Quick version: Go to Recipients, click the recipient’s name, make your changes on the Edit Recipient page, and click Save.
You can edit any recipient or employee in Helper, including their TIN, name, address, contact details, and the issuers they’re linked to.
Already eFiled forms with the wrong recipient's name or TIN? Editing the recipient won’t change forms you’ve already filed. See Correcting a 1099 Form with an Incorrect Recipient Name or TIN.
Edit a recipient’s information
Go to Recipients. You’ll land on the Recipient Directory.
Find the recipient. Use Search recipients... or the All issuers filter to narrow the list.
Click the recipient’s name, or click Actions on their row and choose View Recipient.
On the Edit Recipient page, update the fields you need.
Click Save. To leave without saving, click Back to recipients.
Which fields can I edit?
The Recipient Information section includes these fields:
Name fields change with the TIN type. EIN shows Business Name, Display name, and a Sole Proprietor checkbox. SSN or ITIN (or EIN with Sole Proprietor checked) shows First Name, Middle initial, Last Name, and Suffix.
Field | Character limit |
TIN type (SSN, EIN, or ITIN) | — |
TIN | — |
Business Name (EIN) | 57 |
Display name | — |
Sole Proprietor checkbox (EIN) | — |
First Name (SSN or ITIN) | 15 |
Middle initial | — |
Last Name (SSN or ITIN) | 20 |
Suffix | — |
Name line 2 | 75 |
Address, Address 2, City | 22 each |
State/terr/mil code, ZIP, Country | — |
Phone (+ area code) | — |
Email address | — |
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Character limits are set by the IRS and SSA.
FATCA and 2nd TIN Notice
Once a recipient is linked to an issuer, two toggles appear in Recipient Information:
FATCA Filing Requirement: turn on if this recipient’s forms need the FATCA box checked.
2nd TIN Notice: turn on if the IRS has notified you twice in three years that this recipient’s TIN is incorrect.
Good to know: These toggles save as soon as you change them, without clicking Save. They apply to every issuer the recipient is linked to.
Link a recipient to another issuer
The Linked Issuers section lists every issuer this recipient is connected to.
On the recipient’s Edit Recipient page, scroll to Linked Issuers.
Click Link issuer.
Search for the issuer, choose it, and confirm.
To find an issuer already in the list, type its name or TIN in Search Issuers, TIN….
You can also link a recipient from the Recipient Directory: click Actions on their row and choose Link Recipient.
Issuer not set up yet? Click Create Issuer instead.
Unlink an issuer
In Linked Issuers, click Unlink next to the issuer.
Warning: If the recipient has unsubmitted forms for that issuer, you’ll see Delete unsubmitted forms? Clicking Delete forms and unlink permanently deletes those forms. Filed forms aren’t affected. Every recipient must stay linked to at least one issuer.
What are External IDs?
External IDs connect a recipient to another system, such as QuickBooks. Helper adds them when you import from a connected system. You can’t edit them by hand.
Can I hide a recipient instead?
Yes. In the Recipient Directory, click Actions on the recipient’s row and choose Mark Inactive. Turn on Show inactive to see them again.
Next, update any forms for this recipient. See Adding, editing or deleting a 1099 or Adding, editing or deleting a W-2.