All three file electronically with the IRS, so the decision is about focus. TaxBandits is a broad, multi-form platform covering 1099s, W-2s, payroll 94x, and ACA, with an API and integrations. BoomTax is known for strong ACA reporting and straightforward bulk filing. e1099f concentrates on the 1099 series and the FIRE-to-IRIS transition: file through IRIS the same day, with no TCC of your own, no 45-day wait, and automatic conversion of legacy FIRE/Pub 1220 files to IRIS XML. Compare on capability and check each vendor’s current pricing yourself.
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Three Tools, Three Different Shapes
These aren’t three versions of the same product. Each one is built around a different job, and knowing which job matches yours is most of the decision.
TaxBandits is the wide platform. It handles 1099s, W-2s, quarterly payroll forms (the 94x family), and ACA returns, and it offers an API and integrations for teams that want to plug filing into their own systems. If your filing needs sprawl across form families, that breadth is the draw.
BoomTax made its name on ACA reporting — the 1094/1095 forms — and pairs that with clean bulk filing for 1099s and W-2s. If Affordable Care Act reporting is a real part of your year, BoomTax is on a lot of shortlists for good reason.
e1099f doesn’t try to be either of those. It’s the 1099-series and FIRE-to-IRIS specialist. The whole product is organized around getting information returns through IRIS fast and converting the FIRE files you already have. Narrow on purpose.
The Same-Day Start, No TCC Required
Filing directly with the IRS means holding your own TCC, and that application can take up to 45 days. Every service here spares you from being your own transmitter — that’s the baseline expectation for an e-file tool, and TaxBandits and BoomTax both clear it.
e1099f’s angle is making the fast start the whole point. Create an account, bring your data, file the same day under e1099f’s IRS authorization — no TCC to plan around, no onboarding clock racing your deadline. If you’re reading this in mid-January with a January 31 due date, that’s the feature that saves you.
The classic disaster is realizing late that a 1099-NEC is due and never having set up IRS access. A 45-day clock can’t fit in the time you have left. A service that’s already authorized removes the clock — confirm on each vendor’s site how quickly a fresh account can transmit.
The FIRE-to-IRIS Bridge Nobody Else Centers On
Here’s the one place e1099f is genuinely different in kind, not just degree.
The old IRS FIRE system retires December 31, 2026. If you’ve been transmitting fixed-width Pub 1220 files, you need those to become IRIS XML somehow. e1099f converts them automatically: upload the file your payroll or accounting system already produces, and it comes back as validated IRIS XML that files the same day.
A broad platform like TaxBandits or a bulk tool like BoomTax will happily take your data — but usually in their import format: a template, a spreadsheet, a manual entry flow. If you were never a FIRE filer, that’s totally fine. If you have years of Pub 1220 exports, feeding those exact files in without reformatting is time you get back. That’s the reason e1099f exists. Full mechanics live in converting FIRE files to IRIS XML.
Three-Way Capability Comparison
The table compares approach, not invented dollars. The only prices on this page are e1099f’s published ones — check TaxBandits and BoomTax for their current rates.
| Capability | e1099f | TaxBandits | BoomTax |
|---|---|---|---|
| File through IRIS | Yes — core focus | Yes | Yes |
| Need your own TCC | No | No | No |
| Same-day start, no 45-day wait | Yes | Verify on site | Verify on site |
| Automatic FIRE/Pub-1220 → IRIS XML | Yes — native | Not its focus | Not its focus |
| 1099-series coverage | Full + new IRIS forms | Broad | 1099 & W-2 |
| W-2 / payroll 94x forms | Focused on 1099 series | Yes | W-2 yes |
| ACA (1094/1095) reporting | Not the focus | Yes | Yes — a strength |
| TIN matching | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| State / CF/SF filing | Emitted & validated automatically | Yes | Yes |
| Print & mail recipient copies | Flat $1.85/recipient | Available; check pricing | Available; check pricing |
| Corrections | $4.99 per correction | Available; check pricing | Available; check pricing |
| Published, flat pricing tiers | Yes | Per-form; check pricing | Per-form; check pricing |
Read the columns as centers of gravity. TaxBandits spreads widest across form families, BoomTax is strongest where ACA lives, and e1099f goes deepest on 1099 filing and the FIRE bridge.
How e1099f Prices
We won’t quote TaxBandits or BoomTax prices, because per-form rates change and a stale number helps no one. Check their sites. Here’s exactly what e1099f charges.
- Tiers: Free, Pro $99, Teams $149, Enterprise $199.
- E-file, additional forms: about $0.65 each (Pro add-on forms $0.45).
- Print & mail: a flat $1.85 per recipient.
- Corrections: $4.99 each.
- Online recipient access: $0.49 per recipient.
See your total before you file
Start free, load your 1099s, and the price is on screen with nothing hidden.
Which One Fits You
Choose TaxBandits if you file across form families — 1099s plus W-2s plus payroll 94x plus ACA — and want one broad platform with an API to cover all of it. Breadth is its whole pitch, and it’s a fair one.
Choose BoomTax if ACA (1094/1095) reporting is a meaningful part of your compliance year and you want a tool that treats it as a first-class job rather than an afterthought, with solid bulk 1099 and W-2 filing alongside.
Choose e1099f if your job is the 1099 series and the FIRE sunset: you want to file today, you don’t have a TCC, and you’d like your legacy FIRE files converted to IRIS XML automatically with pricing you can read at a glance. If you’re specifically shopping the best IRIS-focused option, our best IRIS filing software rundown goes deeper.
TaxBandits
Widest form coverage across 1099, W-2, 94x, and ACA.
BoomTax
ACA-first, with clean bulk 1099 and W-2 filing.
e1099f
1099 & FIRE-to-IRIS specialist, same-day, flat pricing.
Match the tool to the job that’s actually keeping you up at night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is e1099f a real TaxBandits alternative?
What is BoomTax best at?
Do any of these require my own TCC?
Can e1099f import my existing FIRE files?
Does e1099f do ACA or W-2 filing?
Why don’t you list TaxBandits or BoomTax prices?
How much does e1099f cost?
Not tax advice. This guide is general information for filers and may not reflect the latest IRS rules; thresholds and amounts change. Confirm current-year requirements with the IRS or a tax professional before you file.