Quick version
Link: Go to Issuers, open the issuer, click the arrow next to Add New Recipient, choose Link Recipient, check the recipient, and click Save.
Unlink: On the same page, click Actions next to the recipient, choose Unlink from issuer, check the issuer, and click Unlink.
In Helper, the employers, payers, and lenders you file for are called Issuers. Linking lets one recipient work with more than one issuer, so you don’t have to add the same person or business twice. If the recipient isn’t in your account yet, start with How to Add a Recipient Manually.
Link a recipient to an Issuer
Go to Issuers.
Click the name of the Issuer you want to link the recipient to.
On the Issuer's page, click the arrow next to Add New Recipient.
Click Link Recipient.
In the Link existing recipient window, type a name in Search recipients to find the recipient faster. Only recipients that aren't already linked to this Issuer appear.
Check the box next to each recipient you want to link.
Click Save.
You’ll see “Selected recipients were linked to this issuer,” and the recipients appear in the issuer’s Recipients list.
Other ways to link: On the issuer page, click Actions > Link Recipient on a recipient’s row to link that recipient to more issuers. You can also use Link to issuer in the Recipient Directory.
Unlink a recipient from an Issuer
Warning: Unlinking permanently deletes any unsubmitted forms the recipient has under that issuer. Helper asks you to confirm first. Filed forms aren’t deleted.
Open the page of the Issuer you want to unlink the recipient from, the same way as steps 1 and 2 above.
In the Recipients list, click Actions next to the recipient.
Click Unlink from issuer.
In the window that opens, check the box next to the Issuer you want to unlink.
Click Unlink.
Click the X to close the window.
What happens next
After linking, you'll see "Selected recipients were linked to this issuer." The recipient now shows in that Issuer's Recipients list (refresh the page if you don't see it yet). After unlinking, you'll see "Issuer unlinked from recipient." The recipient stays in your account and stays linked to any other Issuers.
Common questions
Why can’t I unlink this issuer? There are two reasons this can happen:
The issuer is grayed out. The recipient is that issuer’s only recipient, and an issuer can’t be left with no recipients. Link another recipient to that issuer first.
You see “At least one issuer has to stay linked.” It’s the recipient’s only issuer, and every recipient needs at least one. Link the recipient to another issuer first, or delete the recipient.
Can I link more than one recipient at a time?
Yes. In the Link existing recipient window, check every recipient you want, then click Save once.
What if the recipient I need isn’t in the list?
They may already be linked to this issuer, or they may not exist yet. To create them, click + Add a new recipient at the bottom of the Link existing recipient window.
Ready to add a form for this recipient? See Adding, editing or deleting a 1099.