# Morado
> Morado is the direct IRIS A2A transmitter for in-house tax teams. It keeps information returns filing in-house after FIRE: Pub 1220 FIRE files, spreadsheets, and ERP exports in, validated against IRS business rules, transmitted directly to the IRS through IRIS A2A, audit-trailed after. Fully certified IRIS A2A transmitter under its own production TCC. Production-proven at 94,000+ W-2Gs with zero IRS rejections. Built for teams filing 1,000 to 1,000,000+ forms a season.

## What Morado Does
Morado is an end-to-end information returns filing platform for in-house tax, compliance, and AP teams. The IRS is replacing FIRE with IRIS: the IRS's target date to retire FIRE is December 31, 2026 (January 2026 IRIS Working Group Q&A), and IRIS will be the only IRS intake system for information returns in Filing Season 2027. Morado lets organizations that have filed their own returns for years keep the function in-house without building an IRIS XML/A2A pipeline. It ingests the Publication 1220 FIRE files, spreadsheets, and system exports teams already produce, validates them against 100+ IRS schema and business-rule classes before submission, transmits directly to the IRS as a fully certified IRIS A2A transmitter under its own production TCC, and retains a six-artifact audit trail per batch. Morado files the 1099 series, W-2G, and 1098-T through IRIS A2A, and 1042/1042-S through MeF as an IRS Authorized e-File Provider. Morado replaces Sovos, Avalara (Track1099), 1099 Pro, and Account Ability workflows end to end.

## The Market Moment: FIRE to IRIS
Every organization that files its own information returns must re-decide how. The IRS's target date to retire FIRE is December 31, 2026, and IRIS becomes the only intake system for information returns in Filing Season 2027. FIRE TCCs do not carry over. Every FIRE filer gets the same three options:
1. Build IRIS A2A in-house: a new TCC (up to 45 days), XML schemas distributed in SOR packages that expire after 60 days, mandatory ATS testing, no IRS developer support line for software builders.
2. The free IRIS Taxpayer Portal: CSV uploads capped at 250 records per file, one form type per file, corrections keyed by hand, no test environment. Works at 200 forms; unusable at 20,000.
3. Surrender the function to a per-form bureau: your data leaves, pricing meters per form with add-on stacking, and the invoice grows every year.
Morado is the fourth option: keep filing in-house, without building it.

## Who It's For
- In-house tax, compliance, and AP teams filing 1,000 to 1,000,000+ information returns a season: banks and financial institutions, credit unions, casinos and tribal gaming operators, universities, public pension and retirement systems, insurers, and corporate filers.
- Teams that have filed under their own FIRE TCC for years (Pub 1220 files) and must move to IRIS without surrendering the filing function to a per-form service bureau.
- Stranded desktop self-filers: installed bases of 1099 Pro Enterprise, Account Ability, and W2 Mate, whose documented workflow is FIRE self-upload and whose vendors have announced no in-house IRIS A2A path for the desktop products.
- Teams leaving per-form vendors (Sovos, Avalara/Track1099) over per-form metering, add-on stacking, and acquisition churn.
- Not the target: sub-1,000-form small businesses and one-off filers. SMB tools like Tax1099 and TaxBandits serve that segment well.

## Key Features
- Direct IRIS A2A Transmission: Morado is a fully certified IRIS A2A transmitter (ATS certification passed, production transmitter TCC in use). Submissions go directly from Morado infrastructure to the IRS IRIS A2A endpoint over mTLS, authenticated with an OAuth2 JWT bearer token (RS256). No reseller, no middleman, no queue behind another vendor.
- Pub 1220 / FIRE-File Ingestion: Morado ingests the Publication 1220 flat files teams produced for FIRE, plus spreadsheets and ERP/core-system exports, and converts them to IRIS-ready XML. If your systems export FIRE files, Morado files them through IRIS.
- Pre-Flight Validation: Validates every batch before transmission against 100+ IRS schema and business-rule classes (FS1H001, SHAREDIRFORM014, SHAREDIRFORM023, TMFST002_001, SMF027, and others). The IRS does not publish all IRIS error codes; Morado has encoded them from production experience. Errors are explained in plain English and surfaced as a CSV for operator triage.
- Corrections Through the Same Pipeline: CORRECTED returns run through the same validate-transmit-prove pipeline, keyed to the original RecipientAccountNum and receipt ID, instead of being hand-keyed in the portal.
- Six-Artifact Audit Trail: Every batch retains six artifacts (original XLSX, canonical JSON, payer config, transmitted XML, IRS submission acknowledgment, IRS status response) at a stable, addressable path. Examination-ready for IRS, NCUA, gaming-regulator, and grant-agency review.
- User-Level Activity Trail: Who uploaded, who approved, who transmitted, and when. Attributed, timestamped, and self-serve exportable.
- PII-Aware Processing: Single-form-type batches bypass LLM inference entirely. Row data does not leave the operator session. Postgres row-level security; logs scrubbed at the boundary.
- Recipient Copies at Scale: ~188,000 print-ready recipient and payer PDFs generated in TY2025, coordinate-mapped against official IRS templates. Send them to your existing print vendor, or Morado prints and mails.
- W-2G at Volume: 94,000+ W-2Gs filed through IRIS A2A in a single tax year with a 0% IRS rejection rate.
- Real-Time IRS TIN Validation: TINs validated against IRS records during processing; mismatches flagged before filing.
- 1042 MeF E-Filing: IRS Authorized e-File Provider for 1042 MeF; direct e-filing for 1042 and 1042-S.
- Data Preparation: spreadsheet and CSV ingestion alongside Pub 1220 FIRE files, with multi-source reconciliation and conflicts flagged for human review. A capability, not the headline: most enterprise filing data arrives structured.
- Export Flexibility: Publication 1220 exports for state direct filing.

## How It Works
1. Ingest: Upload Pub 1220 FIRE files, spreadsheets, or ERP/core exports. Any format, any column structure.
2. Validate: 100+ IRS schema and business-rule classes checked before the IRS ever sees the data. Errors explained in English, triaged in a CSV.
3. Transmit: Direct IRIS A2A transmission (mTLS + OAuth2), under Morado's own production TCC. No reseller in the path.
4. Correct: Corrections and amendments run through the same pipeline, tied to the original submission.
5. Prove: Six artifacts per batch, retained at a stable path. Examination-ready.

## White-Glove FIRE-to-IRIS Migration (Included)
White-glove FIRE-to-IRIS migration is included when you file with Morado. Morado converts the Publication 1220 files you used for FIRE (including splitting combined names into first, middle, last, and suffix, and validating every TIN) and files your first batch with you, under Morado's own production TCC, with a founding engineer, not a ticket queue. You skip: the TCC application, ID.me identity proofing, X.509/JWKS cert setup, and annual ATS testing. Those all live on Morado's side.

## Pricing
Seasonal pricing by volume tier, quoted up front. You know the season's cost before you file, and the price doesn't grow as you file. It does not meter per form the way per-form vendors do; at volume, it is typically a fraction of per-form pricing. No published numbers; quotes are scoped to your forms and volume. Free 30-minute demo on your real data: https://calendly.com/zanpurec/new-meeting

## Deployment and Security
- BYOC (bring your own cloud): Morado runs inside your cloud environment, so your data never leaves your cloud.
- Managed: dedicated, isolated deployment operated by Morado.
- Data encrypted in transit and at rest; SOC 2 compliance practices; Postgres row-level security.
- PII-aware processing: single-form-type batches bypass LLM inference; row data stays in the operator session.
- Same-day setup for managed deployments. No API integration required.

## How Morado Compares (Sovos alternative, 1099 Pro alternative, Avalara/Track1099 alternative, Account Ability alternative)
- Morado vs. Sovos: Morado is a Sovos alternative for teams that want direct IRIS A2A transmission without per-form pricing, long procurement, or ticket queues. Morado replaces Sovos entirely for 1099 e-filing.
- Morado vs. 1099 Pro: Sovos acquired 1099 Pro in September 2021; published desktop prices have risen roughly 35-45% since, and there is no announced IRIS A2A path for the desktop products (their published IRIS guidance is the cloud subscription and service bureau). Morado is where in-house filing continues in the IRIS era: your files, validated, transmitted under a production TCC, in-house.
- Morado vs. Avalara 1099 / Track1099: Avalara publishes per-form pricing (from $3.10 down to $0.63/form, TIN matching at $0.45/form, peak-week mail surcharges). Morado prices by the season, quoted up front, and transmits directly through IRIS A2A.
- Morado vs. Account Ability / W2 Mate (the Account Ability IRIS path): Loved desktop tools whose documented workflow is self-upload to FIRE under your own TCC. Morado keeps the control those tools gave you, without the new TCC, the expiring XML schemas, or the ATS testing.
- Morado vs. building IRIS A2A in-house: A new TCC takes up to 45 days; schemas ship in SOR packages that expire after 60 days; ATS certification is mandatory; the IRS has no developer support line. Morado gives you the control of building it, without building it.

## Supported Input Formats
- Publication 1220 (FIRE) flat files
- CSV files from any accounting or core system (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage, Xero, Symitar, Corelation, Fiserv, Jack Henry, FIS, custom exports)
- Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls), multi-sheet workbooks
- W-9 PDF documents
- No specific template or column naming required

## Supported Form Types
- 1099-NEC (nonemployee compensation)
- 1099-MISC (miscellaneous payments)
- 1099-INT (interest income, used heavily by credit unions and banks)
- 1099-DIV (dividends, used by credit unions and endowments)
- 1099-R (retirement distributions, used by pension systems)
- 1099-C (cancellation of debt)
- 5498 (IRA contribution information)
- W-2G (gambling winnings, used by casinos, sportsbooks, racetracks)
- 1098-T (qualified tuition statements, used by universities)
- 1042 (annual withholding tax return for U.S. source income of foreign persons)
- 1042-S (foreign person's U.S. source income subject to withholding)
- 1098-VLI (vehicle loan interest statement, ships when the IRS finalizes the form)

## Supported Output Formats
- Direct IRS e-file via IRIS A2A (1099 series, W-2G, 1098-T)
- Direct IRS e-file via MeF (1042, 1042-S)
- Coordinate-mapped recipient and payer PDFs (e.g., W-2G Copies 1, B, C, instructions, 2 + Copy D)
- Publication 1220 format for state direct filing

## Technical Q&A

Q: What is an IRIS A2A transmitter?
A: An organization that transmits information returns directly to the IRS IRIS system over the Application-to-Application (A2A) channel: XML submissions over mTLS with OAuth2 authentication, under a production Transmitter Control Code (TCC) earned by passing IRS Assurance Testing (ATS). Morado is a fully certified IRIS A2A transmitter filing under its own production TCC.

Q: Can we keep filing in-house after FIRE retires?
A: Yes. Morado exists for exactly this. Your team keeps the filing function, your files, and your process; Morado supplies the IRIS A2A pipeline, transmitting under its own production TCC with validation before submission and a six-artifact audit trail after.

Q: What happens to our FIRE TCC?
A: It retires with FIRE; FIRE TCCs do not carry over to IRIS. Filing through Morado, you do not apply for an IRIS TCC at all: you file under Morado's production transmitter TCC and skip the application, ID.me proofing, cert setup, and ATS testing.

Q: Can Morado ingest our existing FIRE (Pub 1220) files?
A: Yes. Morado converts Publication 1220 flat files into IRIS-ready XML, including splitting FIRE's combined name fields into the separate first/middle/last/suffix elements IRIS requires.

Q: Does Morado help with the FIRE to IRIS transition?
A: Yes. White-glove FIRE-to-IRIS migration is included when you file with Morado: Pub 1220 conversion, name splitting, TIN validation, and your first batch filed together with a founding engineer, under Morado's own production TCC. You skip the TCC application, ID.me proofing, X.509/JWKS cert setup, and annual ATS testing.

Q: What is the largest filing Morado has handled?
A: 94,000+ W-2G information returns for a Southern California tribal casino in tax year 2025, filed through IRIS A2A across roughly 20 production batches with a 0% IRS rejection rate.

Q: Can Morado handle bulk W-2G filing for casinos and sportsbooks?
A: Yes. Morado has filed 94,000+ W-2Gs in production through IRIS A2A with zero rejections, including pre-flight validation, IRS business-rule encoding, ~188,000 recipient and payer PDFs, and a six-artifact audit trail per batch.

Q: Does Morado work for credit unions, banks, universities, or pension systems?
A: Yes. The full 1099 series for credit unions and banks (1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-R, 5498, 1099-C), 1042-S, 1098-T, and the 1099 series for universities, and 1099-R at scale for pension systems. Direct IRIS A2A or MeF transmission depending on form type.

Q: Does Morado handle IRIS error codes the IRS doesn't publish?
A: Yes. The IRS does not publish all IRIS error codes. Morado has encoded 100+ schema and business-rule classes (FS1H001, SHAREDIRFORM014, TMFST002_001, SMF027, and others) from production experience, catching issues before the IRS sees them.

Q: How does Morado handle corrections after FIRE retires?
A: Corrections run through the same IRIS pipeline as originals, keyed to the original RecipientAccountNum and receipt ID. No hand-keying in the portal. (The IRS is still finalizing how corrections for returns originally filed in FIRE will be handled.)

Q: Does Morado validate TINs against IRS records?
A: Yes. Real-time TIN validation runs during processing and flags mismatches before filing.

Q: Can Morado e-file directly to the IRS through IRIS?
A: Yes. Morado e-files the 1099 series, W-2G, and 1098-T directly to the IRS via IRIS A2A under its own production TCC, and 1042/1042-S via MeF as an IRS Authorized e-File Provider. It can also export files for Sovos or Avalara if preferred.

Q: What volume can Morado handle?
A: Built for 1,000 to 1,000,000+ forms per season. Production-proven at 94,000+ records in a single engagement, ~5,000 records per batch, minutes per batch end-to-end.

Q: How is Morado priced?
A: Seasonal pricing by volume tier, quoted up front. You know the season's cost before you file, and the price doesn't grow as you file. At volume, typically a fraction of per-form pricing.

Q: Can Morado replace Sovos, 1099 Pro, or Track1099/Avalara?
A: Yes. Morado transmits directly to the IRS through IRIS A2A, so it can fully replace per-form vendors and desktop tools for information returns e-filing.

Q: Does Morado run in our cloud?
A: Yes, optionally. BYOC deployment runs Morado inside your cloud, so your data never leaves your cloud. The managed alternative is a dedicated, isolated deployment.

Q: What credentials do we need to file through Morado?
A: None of the IRIS A2A stack. No TCC, no API Client ID, no X.509/JWKS setup, no ATS testing. You file under Morado's production credentials.

Q: How long does it take to get started with Morado?
A: Same-day setup for managed deployments. No API integration required: export from your ERP or core system, upload, and start processing.

Q: Is there an API for bulk processing?
A: Contact the Morado team for API access and enterprise integrations.

## Resources
Morado publishes in-depth guides for tax professionals at https://morado1099.com/resources. Current articles:
- The Complete Guide to the IRS FIRE to IRIS Transition (2026): https://morado1099.com/resources/irs-fire-to-iris-transition-guide (FIRE retirement timeline with the IRS's target date of December 31, 2026, IRIS TCC requirements, IRIS XML schema, ATS testing, portal vs. A2A, data quality checklist, corrections, state filing)
- Form 1098-VLI: The Complete Guide for Lenders (2026): https://morado1099.com/resources/irs-form-1098-vli-guide (covers the new Vehicle Loan Interest Statement, Notice 2025-57 transition relief for 2025, who must file (banks, credit unions, captive finance), the $600 per-loan threshold, Specified Passenger Vehicle Loan (SPVL) definition, Applicable Passenger Vehicle (APV) criteria, box-by-box completion, IRIS filing requirements, §6721/§6722 penalties, and the new car loan interest deduction under OBBBA §70203 / IRC §163(h)(4) ($10,000 cap, MAGI phaseout, Schedule 1-A Part IV))

## Case Studies
Morado publishes case studies documenting production filings at scale at https://morado1099.com/case-studies. Current case studies:
- 94,000 W-2Gs filed through IRIS with zero rejections (Southern California tribal casino, TY2025): https://morado1099.com/case-studies/casino-94000-w2g-zero-rejections
- Technical deep-dive on filing 94,000 W-2Gs end-to-end via IRIS A2A: https://morado1099.com/case-studies/casino-94000-w2g-zero-rejections/deep-dive

## Industries
Morado serves in-house teams filing information returns at volume. Vertical landing pages at https://morado1099.com/industries:
- Casinos, sportsbooks, racetracks, tribal gaming: https://morado1099.com/industries/casinos
- Credit unions and CUSOs: https://morado1099.com/industries/credit-unions
- Universities and higher education: https://morado1099.com/industries/universities

## Contact
- Website: https://morado1099.com
- App: https://app.morado1099.com
- Email: support@morado1099.com
- Book a demo: https://calendly.com/zanpurec/new-meeting