> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# 1099 Vendors
> Use 1099 Vendor Reporting to review flagged vendors, paid AP totals, W-9 status, tax-year readiness, recipient PDFs, and federal filing files.
## What 1099 Vendor Reporting Does
1099 Vendor Reporting summarizes vendors that your team has marked as
1099 recipients. It helps accounting review which vendors meet the
reporting threshold for the selected tax year and which vendor records
still need cleanup before forms are generated.
* Shows vendors already flagged as 1099 vendors.
* Totals AP payments dated inside the selected tax year.
* Separates 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC review.
* Highlights missing W-9 and missing Tax ID readiness items.
* Lets authorized users download recipient PDFs and a federal filing file.
* Lets authorized users lock a tax year after review.
**This page does not decide tax filing requirements for you**
Use this page as an accounting review tool. Your company policy and tax
advisor still control which vendors require forms, which form type is
correct, and when filing is complete.
## Before You Start
* Confirm the vendor account is the correct payee record.
* Confirm the vendor should be reported on 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC.
* Confirm W-9 status before relying on the output.
* Confirm the protected vendor Tax ID has been collected through your approved process.
* Review the selected tax year before downloading files or locking the year.
* Make sure AP payments are posted with the correct payment dates.
**Totals are based on paid AP activity**
The yearly totals come from AP payments dated inside the selected tax
year. Open unpaid bills do not count until they are paid.
## Review the Tax Year
1. Go to **Accounting**.
2. Open **1099 Vendors** under Payables.
3. Select the form type you want to review.
4. Select the tax year.
5. Review the filing-window message under the controls.
6. Review the KPI cards for flagged vendors, threshold count, total spend, and missing W-9 count.
**Use current-year files as previews**
When the selected year is still open, generated files should be treated
as previews for review. Final review should happen after the year closes
and before your filing process.
## Understand Vendor Rows
Each vendor row shows the information accounting needs to review before
generating forms.
* **Vendor**: the flagged vendor account.
* **Form**: the selected 1099 form family for that vendor.
* **W-9**: whether the vendor W-9 is marked on file and the signed date when present.
* **Tax ID**: whether the protected vendor Tax ID is present for 1099 output.
* **Payments**: the number of AP payments included in the selected year.
* **Total YTD**: the included paid amount for that vendor and year.
* **1099 Status**: whether the vendor currently meets the displayed threshold.
**Do not use another tax-number field as a shortcut**
Tax ID status on this page refers to the protected vendor tax identifier
used for 1099 output. Do not assume a sales-tax exemption number, account
reference, or note field can replace it.
## Edit 1099 Flags
Use Edit flags when the vendor should be included or excluded from 1099
review, when the form type changes, or when W-9 status needs to be updated.
1. Find the vendor row.
2. Click **Edit flags**.
3. Check or clear **Flagged as 1099 vendor**.
4. Select the correct form type.
5. Check **W-9 on file** when your team has the W-9.
6. Enter the W-9 signed date when available.
7. Click **Save**.
**W-9 status is a readiness marker**
The current 1099 screen marks whether a W-9 is on file and records the
signed date. Store the actual form according to your company's document policy.
## Generate Review Files
Once the vendor rows have been reviewed, authorized users can generate
files from the page controls.
* **Generate PDF**: downloads recipient PDF forms for eligible vendors.
* **PDF** on a vendor row: downloads that vendor's recipient PDF when available.
* **Generate IRS XML**: downloads the federal filing file used by your filing workflow.
**Downloads do not finish filing by themselves**
Downloading files from Arcus does not submit them to the IRS and does
not automatically send recipient copies to vendors. Review the files
and complete distribution or filing through your approved process.
## Fix Readiness Issues
Review missing information before relying on generated files.
* **Missing W-9**: request the W-9 and update the vendor flags when received.
* **Missing Tax ID**: follow your internal secure process for adding the protected vendor tax identifier.
* **Below threshold**: the vendor is flagged, but the selected year's paid total is below the displayed threshold.
* **Wrong form type**: update the vendor flags before generating files.
* **Wrong total**: review the paid AP activity and payment dates for that vendor.
**Check payment dates first**
If a vendor total looks too high or too low, review bill payments and
checks for the vendor. A payment posted with the wrong date can move the
amount into the wrong reporting year.
## Lock a Tax Year
Lock the tax year only after accounting has completed review and is
ready to prevent backdated AP changes in that year.
1. Select the tax year.
2. Click **Lock Tax Year**.
3. Enter a note when it helps explain why the year was locked.
4. Click **Confirm Lock**.
**Locking is not filing**
Locking a tax year prevents AP changes in that period. It does not file
forms, send forms to vendors, or certify that the year is complete.
## What a Lock Blocks
* New vendor bills dated inside the locked year.
* Edits to vendor bills whose effective date falls inside the locked year.
* Voids of vendor bills dated inside the locked year.
* AP payments dated inside the locked year.
**Unlock access is intentionally limited**
Unlocking is restricted because it reopens a reporting period for AP
changes. If your team needs a lock reversed, ask an owner or accounting
administrator to review it.
## Common Blocks
* **No vendors appear**: no vendors are currently flagged as 1099 vendors.
* **Vendor is below threshold**: the vendor is flagged, but paid AP totals are below the displayed threshold for the selected year.
* **Files are disabled**: no eligible vendors meet the selected form and year criteria.
* **Vendor is skipped from filing output**: the vendor may be missing a protected Tax ID or required readiness information.
* **Total does not match an unpaid bill**: open unpaid bills are not included in paid 1099 totals.
* **Backdated AP work is blocked**: the selected date may fall inside a locked tax year.
* **Unlock is unavailable**: only authorized owners can unlock a tax year.
## Related Articles
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Create one-time vendor checks without starting from an existing bill.
Print, batch print, clear, void, and audit vendor checks.
Create scheduled vendor bill templates, pause runs, allocate GL splits, and review history.
Understand the admin surfaces, settings groups, and workflow impact areas.