Form 1099-B: Proceeds From Broker Transactions, Box by Box
Form 1099-B, titled Proceeds From Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions, shows what a broker reported for each sale: proceeds in box 1d, cost or other basis in box 1e, and the wash sale loss disallowed in box 1g. The 2026 Instructions for Form 1099-B say a broker should generally file Form 1099-DA, not Form 1099-B, for digital asset sales, with three exceptions, and Publication 1099 (2026) gives February 15 as the specific due date for statements to recipients.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Sources checked against IRS text on November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Who files Form 1099-B and what it reports
The IRS About Form 1099-B page describes who files it:
“A broker or barter exchange must file this form for each person:
For whom, they sold stocks, commodities, regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, forward contracts, debt instruments, options, securities futures contracts, etc., for cash,
Who received cash, stock, or other property from a corporation that the broker knows or has reason to know has had its stock acquired in an acquisition of control or had a substantial change in capital structure reportable on Form 8806, or
Who exchanged property or services through a barter exchange.”
The 2026 instructions repeat the list, then say who is a broker:
“A broker or barter exchange must file Form 1099-B for each person:
For whom the broker has sold (including short sales) stocks, commodities, regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts (pursuant to a forward contract or regulated futures contract), forward contracts, debt instruments, options, securities futures contracts, etc., for cash;
Who received cash, stock, or other property from a corporation that the broker knows or has reason to know has had its stock acquired in an acquisition of control or had a substantial change in capital structure reportable on Form 8806, Information Return for Acquisition of Control or Substantial Change in Capital Structure; or
Who exchanged property or services through a barter exchange.”
“A broker is any person who, in the ordinary course of a trade or business, stands ready to effect sales to be made by others. A broker may include a U.S. or foreign person or a governmental unit and any subsidiary agency.”
The recipient copy opens this way:
“Brokers and barter exchanges must report proceeds from (and in some cases, basis for) transactions to you and the IRS on Form 1099-B. Reporting is also required when your broker knows or has reason to know that a corporation in which you own stock has had a reportable change in control or capital structure.”
Revision and tax year
The IRS About Form 1099-B page linked a form and instructions that are both marked 2026. The What’s New section of the 2026 instructions lists one item, and the About page lists a correction under Recent developments:
| Document | Revision printed on the document | Catalog number |
|---|---|---|
| Form 1099-B | Form 1099-B 2026 | Cat. No. 14411V |
| Instructions for Form 1099-B | Instructions for Form 1099-B (2026) | Catalog Number 64171A |
| Publication 1099 | Publication 1099 (2026) | Catalog Number 46963K |
“Address fields. For the Payer’s and Recipient's information, we separated the address fields into individual entry boxes.”
“Recent developments
Correction to the 2025 and 2026 Instructions for Form 1099-B, page 5, under Sales of precious metals. -- 30-JAN-2026”
This page covers the 2026 form and instructions and does not use the Sales of precious metals section the correction refers to. Publication 1099 (2026) lists Form 1099-B with “All amounts” in its Guide to Information Returns, so there is no dollar threshold to show for it.
Covered and noncovered securities
The instructions divide the sales a broker reports into separate forms by type of security:
“Report sales of each of the following types of securities on a separate Form 1099-B, even if all three types were sold in a single transaction. • Covered securities (defined later) with short term gain or loss. • Covered securities with long-term gain or loss. • Noncovered securities (securities that are not covered securities) if you choose to check box 5 when reporting their sale.”
“For each sale of a covered security for which you are required to file Form 1099-B, report the date of acquisition (box 1b); whether the gain or loss is short term or long term, and whether any portion of the gain or loss is ordinary (box 2); cost or other basis (box 1e); the amount of accrued market discount (box 1f); and the loss disallowed due to a wash sale (box 1g).”
“When selling a noncovered security and reporting it on a separate Form 1099-B, you may check box 5 and leave boxes 1b, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 2 blank.”
They define covered and noncovered securities in the instructions for box 1e, and Copy B describes noncovered securities in the text for box 5:
“Covered security. A covered security is any of the following.
Stock acquired for cash in an account after 2010 except stock for which the average basis method is available.
Stock for which the average basis method is available and that is acquired for cash in an account after 2011.”
“Noncovered security. A noncovered security is any security that is not a covered security.”
“Box 5. If checked, the securities sold were noncovered securities and boxes 1b, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 2 may be blank. Generally, a noncovered security means (a) stock purchased before 2011, (b) stock in most mutual funds purchased before 2012, (c) stock purchased in or transferred to a dividend reinvestment plan before 2012, (d) debt acquired before 2014, (e) options granted or acquired before 2014, and (f) securities futures contracts executed before 2014.”
Form 1099-B box by box
One row per numbered box on the 2026 form, starting with the “Applicable checkbox on Form 8949”, followed by a table of the unnumbered CUSIP number and FATCA fields. For box 6 the instructions say only “See Box 1d. Proceeds, earlier.”, and the Box 1d paragraph they point to is quoted after the table. The third column is the instruction to the broker and the fourth is the text on Copy B, the recipient copy, each copied from the IRS documents. Boxes 8 to 11 are for regulated futures, foreign currency and Section 1256 option contracts.
| Box | Label on the form | IRS instructions to the payer | Copy B text to the recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicable checkbox on Form 8949 | Our label: one-letter code (A, B, D, E or X); the form prints only the words in the next column | Use this box to enter a one-letter code that will assist the recipient in reporting the transaction on Form 8949 and/or Schedule D (Form 1040). | Indicates where to report this transaction on Form 8949 and Schedule D (Form 1040), and which checkbox is applicable. |
| 1a | Description of property (Example: 100 sh. XYZ Co.) | For stock and debt instruments, enter the issuer's name and the number of shares or units you held that were exchanged. | Shows a brief description of the item or service for which amounts are being reported. |
| 1b | Date acquired | Enter the acquisition date of any securities sold. | This box may be blank if box 5 is checked or if the securities sold were acquired on a variety of dates. |
| 1c | Date sold or disposed | For broker transactions, enter the trade date of the sale or exchange. | Shows the trade date of the sale or exchange. |
| 1d | Proceeds | Enter the gross cash proceeds from all dispositions (including short sales) of securities, commodities, options, securities futures contracts, or forward contracts. | Shows the cash proceeds, reduced by any commissions or transfer taxes related to the sale, for transactions involving stocks, debt, commodities, forward contracts, non-Section 1256 option contracts, or securities futures contracts. |
| 1e | Cost or other basis | Enter the adjusted basis of any securities sold unless the security is not a covered security and you check box 5. | Shows the cost or other basis of securities sold. |
| 1f | Accrued market discount | Enter the amount of accrued market discount in box 1f. | Shows the amount of accrued market discount. |
| 1g | Wash sale loss disallowed | Report wash sale loss amount disallowed. | Shows the amount of nondeductible loss in a wash sale transaction. |
| 2 | Short-term gain or loss, Long-term gain or loss, Ordinary | Determine whether the gain or loss is short term or long term under Section 1222, and whether any portion of the gain or loss is ordinary. | The short-term and long-term boxes pertain to short-term gain or loss and long-term gain or loss. If the “Ordinary” box is checked, your security may be subject to special rules. |
| 3 | Check if proceeds from: Collectibles, QOF | Check the “Collectibles” box if the proceeds you are reporting in box 1d are from a transaction involving collectibles. Check the “QOF” box if you are reporting a disposition of an interest in a QOF. | If checked, proceeds are from a transaction involving collectibles or from a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF). |
| 4 | Federal income tax withheld | Enter backup withholding. | Shows backup withholding. Generally, a payer must backup withhold if you did not furnish your TIN to the payer. |
| 5 | Check if noncovered security | You may check the box if reporting the sale of a noncovered security. Do not check this box if reporting the sale of a covered security. | If checked, the securities sold were noncovered securities and boxes 1b, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 2 may be blank. |
| 6 | Reported to IRS: Gross proceeds, Net proceeds | See Box 1d. Proceeds, earlier. | If the exercise of a noncompensatory option resulted in a sale of a security, a checked “Net proceeds” box indicates whether the amount in box 1d was adjusted for option premium. |
| 7 | Check if loss is not allowed based on amount in 1d | See Acquisition of control or substantial change in capital structure, earlier. | If checked, you cannot take a loss on your tax return based on gross proceeds from a reportable change in control or capital structure reported in box 1d. |
| 8 | Profit or (loss) realized in 2026 on closed contracts | Enter the profit or (loss) realized by the customer on closed regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts in 2026. | Shows the profit or (loss) realized on regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts closed during 2026. |
| 9 | Unrealized profit or (loss) on open contracts—12/31/2025 | Enter the unrealized profit or (loss) on open regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts at the end of 2025. | Shows any year-end adjustment to the profit or (loss) shown in box 8 due to open contracts on December 31, 2025. |
| 10 | Unrealized profit or (loss) on open contracts—12/31/2026 | Enter the unrealized profit or (loss) on open regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts at the end of 2026. | Shows the unrealized profit or (loss) on open contracts held in your account on December 31, 2026. |
| 11 | Aggregate profit or (loss) on contracts | Enter the aggregate profit or (loss) for the year from regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts. | Boxes 8, 9, and 10 are all used to figure the aggregate profit or (loss) on regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts for the year. Include this amount on your 2026 Form 6781. |
| 12 | Check if basis reported to IRS | Check this box if: • You are not checking box 5, or • You are checking box 5 but are reporting basis to the IRS in box 1e anyway. | If checked, the basis in box 1e has been reported to the IRS and either the short-term or the long-term gain or loss box in box 2 will be checked. |
| 13 | Bartering | Enter the gross amounts received by a member or client of a barter exchange. | Shows the cash you received, the FMV of any property or services you received, and the FMV of any trade credits or scrip credited to your account by a barter exchange. See Pub. 525. |
| 14–16 | State name, State identification no., State tax withheld | These boxes may be used by payers who participate in the Combined Federal/State Filing Program and/or who are required to file paper copies of this form with a state tax department. | Boxes 14–16. Show state(s)/local income tax information. |
| Field without a box number | IRS instructions to the payer | Copy B text to the recipient |
|---|---|---|
| CUSIP number | For transactional reporting by brokers, enter the CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures) number of the security or other applicable identifying number. | Shows the CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures) number or other applicable identifying number. |
| FATCA filing requirement | Check the box if you are a Foreign Financial Institution (FFI) reporting payments to a U.S. account pursuant to an election described in Regulations section 1.1471-4(d)(5)(i)(A). In addition, check the box if you are a U.S. payer that is reporting on Form 1099-B as part of satisfying your requirement to report with respect to a U.S. account for chapter 4 purposes, as described in Regulations section 1.1471-4(d)(2)(iii)(A). | If the FATCA filing requirement box is checked, the payer is reporting on this Form 1099 to satisfy its account reporting requirement under chapter 4 of the Internal Revenue Code. You may also have a filing requirement. See the Instructions for Form 8938. |
“If you reduce gross proceeds by option premiums, check the second box in box 6. Otherwise, check the first box.”
For the futures and Section 1256 boxes the instructions add a limit:
“If you complete boxes 8 through 11, do not complete any other numbered box except box 1a and, if applicable, box 4. Also, do not complete the “Applicable checkbox on Form 8949” box.”
Form 8949 and Schedule D
The “Applicable checkbox on Form 8949” is where the form points to Form 8949 and Schedule D (Form 1040). The instructions describe it and give five codes:
“Use this box to enter a one-letter code that will assist the recipient in reporting the transaction on Form 8949 and/or Schedule D (Form 1040). Use the code below that applies to how the recipient will report the transaction.”
| Code | IRS instructions |
|---|---|
| A | Code A. This code indicates a short term transaction for which the cost or other basis is being reported to the IRS. Use this code to report a transaction that the recipient will report on Schedule D (Form 1040), line 1a, or on Form 8949 with box A checked with totals being carried to Schedule D (Form 1040), line 1b. |
| B | Code B. This code indicates a short term transaction for which the cost or other basis is not being reported to the IRS. Use this code to report a transaction that the recipient will report on Form 8949 with box B checked with totals being carried to Schedule D (Form 1040), line 2. |
| D | Code D. This code indicates a long term transaction for which the cost or other basis is being reported to the IRS. Use this code to report a transaction that the recipient will report on Schedule D (Form 1040), line 8a, or on Form 8949 with box D checked with totals being carried to Schedule D (Form 1040), line 8b. |
| E | Code E. This code indicates a long term transaction for which the cost or other basis is not being reported to the IRS. Use this code to report a transaction that the recipient will report on Form 8949 with box E checked, with totals being carried to Schedule D (Form 1040), line 9. |
| X | Code X. Use this code to report a transaction if you cannot determine whether the recipient should check box B or box E on Form 8949 because the holding period is unknown. |
Copy B says this about the checkbox, box 1d and box 12:
“Applicable checkbox on Form 8949. Indicates where to report this transaction on Form 8949 and Schedule D (Form 1040), and which checkbox is applicable. See the instructions for your Schedule D (Form 1040) and/or Form 8949.”
“Box 1d. Shows the cash proceeds, reduced by any commissions or transfer taxes related to the sale, for transactions involving stocks, debt, commodities, forward contracts, non-Section 1256 option contracts, or securities futures contracts. May show the proceeds from the disposition of your interest(s) in a widely held fixed investment trust. May also show the aggregate amount of cash and the fair market value (FMV) of any stock or other property received in a reportable change in control or capital structure arising from the corporate transfer of property to a foreign corporation. Losses on forward contracts or non-Section 1256 option contracts are shown in parentheses. This box does not include proceeds from regulated futures contracts or Section 1256 option contracts. Report this amount on Form 8949 or on Schedule D (Form 1040) (whichever is applicable) as explained in the Instructions for Schedule D (Form 1040).”
“Box 12. If checked, the basis in box 1e has been reported to the IRS and either the short-term or the long-term gain or loss box in box 2 will be checked. If box 12 is checked on Form(s) 1099-B and NO adjustment is required, see the instructions for your Schedule D (Form 1040) as you may be able to report your transaction directly on Schedule D (Form 1040). If the “Ordinary” box in box 2 is checked, an adjustment may be required.”
The Form 8949 page covers that form, and the capital gains tax calculator and net investment income tax page cover how gains are taxed.
Short-term, long-term and ordinary gain or loss
The instructions for box 2 say the broker reports the type of gain or loss, and limit what goes on one form:
“Except as provided below, in addition to checking the applicable short term or long term box, you are required to check the “Ordinary” checkbox if all or a portion of the gain or loss may be ordinary. You may not report both short term and long term gain or loss on the same Form 1099-B.”
Wash sales (box 1g)
The instructions for box 1g give the reporting rule and a worked example:
“Wash sales. Report wash sale loss amount disallowed. You must report any loss disallowed under section 1091 if both the sale and purchase transactions occur in the same account with respect to covered securities with the same CUSIP number. You are permitted but are not required to report in box 1g all loss disallowed under section 1091.”
“Example. Your customer Alex buys 100 shares for $1,000 in September 2025. In October 2025, Alex sells them for $600. Within 30 days of the sale, Alex buys 75 shares with the same CUSIP number in the same account. Since Alex’s loss is $400 ($1,000 minus $600) but the loss on 75 shares is disallowed, Alex’s disallowed loss is $300. Report the $600 gross proceeds from the sale in box 1d, $1,000 basis in box 1e, and $300 wash sale loss disallowed in box 1g. The $300 in disallowed loss is added to Alex’s basis in the newly purchased 75 shares.”
Digital assets: Form 1099-DA, with exceptions
The 2026 Instructions for Form 1099-B carry the following under Reminders. Form 1099-DA is a separate IRS form; this page covers only the sentences quoted here about it.
“Digital assets. For each digital asset sale that a broker has effected for a customer in 2026, the broker must complete Form 1099-DA, Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transactions, as described in the instructions for that form. If you effected a sale of a digital asset that is also a security for which Form 1099-B would be required (dual classification asset), you should generally file Form 1099-DA and not Form 1099-B. There are three exceptions to the requirement to report a sale of a dual classification asset on a Form 1099-DA. See Sales of digital assets, later. Additionally, certain dispositions of digital assets held by a widely held fixed investment trust (WHFIT) may be reported on either Form 1099-B or Form 1099-DA.”
The instructions list the three exceptions in the section on sales of digital assets:
“1. For transactions involving dual classification assets that are digital assets solely because their sales are cleared or settled on a limited access regulated network, as described in Regulations section 1.6045-1(c)(8)(iii)(B), you should file Form 1099-B and not Form 1099-DA. 2. For transactions involving dual classification assets that constitute Section 1256 contracts, including regulated futures contracts or Section 1256 option contracts on digital assets, you should report the Section 1256 contract transactions on an aggregate basis on Form 1099-B. However, in the event delivery of the underlying digital asset is made with respect to a Section 1256 contract, which includes a regulated futures contract, a Section 1256 nonequity option contract, or a Section 1256 foreign currency contract, report the delivery of the underlying digital asset as a sale on Form 1099-DA. 3. For transactions involving dual classification assets that are shares in money market funds, you should not file Form 1099-DA and you are not required to file but may file Form 1099-B.”
“For sales of digital assets, complete Form 1099-DA.”
Due dates
Publication 1099 (2026) gives a specific due date for statements to recipients for Form 1099-B, and the Guide to Information Returns lists the filing dates. The row for Form 1099-B is shown below with its footnotes:
“The specific due date for furnishing statements to recipients for Forms 1099-B, 1099-DA, 1099-S, and 1099-MISC (if amounts are reported in boxes 8 or 10) is February 15 of the year following the calendar year for which you are furnishing the form. If February 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is to be filed, the actual due date is the next business day. This also applies to statements furnished as part of a consolidated reporting statement.”
| Form | Amounts to report | Due date to the IRS | Due date to the recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 1099-B | All amounts | February 28* | February 15** |
“* The due date is March 31 if filed electronically.
** The due date is March 15 for reporting by trustees and middlemen of WHFITs.
****The amount is adjusted for inflation every year. Go to IRS.gov/InflationAdjustment for the current year inflation-adjusted amount.”
“If any filing due date in these instructions falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, you will be considered to have timely filed if you file by the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday. Legal holidays for this purpose are legal holidays in the District of Columbia or a statewide legal holiday where the return is required to be filed.”
“Brokers and barter exchanges may furnish Form 1099-B or 1099-DA anytime but not later than the due date for furnishing the form to the recipient.”
Scope of this page
- This page covers Form 1099-B as the IRS documents listed under Sources describe it.
- This page does not cover penalty amounts or state filing rules, and it does not explain how any gain or loss is taxed; the Instructions for Schedule D (Form 1040) and Form 8949 are the IRS’s place for that.
Frequently asked questions
What does Form 1099-B report and who files it?
The IRS About Form 1099-B page says a broker or barter exchange must file the form for each person for whom they sold stocks, commodities, regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, forward contracts, debt instruments, options, securities futures contracts, etc., for cash, who received cash, stock, or other property from a corporation that the broker knows or has reason to know has had its stock acquired in an acquisition of control or had a substantial change in capital structure reportable on Form 8806, or who exchanged property or services through a barter exchange.
What are covered and noncovered securities on Form 1099-B?
The Instructions for Form 1099-B (2026) say “A noncovered security is any security that is not a covered security” and list seven kinds of covered security, the first being “Stock acquired for cash in an account after 2010 except stock for which the average basis method is available.” Copy B of Form 1099-B (2026) says that for a checked box 5, boxes 1b, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 2 may be blank, and that a noncovered security generally means, among other things, stock purchased before 2011 and debt acquired before 2014.
What do the short-term and long-term boxes in box 2 mean?
The Instructions for Form 1099-B (2026) say the broker must determine whether the gain or loss is short term or long term under Section 1222 and whether any portion is ordinary, and that a broker “may not report both short term and long term gain or loss on the same Form 1099-B.” Copy B of Form 1099-B says that if the “Ordinary” box is checked, the security may be subject to special rules.
What is box 1g, wash sale loss disallowed?
Copy B of Form 1099-B (2026) says box 1g “Shows the amount of nondeductible loss in a wash sale transaction.” The Instructions for Form 1099-B give an example in which a customer buys 100 shares for $1,000, sells them for $600, and buys 75 shares with the same CUSIP number in the same account within 30 days, so the disallowed loss is $300, reported in box 1g with $600 in box 1d and $1,000 in box 1e.
What is the “Applicable checkbox on Form 8949” on Form 1099-B?
The Instructions for Form 1099-B (2026) describe it as a box for a one-letter code to assist the recipient in reporting the transaction on Form 8949 and/or Schedule D (Form 1040), and define code A (short term, basis reported to the IRS), B (short term, basis not reported), D (long term, basis reported), E (long term, basis not reported) and X (holding period unknown).
Do digital asset sales go on Form 1099-B?
The Instructions for Form 1099-B (2026) say that for each digital asset sale a broker effected for a customer in 2026, the broker must complete Form 1099-DA, and that for a dual classification asset the broker “should generally file Form 1099-DA and not Form 1099-B.” They list three exceptions: dual classification assets that are digital assets solely because their sales are cleared or settled on a limited access regulated network (Form 1099-B and not Form 1099-DA); Section 1256 contracts (aggregate reporting on Form 1099-B, with delivery of the underlying digital asset reported as a sale on Form 1099-DA); and shares in money market funds (no Form 1099-DA, and a Form 1099-B that is not required but may be filed). They add that certain dispositions of digital assets held by a WHFIT “may be reported on either Form 1099-B or Form 1099-DA.”
When is Form 1099-B due?
Publication 1099 (2026) says the specific due date for furnishing statements to recipients for Forms 1099-B is February 15 of the year following the calendar year, and that if it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in the District of Columbia or where the return is to be filed, the actual due date is the next business day. Its Guide lists February 28 for the IRS, with a footnote giving March 31 if filed electronically, and the footnote attached to the recipient date says “The due date is March 15 for reporting by trustees and middlemen of WHFITs.”
What does box 12, basis reported to IRS, mean?
Copy B of Form 1099-B (2026) says that if box 12 is checked, the basis in box 1e has been reported to the IRS and either the short-term or the long-term gain or loss box in box 2 is checked. It adds that if box 12 is checked and no adjustment is required, the recipient may be able to report the transaction directly on Schedule D (Form 1040) as the Schedule D instructions explain, and that if the “Ordinary” box is checked an adjustment may be required.