1098 Forms › E-File Form 1098-VLI Online for 2026 Tax Year
At a Glance
E-Filing Form 1098-VLI: IRIS Is the Only Road
Most information return teams have a decade of tooling built around the IRS FIRE system and Publication 1220 fixed-width files. None of it applies here. Form 1098-VLI launched after the IRS moved new form development to IRIS, so the only transmission format that exists for it is IRIS XML. That means auto lenders picking up this obligation for tax year 2026 need either an IRIS-native filing pipeline or a provider that has one.
Filers subject to the 10-return electronic filing mandate (which covers virtually every institutional lender) must e-file, so building the IRIS path is not optional.
What E-Filing the 1098-VLI Involves
- Loan and vehicle data: interest received, loan and acquisition dates, outstanding principal, and the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN for every reportable loan
- Qualification checkboxes: whether the vehicle was new (original use began with the purchaser) and whether final assembly occurred in the United States
- Borrower identity: name, address, and TIN of the payer of record, plus a mandatory account number for each form
- IRIS XML packaging: the data must validate against the IRS schema and business rules before the IRS will accept the transmission
No State Filing Layer
The 1098-VLI has no state withholding boxes and does not participate in the Combined Federal/State Filing program, so there is no separate state transmission to manage. The federal IRIS filing and the borrower statement are the whole job.
Three Ways to Get the 1098-VLI to the IRS
With no FIRE format to fall back on, lenders have three realistic paths: key each loan into the IRS IRIS portal, build and test an IRIS XML pipeline in-house, or use a filing provider that already speaks IRIS.
IRIS Portal
Free manual entry of Form 1098-VLI in the IRS portal. Best for a handful of returns.
High manual effortBuild XML In-House
A brand-new schema, your own TCC, and IRS testing windows. Months of development.
High dev costHow BoomTax E-Files Form 1098-VLI
Import your loan portfolio data, let BoomTax validate TINs, VINs, and the IRS business rules, then transmit. We generate the IRIS XML, e-file with the IRS, track acceptance, and deliver borrower copies.
Import Your Form 1098-VLI Data
You can import your data as Excel, XML, or use files from popular payroll providers like QuickBooks, UKG, ADP, and many more.
Step-By-Step Wizard
We walk you through the process with no complicated jargon. You can also live chat with a real person as you work on your filing for hands-on help.
E-File & Mail Employee Copies
Once your data is loaded, you can e-file and distribute employee copies in minutes.
Deadlines at a Glance
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February 1, 2027
Borrower Copies
Form 1098-VLI must be furnished to each borrower on or before February 1, 2027 (January 31 falls on a Sunday).
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March 31, 2027
IRS E-File
Form 1098-VLI must be e-filed with the IRS through IRIS on or before March 31, 2027.
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April 30, 2027
8809 Extension
A Form 8809 extension requested by March 31 moves the IRS e-file deadline to April 30, 2027.
Details and the Form 8809 extension window are on the Form 1098-VLI due date page. New to the form? Start with what is Form 1098-VLI and the box-by-box instructions.
External Resources
Frequently Asked Questions About E-Filing Form 1098-VLI
No. Form 1098-VLI is IRIS-only: there is no FIRE transmission format, no Publication 1220 layout, and no legacy flat-file option. The only transmission format that exists for the form is IRIS XML.
For nearly all lenders, yes. Filers subject to the 10-return electronic filing mandate, which covers virtually every institutional lender, must e-file, so building or buying an IRIS filing path is not optional.
No. The 1098-VLI has no state withholding boxes and does not participate in the Combined Federal/State Filing program. The federal IRIS filing and the borrower statement are the whole job.
For each reportable loan: interest received, loan and acquisition dates, outstanding principal, the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN, the two qualification checkboxes, and the borrower's name, address, and TIN plus a mandatory account number. Not sure a loan is reportable at all? See which vehicle loans require a 1098-VLI.
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BoomTax and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors prior to engaging in any transaction.