Every January, property management firms all over the country pay a third party to e-file and mail their 1099s. Hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the firm. And most of them have no idea they're paying for something they could do for free.
Here's the part that gets missed. Rentvine generates your 1099 file. It does not file it with the IRS. That step is yours.
The IRS has a free system called IRIS, the Information Returns Intake System. You apply once for what's called a TCC, a Transmitter Control Code. Then you download the file Rentvine generated and upload it yourself. No per-form fees. No middleman.
And don't wait on this. The IRS shuts FIRE down on November 19, 2026, and from January 1, 2027 IRIS is the only door. Your old FIRE code does not carry over, so get your IRIS application in before January.
That's leak number one. Here's leak number two: the mailing.
If your property management agreement doesn't already have owners consenting to electronic 1099s, get that consent form out now. I used to build it right into the agreement.
In my experience, about 5 out of every 50 owners will call asking for another copy. That's more printing, more postage, more of your team's time on the phone answering the same question. Every owner with consent on file is one less envelope to chase all January.
One warning, and this matters. The IRS requires written consent before you deliver a 1099 electronically. You can't just email it because it's convenient. And honestly, don't email 1099s anyway. Sending tax documents with Social Security numbers over email is riskier now than it was five years ago. Portal download with consent on file. That's the safe route.
Rentvine will publish 1099s straight to your owner and vendor portals and notify them automatically. Masked tax IDs. No envelopes.
File free. Deliver electronically. That's hundreds to thousands back in your pocket every January, and that's before you count paying someone to do all the legwork if you're contracting it out.
Find the leaks.
The Year-End Close Sprint is a four-week, hands-on learning experience for property management teams getting their 1099 work right. Six recorded lessons, live Q&A, up to three team members. Choose your cohort.
By Tina T. Meeks, SCOREE Services LLC