The IRIS Taxpayer Portal lets businesses prepare and electronically file supported information returns with the IRS. You can enter forms manually or upload a CSV, then review and submit them through the portal.
If you already produce a FIRE-format file, you can also work with Eisen’s FIRE-to-IRIS converter. Keep your existing file workflow; Eisen handles the conversion and manages the new business rules and validations. You do not need to move your team onto a manual portal process to use the converter.
The steps below are for businesses that choose to operate the IRS Taxpayer Portal themselves.
My recommendation: work from an approved filing list and track each batch through its result. That makes it easier to explain what was filed, what needs attention, and what still needs to go to recipients.
1. Confirm your access and filing scope
You need an IRIS Taxpayer Portal TCC. Check that IRIS supports the form and tax year you intend to file, then sign in through the IRS IRIS page. Use the portal guide for the current filing process.
Before preparing a batch, confirm the legal entity, form type, tax year, expected record count, and applicable deadlines. Keep prior-year work and corrections clearly identified so they do not get mixed into the current-year originals.
2. Prepare and approve the source data
Reconcile the data to the records your team uses to determine the reportable amounts. Check recipient identity information and resolve differences before the operator starts preparing forms.
- Record who approved the filing list and when.
- Save the approved version so later changes arevisible.
- Track records held back for review, includingthe reason and owner.
If the source list contains 375 records and 12 are still under review, the operator should see an approved population of 363 and a separate exception list of 12. Nobody should have to infer which version is ready to file.
3. Enter forms or upload a CSV
For manual preparation, use Start New Form. For an import, use Upload CSV with Form Data and the IRS template for the relevant form and tax year. Follow the formatting instructions and review upload errors before proceeding.
Keep a copy of the file used for each upload alongside its internal batch identifier. For a repeat upload, first establish which records already reached the portal so the team does not accidentally prepare the same returns twice.
4. Review the forms before submission
Open Unsubmitted Forms to review and edit the prepared returns. Select the returns you intend to file, choose Submit, review the Summary of Transmissions, and complete the submission using Submit All. The portal allows up to 100 forms per submission.
Before that final action, compare the selected records with your approved batch. Check the entity, tax year, record count, and amounts. Assign the operator responsibility for recording the outcome immediately after submission.
5. Check the IRS result
Review the submitted forms and processing results using the portal’s status functions. Follow the applicable IRS instructions for any errors, rejected submissions, or corrections. Preparing or uploading a form is not the final submission step.
Maintain a tracker with the batch identifier, submission date, receipt information, latest result, and open action. If a record needs attention, name the person resolving it and keep the original filing reference attached to the follow-up work.
6. Complete recipient delivery and state requirements
The portal can generate recipient copies for download. Your team still needs to distribute them. Federal e-filing does not itself complete the obligation to furnish recipient statements; check the applicable delivery rules and deadlines, along with state requirements.
Assign delivery its own status in the tracker. Keep records of the delivery process and route address or delivery issues to a named owner.
7. Close the batch with a reconciliation
Compare the approved filing list with the final outcomes. Account for every record as completed or still requiring action, and keep follow-up work visible after the initial filing deadline.
The goal is straightforward: someone reviewing the cycle should be able to see what happened to each record without reconstructing it from inboxes and spreadsheets.
Already filing from FIRE-format files? Talk to Eisen about using our FIRE-to-IRIS converter. Your team can keep the file workflow it knows while we manage the conversion, business rules, and validations.
