August 21, 2012 – The IRS has released a 2012-dated version of Form 4419,
Application for Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE). This application is used to apply for electronic filing of various information returns, such as Forms 5498, 1099-R, 8955-SSA, through the IRS’s FIRE System.
As noted in IRS Publication 3609,
Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE), under “What’s New for Tax Year 2012,” Form 4419 must be submitted at least 45 days before the due date of an information return in order to allow the IRS processing time. Previously, this deadline was 30 days.
The new Form 4419 may be accessed as follows.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4419.pdf