A new online portal where businesses can file Form 1099 series information returns for free is now open, the IRS said last Wednesday.

The Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) is available to businesses of any size, but the IRS expects it to be especially useful for small businesses that now file information returns on paper. IRIS now accepts Forms 1099 for tax year 2022 and later.

The system is free, secure, accurate, and requires no special software, Mike Maltby, IRS Small Business/Self-Employed exam case program manager, said during an online news conference last Wednesday.

IRIS should help the IRS lessen future backlogs as taxpayers choose IRIS over filing paper information returns, Kyle Kampschroer, the project manager for IRIS and an IRS Small Business/Self-Employed division exam case revenue agent, said during the news conference.

Filers can use the platform to create, upload, edit, and view information and download completed copies of 1099 series forms for distribution and verification, the IRS said in a news release. Enrollment for the IRIS filing platform is now open.

The Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE) system, which requires special software, will remain available for bulk filing Form 1099 series and other information returns through at least the 2023 filing season.