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Tax forms, W-9s and payroll paper

This category covers the tax forms and payroll paper a firm has to read before a return or a set of books is right: W-2s, the 1099 series, K-1s and 1098s, pay stubs and payroll provider reports, and the W-9s behind every 1099. Posts explain what each box means, how OCR and scan-and-populate tools pull the numbers out, and how to check the result. Start with "Tax Data Entry Automation: What Firms Can Hand Off", which maps which forms software reads well and what a preparer still reviews.

  1. 1099-K Explained: Card and App Payments for Preparers

    The 1099-K explained for firms: gross payments rather than income, who issues it, and how to reconcile it to the books when fees and refunds intervene.

    October 16, 2026form 1099-kschedule creconciliation

  2. 1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC: Which Form a Payment Needs

    1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC: which payments go on each form, how rent and attorney fees are split, the filing deadlines, and how to classify ledger payments.

    October 16, 20261099information returnsyear-end

  3. 1099-G Explained: Unemployment and State Tax Refunds

    The 1099-G explained: unemployment benefits, state tax refunds and grants by box, when the refund is taxable, and what to do with a fraudulent form.

    October 16, 2026form 1099-gunemploymentstate tax refund

  4. Tax Document OCR: Getting Accurate Numbers Off Forms

    How tax document OCR reads W-2s, 1099s and K-1s, how accurate it is on tax forms, and the built-in checks that catch a wrong digit before it reaches a return.

    October 15, 2026ocrtax formsaccuracyreview

  5. Backup Withholding and Missing W-9: The 24% Rule

    Backup withholding and a missing W-9: when a payer must withhold 24%, what a B-notice changes, and how the withholding is deposited and reported on Form 945.

    October 15, 2026backup withholdingw-9form 9451099

  6. 1099 OCR: Reading Every 1099 Variant Without Retyping

    1099 OCR for firms: which 1099 variants to expect, consolidated brokerage statements, substitute forms, and a 1099 to Excel layout that keeps every box.

    October 15, 20261099ocrexceldata entry

  7. Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement: What to Pull

    Read a Form 1098 mortgage interest statement box by box: interest, points, mortgage insurance, escrowed property tax, and the property tax bill check.

    October 15, 2026form 1098mortgage interestschedule a

  8. 1099 Vendor W-9 Collection Before the January Deadline

    1099 vendor W-9 collection for year-end: build the vendor list from the ledger, collect a W-9 before paying a contractor, and handle vendors who never reply.

    October 15, 20261099w-9vendorsyear-end

  9. W-9 TIN Matching: Format Checks vs the IRS Program

    W-9 TIN matching explained: what a TIN format check catches, how the IRS TIN Matching program works, what each result means, and what to do on a mismatch.

    October 15, 2026w-9tin1099backup withholding

  10. 1099-SA and 5498-SA: Reading HSA Forms for a Return

    How the 1099-SA and 5498-SA fit together for an HSA: distribution codes, contributions versus W-2 code W, and the tie-out on Form 8889 for the return.

    October 14, 2026hsaform 88891099-sa

  11. W-2 vs Final Pay Stub Year to Date: Why They Differ

    W-2 vs final pay stub year to date: why Box 1, Box 3 and Box 5 rarely match the last stub, which items cause the gap, and when the difference is an error.

    September 13, 2026w-2pay stubspayrollreconciliation

  12. K-1 Data Extraction: From Schedule K-1 PDF to Excel

    K-1 data extraction for 1065, 1120-S and 1041 K-1s: OCR on the face page, capturing footnotes and statements, and a K-1 to Excel layout for many K-1s.

    September 2, 2026k-1ocrexcelpartnerships

  13. W2 OCR: Pull Every Box From a W-2 Into a Spreadsheet

    W2 OCR step by step: extract data from a W-2 PDF or scan, capture Box 12 codes and state lines, and lay out the W-2 to Excel sheet a preparer can use.

    August 6, 2026w-2ocrexceltax forms

  14. Tax Source Document Scanning That OCR Can Read

    Tax source document scanning done right: scanner settings, phone photos, handwritten forms and page order, so OCR software reads every box the first time.

    July 20, 2026scanningocrtax formsphone photos

  15. 1098-T Boxes Explained: Tuition, Scholarships and Gaps

    1098-T boxes explained for preparers: payments, scholarships, the next-period box, and why the form rarely matches what the family actually paid.

    July 2, 2026form 1098-teducation creditsscholarships

  16. Scan and Populate Tax Software: A Buyer's Guide for Firms

    What scan and populate tax software does for a firm, the tests to run on last season's documents before you buy, and the export paths into your return.

    June 30, 2026scan and populatetax softwarebuying guide

  17. 1099-B Data Entry: Handling Hundreds of Sales Lines

    1099-B data entry without errors: the fields each sale needs, covered and noncovered lots, wash sales, summary reporting, and tying totals to the broker.

    June 26, 20261099-bform 8949brokeragedata entry

  18. Pay Stub OCR: Reading Earnings, Taxes and Deductions

    Pay stub OCR that holds up: reading current and year-to-date columns, handling different payroll layouts and phone photos, and checks for a bad data read.

    June 10, 2026pay stubsocrpayroll

  19. W-9 Collection: Getting Every Vendor's Form on File

    W-9 collection for bookkeeping clients: what a W-9 form is, a request and tracking workflow, W9 OCR on returned forms, and when to collect a new one.

    May 24, 2026w-9vendorsbookkeeping1099

  20. SSA-1099 Explained: Benefits, Repayments and Medicare

    The SSA-1099 explained box by box: benefits paid and repaid, the net figure the return uses, Medicare premiums, withholding and lump-sum back payments.

    May 19, 2026ssa-1099social securityretirees

  21. 1099-R Distribution Codes: Reading Box 7 Correctly

    1099-R distribution codes in Box 7 explained: early, normal, death and rollover codes, valid code pairs, the IRA checkbox, and what to do with a wrong code.

    May 16, 20261099-rretirementtax formsrollovers

  22. Payroll Report Extraction for Bookkeeping and Tax Work

    Payroll report extraction from provider PDFs: which reports to pull for bookkeeping, a journal entry layout, and tying registers to Form 941 and W-2 totals.

    May 8, 2026payrollform 941bookkeeping

  23. Tax Data Entry Automation: What Firms Can Hand Off

    Tax data entry automation for firms: which W-2, 1099 and K-1 fields software can read, what a preparer still checks, and how review fits in.

    April 11, 2026data entrytax formsautomationreview

  24. Reconcile W-2s to Form 941 Before the IRS Does

    How to reconcile W-2s to Form 941 for a full year: the lines that must agree, why totals drift, and whether a 941-X or a W-2c fixes the variance.

    April 2, 2026w-2form 941payrollreconciliation

  25. W-2 Box 12 Codes: What Each Letter Means on a Return

    W-2 Box 12 codes decoded for preparers: what each letter reports, which codes are already in Box 1, and which feed another form on the return.

    February 23, 2026w-2box 12payrolltax forms

  26. W-2 Box 14: Reading the Employer's Free-Form Entries

    What employers put in W-2 Box 14, from state disability and union dues to RRTA amounts, and which Box 14 entries a preparer actually needs to act on.

    February 5, 2026w-2box 14payrollstate taxes

  27. Pay Stub to Excel: Turning a Year of Stubs Into One Sheet

    Pay stub to Excel in practice: one row per pay date, mapping different deduction names, spotting a missing pay period, and totals that match year-to-date.

    January 17, 2026pay stubsexcelpayroll

  28. Pay Stub Abbreviations: A Glossary for Preparers

    Pay stub abbreviations decoded: earnings, tax withholding and deduction codes like OASDI, SDI, GTL and SEC125, and the W-2 box each one ends up in.

    January 10, 2026pay stubspayrollw-2glossary

  29. Schedule K-1 Boxes Explained for 1065, 1120-S and 1041

    Schedule K-1 boxes explained for partnerships, S corporations and trusts: what each box reports, the codes that raise questions, and the boxes that touch basis.

    July 23, 2025k-1partnershipss corporationstrusts

  30. 1099-INT vs 1099-DIV: Which Box Goes Where

    1099-INT vs 1099-DIV compared box by box: what each form reports, where money market and brokerage payments land, and how amounts reach Schedule B.

    January 8, 20251099-int1099-divschedule b