Federal Tax Filing · United StatesThe IRS returns you owe follow from three facts: your entity type, who owns it, and who you pay.
We work out the full list of federal filings for your business and its owners, set the deadlines, and prepare and file each one, from the income tax return to the 1099s and Form 5472.
Tax
At a glance
- Authorities
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Forms & references
- Form 1040Form 1040-NRForm 1065Form 1120Form 1120-S
- Filed with
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Main deadlines (calendar year)
- March 15 for Forms 1065 and 1120-S; April 15 for Forms 1040 and 1120
- 1099-NEC threshold
- $2,000 for payments made after December 31, 2025 ($600 before), at the time of writing
- Extensions
- Form 4868 (individuals) and Form 7004 (businesses) extend the time to file, not to pay
Overview
What it is, and why it matters.
Federal tax filing is the part of US compliance handled by the Internal Revenue Service. What you file starts with how the business is classified for tax. A sole proprietor, or a single-member LLC owned by a US person, reports on the owner’s Form 1040. A partnership or multi-member LLC files Form 1065, a C corporation files Form 1120, and an S corporation files Form 1120-S.
Around the income tax return sit the other federal obligations: Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC for US contractors and vendors, Form 5472 when a US corporation is at least 25% foreign-owned or a foreign person owns a single-member LLC, payroll returns if you have employees, and estimated tax payments during the year.
This page is the map. For detail on specific returns, Corporate Tax covers Forms 1120 and 1120-S, and Individual & AOP Tax covers Forms 1040, 1040-NR and partnership returns. State returns are separate again and sit under State Tax Filing.
Who needs it
Who typically needs it.
- 01
Newly formed US companies
You have an EIN and a first year of trading behind you, and you want to know every federal return the entity owes before the first deadline arrives.
- 02
Foreign-owned LLCs and corporations
Founders in Pakistan, the UK or elsewhere who own a US LLC or corporation and need Form 5472 and the right income tax return, even in a year with little or no revenue.
- 03
Businesses paying contractors
Companies that pay US freelancers, agencies or landlords and need Forms W-9 collected and 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC issued and filed on time.
- 04
Owners of pass-through businesses
Partners and S corporation shareholders whose personal returns depend on the Schedules K-1 the business issues.
- 05
Businesses behind on filings
Companies that missed one or more years and need the gaps identified, prioritized and filed.
When you need it
The moments that usually trigger it.
- You’ve formed a US LLC or corporation and received your EIN, but nobody has told you which federal returns it files.
- You’re a non-US owner of a single-member LLC and have just learned about the pro forma Form 1120 and Form 5472.
- It’s January and you paid US contractors during the previous year.
- Your LLC has added a second member, or elected to be taxed as an S corporation or C corporation.
- You’ve received an IRS notice about a missing return or a late-filing penalty.
- The filing deadline is close, your books aren’t ready, and you need an extension filed correctly.
Scope
Exactly what we handle.
Our engagement letter lists these specifically, so you know what is included before any work begins.
- 01
Confirming how each entity is classified for federal tax (disregarded entity, partnership, C corporation or S corporation) and listing the returns that follow.
- 02
Preparing and e-filing the annual income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C, Form 1065, Form 1120 or Form 1120-S.
- 03
Pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs, and Form 5472 attached to Form 1120 for foreign-owned corporations.
- 04
Collecting Forms W-9 and W-8BEN from payees, then preparing and filing Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC.
- 05
Filing Form 4868 or Form 7004 extensions, with an estimate of any balance due so the payment is made on time.
- 06
Calculating quarterly estimated tax for the business and its owners, with payment dates in your calendar.
- 07
Preparing Schedules K-1 for partners and shareholders and coordinating them with the owners’ personal returns.
- 08
Reviewing IRS notices and preparing responses, including reasonable-cause requests for penalty relief where the facts support one.
The process
How it runs, step by step.
Timings depend on the authority and on how quickly documents come together. We tell you what’s typical for your case at the start.
Start with a conversationScoping call
We confirm the entity type, tax classification, ownership, tax year and any elections on file, then list every federal return and deadline that applies.
Document request
You receive a checklist built from that list: books or financial statements, bank statements, ownership details, contractor payments and prior returns.
Preparation
We prepare the returns and information forms and flag anything that needs a decision from you, such as an election or an estimated payment.
Review and sign
You review the drafts and sign the IRS e-file authorization for each return.
Filing and confirmation
We e-file (or paper-file where the IRS requires it), keep the acknowledgment, and send you a record of what was filed, what was paid and what comes next.
Calendar for the year ahead
Estimated tax dates and next year’s deadlines go into a shared calendar, so nothing waits until April.
What we’ll need
The information to have ready.
A typical checklist. After the first conversation we send a version specific to your situation, so you don’t gather anything you don’t need.
Entity and ownership
- EIN confirmation letter (CP 575 or 147C)
- Formation documents and any IRS election acceptance letters (Form 8832 or Form 2553)
- Owner names, addresses, ownership percentages and taxpayer IDs (SSN, ITIN or foreign tax ID)
Financial records
- Profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the year, or access to your books
- Bank and payment processor statements
- Details of money moving between the company and its owners or related companies
Payments to others
- List of contractors and vendors paid during the year, with amounts
- Forms W-9, W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E already collected
Prior filings
- Last year’s federal returns
- Any IRS notices received
Please don’t email passports or bank statements. Once we’ve spoken, you’ll get access to a secure upload.
Common mistakes
Where this usually goes wrong.
The problems we are most often asked to fix, and what they tend to cost.
- Mistake 01
Assuming a foreign-owned LLC with no income has nothing to file
A foreign-owned single-member LLC generally files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 for any year with reportable transactions, and money the owner puts in or takes out counts. The penalty for not filing starts at $25,000.
- Mistake 02
Treating an extension as more time to pay
Forms 4868 and 7004 extend the filing deadline only. Tax not paid by the original due date accrues interest and usually a late-payment penalty.
- Mistake 03
Missing the earlier pass-through deadline
Partnerships and S corporations file by March 15 for calendar years, a month before individual and C corporation returns. Their late-filing penalty is charged per partner or shareholder, for each month the return is late.
- Mistake 04
Sending 1099s to the wrong people
Contractors outside the US doing the work outside the US generally do not receive a Form 1099; you document them with Form W-8BEN instead. Meanwhile, US contractors paid above the threshold are often missed.
Worth knowing
The limits, stated upfront.
IRS processing times, notices and penalty-relief decisions are outside our control. We prepare requests but cannot promise the outcome.
State income and franchise tax returns are covered under State Tax Filing, and sales tax under Sales & Use Tax. Payroll processing runs through your payroll provider, and we coordinate with it.
Complex international structures, transfer pricing and treaty positions may need a specialist international tax adviser or attorney. We will tell you when that is the case.
Returns are only as good as the books behind them. If records are incomplete, bookkeeping has to come first.
Questions
Federal Tax Filing: frequently asked.
If yours isn’t here, ask us directly. We’ll answer in plain terms.
Ask a questionMy LLC made no money this year. Do I still need to file?
Often, yes. A foreign-owned single-member LLC generally files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 regardless of profit, and a multi-member LLC files Form 1065 even with no income. A single-member LLC owned by a US person reports through the owner’s Form 1040, so with no activity there may be nothing extra to file.
How is this different from your Corporate Tax and Individual & AOP Tax services?
This service covers the full set of federal filings for your business and its owners. Corporate Tax goes deeper into Forms 1120 and 1120-S, and Individual & AOP Tax into Forms 1040, 1040-NR and 1065. Many clients start here and we bring in the others as needed.
When are federal business returns due?
For calendar-year filers, partnership (Form 1065) and S corporation (Form 1120-S) returns are due March 15, and individual (Form 1040) and C corporation (Form 1120) returns are due April 15. A deadline that falls on a weekend or federal holiday moves to the next business day. Fiscal-year businesses count the same number of months from their year end.
Do I need to send 1099s to contractors in Pakistan?
Generally no. Payments to a foreign contractor for work performed outside the US are usually not reportable on Form 1099; instead, collect Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E from a company) to document their foreign status. Work performed inside the US is treated differently, so tell us if a contractor travels to the US to do the work.
What changed for 1099 reporting in 2026?
For payments made after December 31, 2025, the reporting threshold for most payments on Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC rose from $600 to $2,000 under the 2025 federal tax law, with inflation adjustments planned from 2027. We confirm the threshold for each year when we prepare your forms.
Does an extension give me more time to pay?
No. Forms 4868 and 7004 give extra time to file, generally six months, but tax is still due by the original deadline. We estimate the balance when we file the extension so you can pay it on time.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to file?
Anyone who files a personal federal return, such as Form 1040-NR for a foreign partner, needs an SSN or ITIN. Whether a foreign owner needs one for the company’s own filings depends on the forms involved. We check this during scoping and can help with an ITIN application.
Related
Often needed alongside this.
Speak with a consultant
Talk to us about federal Tax Filing.
Pick the closest match and we’ll take it from there. You’ll get a written scope and fee before any work begins.
Or use our three-step guide, or email hello@fiscorra.com
