Form 1099-R: Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans

What Is Form 1099-R: Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans?

Form 1099-R: Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans is an Internal Revenue System (IRS) tax form that is used for reporting distributions from annuities, profit-sharing plans, retirement plans, IRAs, insurance contracts, or pensions. It deals specifically with passive income and retirement plans.

A 1099-R form is one of many forms in the 1099 series. All of these forms are known as information returns and are used to report various types of income — other than their salary — that a person may receive, such as independent contractor income, interest and dividends, or government payments.

Who Can File Form 1099-R: Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans?

According to the IRS, a payee who receives any of the following distributions of $10 or more from the accounts listed below is required to fill out a 1099-R form:

On the other hand, an individual who receives a 1099-R form in error should immediately contact the plan custodian to rectify the situation and avoid filing an incorrect tax return. Like most 1099s, 1099-R forms must be sent to recipients by Jan. 31 of the year following the tax year.

If you receive a 1099-R, keep in mind that not all distributions from retirement or tax-deferred accounts are subject to tax. A direct rollover from a 401(k) plan to an IRA is one example. If you are unsure whether a distribution is taxable it may be a good idea to consult with a tax professional.

Anyone who receives a 1099-R must include the amount shown on it in their income tax return and pay applicable taxes.

How to File Form 1099-R: Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans

The form is provided by the plan issuer who must give a copy to the IRS, the recipient of the distribution, and the recipient’s state, city, or local tax department. As with other IRS forms, the 1099-R form should also include the payer's name, address, telephone number, and taxpayer identification number (TIN). It should also have the recipient's name, address, and taxpayer identification number, which for most individual taxpayers in their Social Security Number.

Some of the other items included on the form are the gross distribution paid during the tax year, the amount of taxable distribution, the federal income tax withheld at source, any contributions made to the investment, or insurance premiums paid, and a code representing the type of distributions made to the plan holder.

A 1099-R form uses a variety of numbered and lettered codes to indicate the type of distribution. They are entered in Box 7 on the form. A table of the codes is included in the instructions.

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

Related Forms

Form 1099-R is one of many different types of 1099 forms, collectively referred to as the information return forms. Information returns are used by the IRS to keep taxpayers from underreporting their income. Each type of information return is intended to capture a different type of payment or transaction. Although there are approximately 16 types of information returns, most taxpayers will only ever receive a handful of them. Here are the most common Form 1099s.

Form 1099-INT: Interest Income

Form 1099-INT is issued by all financial institutions to investors at the end of the year. It includes a breakdown of all types of interest income and related expenses. All financial institutions and payers of interest must issue a 1099-INT for any party to whom they paid at least $10 of interest during the year.

Form 1099-DIV: Dividends and Distributions

Form 1099-DIV is sent by banks and other financial institutions to investors who receive dividends and distributions from any type of investment during a calendar year. Investors can receive multiple 1099-DIVs. Each 1099-DIV form should be reported on a taxpayer's tax filing.

Form 1099-MISC: Miscellaneous Income

Independent contractors, freelancers, sole-proprietors, and self-employed individuals receive Form 1099-MISC from each client that paid them $600 or more in a calendar year. This form is also used to report miscellaneous compensation, such as rents, prizes, awards, healthcare payments, and payments to an attorney.

Form 1099-K: Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions

Taxpayers receive Form 1099-K if the dollar amount or quantity of their business transactions tops a certain threshold during the year.

Form 1099-B: Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions

Form 1099-B is used by brokerages and barter exchanges to record customers' gains and losses during a tax year. Individual taxpayers will receive this form (already filled out) from their brokers or barter exchange.

Form 1099-G: Certain Government Payments

Taxpayers receive Form 1099-G if they received unemployment compensation payments, state or local income tax refunds, or certain other payments from a government or government agency. If you receive this form, you may need to report some of the information on your income tax return.