulting in an error on your form.

• ampersands (&)
• asterisks (*)
• commas (,)
• apostrophes (')
• or other special characters

 

Do Not Change the Title of Any Box

Leave form titles as you find them. Don’t make changes to headings in order to add different information. You can only use the form to report the information that is expressly asked for on that form. Use the appropriate boxes to answer each question and do not include supplemental information.

If you are unsure, ask before filling out your form incorrectly. The IRS says,“If you are unsure of where to report the data, call the information reporting customer service site at 866-455-7438 (toll free).” 

It’s better to ask in advance than to find out later that you made a mistake on your form. Corrections can take weeks to sort out when paper filing, and depending on the mistake, there’s a chance you could incur a penalty.

 

If a Box Does Not Apply, Leave it Blank

You may not need to fill out every box. If one does not apply to you or your business, leave it blank. Don’t enter anything else to convey a non-answer because the machine reader could interpret that as an answer you did not intend.

For example, when no entry is required, don’t use:

• 0
• Zero
• None
• N/A
• Not applicable

 

Keep Forms Intact

Handwritten W2s, 1099s, and any other tax forms must remain intact. Don’t staple, tear, or tape any of the forms as these will interfere with the IRS's ability to scan your documents. If you need to keep a section of forms together, use a paperclip that you remove before sending your forms or a file folder instead of anything permanent.