Form 1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange

What Is Form 1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange?

Form 1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange is a federal tax form used by brokerages and barter exchanges to record customers' gains and losses during a tax year. Individual taxpayers will receive the form from their brokers or barter exchange already filled out.

Taxpayers transfer the information from a 1099-B to Form 8949 to calculate their preliminary gains and losses. The result is entered onto Schedule D of their tax return. 

Who Can File Form 1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange?

Brokers must submit a 1099-B form to the IRS as well as sending a copy directly to every customer who sold stocks, options, commodities, or other securities during the tax year. The IRS requires submission of the form to serve as a record of a taxpayer’s gains or losses.

Assume, for example, you sold several stocks last year. The proceeds of the sale were $10,000. That figure will be reported to the IRS from two sources: One from the brokerage on a 1099-B and the second from you as a report of a taxable capital gain.

What Is Form 1099-B Used For?

Information on a 1099-B includes a description of each investment, the purchase date and price, the sale date and price, and the resulting gain or loss. Commissions for these transactions are excluded.

As a taxpayer, your capital losses are subtracted from any capital gains and may be used to reduce the taxable income you report. There are limits to the amount of capital loss that can be deducted each tax year. However, if the capital loss exceeds the limit, the difference may be carried over to the following tax year (or years).

The broker or barter exchange must mail a copy of a 1099-B form to all clients by Jan. 31 of the year following the tax year.

A broker or barter exchange should report each transaction (other than regulated futures, foreign currency, or Section 1256 option contracts) on a separate Form 1099-B. 

A separate Form 1099-B must be filed for whoever 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, or securities futures contracts.

A company that participates in certain bartering activities with another company may need to file a Form 1099-B. It is used to report changes in capital structure or control of a corporation in which you hold stock. 

The form will report the cash received and the fair market value of goods or services received or any trade credits received. Taxpayers may be required to report the receipt of gains made during the bartering activity. Reportable gains can be in the form of cash, property, or stock.

2021 1099-B.

All copies of Form 1099-B are available on the IRS website.

Other Relevant Forms

If you receive a 1099-B, you will need to file a Schedule D. This is where you record your gains and losses for the year. Form 8949 is used to record the details of the transactions.