Where the template comes from
Sign in to the IRIS Taxpayer Portal, choose to upload a CSV with form data, and download the blank W-2G template. IRIS checks the header row of your upload against that template, so keep the header exactly as it is: same columns, same order, same wording. The column names below are the ones in the IRS's published formatting guidelines for IRIS CSV files.
Use one file per form type and per payer, and keep each file to 100 forms or fewer.
Publication 1220 amount codes to W-2G boxes
In a FIRE file, each payee (B) record holds up to 18 payment amounts, numbered 1–9 and A–J. Which box each one belongs to depends on the form, and the codes don't always line up with box numbers.
| Pub 1220 amount code | IRIS W-2G column |
|---|---|
| 1 | Box 1 - Reportable Winnings |
| 2 | Box 4 - Federal Income Tax Withheld |
| 7 | Box 7 - Winnings From Identical Wagers |
Formatting that trips people up
- Amounts are dollars, not cents. A FIRE file stores $1,500.00 as
000000150000. In the CSV it's1500or1500.00. - Leave unused amounts blank. An empty cell, not a zero.
- Names are split. FIRE has one name line; IRIS wants first, middle, last and suffix for people, or a business name line for companies. The FIRE name control (the first four letters of the last name) tells you where the surname starts.
- Address lines are 35 characters at most. Longer FIRE address lines have to be split between Address Line 1 and Line 2.
- TIN type has to be stated. SSN, ITIN, ATIN or EIN, which FIRE only partly records.
- Corrections don't go in this template. Corrected (G or C) records are made in the IRIS portal itself.
All 53 columns, in order
| # | Column | From a FIRE file |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Form Type | |
| 2 | Tax Year | |
| 3 | Payer TIN Type | |
| 4 | Payer Taxpayer ID Number | |
| 5 | Payer Name Type | |
| 6 | Payer Business or Entity Name Line 1 | |
| 7 | Payer Business or Entity Name Line 2 | |
| 8 | Payer First Name | |
| 9 | Payer Middle Name | |
| 10 | Payer Last Name (Surname) | |
| 11 | Payer Suffix | |
| 12 | Payer Country | |
| 13 | Payer Address Line 1 | |
| 14 | Payer Address Line 2 | |
| 15 | Payer City/Town | |
| 16 | Payer State/Province/Territory | |
| 17 | Payer ZIP/Postal Code | |
| 18 | Payer Phone Type | |
| 19 | Payer Phone | |
| 20 | Winner TIN Type | |
| 21 | Winner Taxpayer ID Number | |
| 22 | Winner Name Type | |
| 23 | Winner Business or Entity Name Line 1 | |
| 24 | Winner Business or Entity Name Line 2 | |
| 25 | Winner First Name | |
| 26 | Winner Middle Name | |
| 27 | Winner Last Name (Surname) | |
| 28 | Winner Suffix | |
| 29 | WInner Country | |
| 30 | Winner Address Line 1 | |
| 31 | Winner Address Line 2 | |
| 32 | Winner City/Town | |
| 33 | Winner State/Province/Territory | |
| 34 | Winner ZIP/Postal Code | |
| 35 | Office Code | |
| 36 | Box 1 - Reportable Winnings | Amount code 1 |
| 37 | Box 2 - Date Won | |
| 38 | Box 3 - Type of Wager | |
| 39 | Box 4 - Federal Income Tax Withheld | Amount code 2 |
| 40 | Box 5 - Transaction | |
| 41 | Box 6 - Race | |
| 42 | Box 7 - Winnings From Identical Wagers | Amount code 7 |
| 43 | Box 8 - Cashier | |
| 44 | Box 10 - Window | |
| 45 | Box 11 - First Identification no. | |
| 46 | Box 12 - Second Identification no. | |
| 47 | State/Payer’s State | |
| 48 | Box 13 - State/Payer’s State Identification Number | |
| 49 | Box 14 - State Winnings | |
| 50 | Box 15 - State Income Tax Withheld | |
| 51 | Box 16 - Local Winnings | |
| 52 | Box 17 - Local Income Tax Withheld | |
| 53 | Box 18 - Name of Locality |
Doing it by hand, or not
For a handful of forms, typing them straight into the IRIS portal is quickest. For more, you can fill this template in a spreadsheet using the tables above. If your accounting software only exports a Publication 1220 file, my FIRE to IRIS converter does the mapping, name splitting and file splitting for you, in your browser, so the SSNs in the file are never uploaded.
This page describes file formats, not tax rules. Check what belongs on each form with the IRS instructions or your tax professional.