Forms for Tax Time

For each event, the guide shows which forms you’ll receive from custodians, which forms you or the CPA need to complete, and where the data flows to on the 1040. Use this as a checklist during tax season, as a handout for clients who ask “what forms do I need?,” or as a reference when using FP Alpha’s Tax Wrap feature to track activities throughout the year.

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12-page guide covering 19 financial events with forms, timelines, and 1040 flow-through locations

Produced by: FP Alpha | Events Covered: 19 financial events | Pages: 12

Retirement Accounts: Contributions

Financial Event	You’ll Receive	You’ll Complete	Flows To	Key Notes
Traditional IRA Contribution	Form 5498 (from custodian, ~May 31)	Form 1040	1040 Sch 1, Part II, Line 32 (if deductible)	Contact custodian directly if you need the total before May 31
Roth IRA Contribution	Form 5498 (from custodian, ~May 31)	None required	Not reported on return	Roth contributions do not need to be reported on the tax return
401k / 403b Contribution	Form W-2 (~Jan 31)	None required	Already factored into W-2 wages	Pre-tax contributions reduce W-2 Box 1 automatically; no separate reporting needed
Solo 401k Contribution	May receive custodian statement (not required)	Form 5500-EZ (only if assets > $250K); Form 1040	1040 Sch 1, Line 16 (for pass-through businesses)	Determine total employer + employee contribution from custodian records

Retirement Accounts: Distributions

Financial Event	You’ll Receive	You’ll Complete	Flows To	Key Notes
Roth Conversion	Form 1099-R (~Jan 31)	Form 8606 + Form 1040	8606 Line 25c → 1040 Line 4b	Form 8606 calculates the taxable portion if there’s a mix of pre-tax and non-deductible contributions
Traditional IRA Distribution	Form 1099-R (~Jan 31)	Form 1040	1040 Lines 4a and 4b	1099-R shows distribution from the Traditional IRA; flows directly to 1040
Roth IRA Distribution	Form 1099-R (~Jan 31)	Form 1040	1040 Line 4a	Distribution flows to 1040; generally not taxable if qualified
IRA 60-Day Rollover	Form 1099-R (~Jan 31)	Form 1040	1040 Line 4a	Custodian submits Form 5498 to IRS showing redeposit (~May 31); no taxpayer action needed on 5498

Taxable Accounts & Assets

Financial Event	You’ll Receive	You’ll Complete	Flows To	Key Notes
Capital Gains & Losses	Form 1099-B (~Feb 15)	Form 1040 Schedule D	Sch D Section I (short-term) and Section II (long-term)	Walk through each line of Schedule D using 1099-B data
Dividends & Interest	Form 1099-DIV / 1099-INT (~Jan 31)	Form 1040 Schedule B	Sch B Part I (interest) and Part II (dividends)	Report each payor separately on Schedule B
Real Estate Sale — Primary Home	Form 1099-S (with closing documents)	Form 8949	8949 → Schedule D (if gain exceeds exclusion)	If the taxpayer cannot exclude all gains under the primary home exclusion, the remaining gain is reported on Form 8949
Real Estate Sale — Rental Property	Form 1099-S (with closing documents)	Form 4797 + Schedule D	4797 Part I (long-term, held > 1 year) or Part II (< 1 year) → Schedule D	Form 4797 reports sale of business/rental property; gain or loss then flows to Schedule D

Charitable Giving

Financial Event	You’ll Receive	You’ll Complete	Flows To	Key Notes
Cash Charitable Contributions	Receipts / custodian records	Form 1040 Schedule A	Sch A, Gifts to Charity section → 1040 Line 12	Determine total gifts from receipts or custodian records
Noncash Contributions (stock, property, vehicle)	Receipts / custodian records	Form 8283 + Schedule A	8283 → Sch A, Gifts to Charity → 1040 Line 12	Form 8283 reports all noncash charitable contributions including stock, land, vehicles, equipment, collectibles
DAF — Cash Contributions	Custodian records	Form 1040 Schedule A	Sch A, Gifts to Charity section → 1040 Line 12	Cash contributions to a DAF are reported in the Gifts to Charity section of Schedule A
DAF — Stock Contributions	Custodian records	Form 8283 + Schedule A	8283 → Sch A, Gifts to Charity → 1040 Line 12	Stock contributions to a DAF are noncash and require Form 8283
Gifting Above Annual Exclusion	Your records of gifts made	Form 709 (US Gift Tax Return)	Filed separately from 1040	Required if any single recipient received > $18K (2024). Must file Form 709 even if under the lifetime exemption ($13.61M for 2024). Exclusion applies per recipient, not total.

When to Expect Each Form

Form	Typical Arrival	Source
W-2 (Wages)	By January 31	Employer
1099-R (Distributions)	By January 31	Custodian
1099-DIV / 1099-INT	By January 31	Custodian
1099-B (Capital Gains)	By February 15	Custodian
1099-S (Real Estate Sale)	With closing documents	Lender / Real Estate Agent
5498 (IRA Contributions)	By May 31	Custodian (also sent to IRS)

Tips for Tax Time

Use FP Alpha’s Tax Wrap feature to track activities throughout the year.

The Tax Wrap logs Roth conversions, charitable gifts, capital gains harvesting, and other events as they happen. At tax time, you have a pre-built list of expected forms for the client and their CPA.

Don’t wait for Form 5498 to file.

Form 5498 (IRA contributions) doesn’t arrive until May 31 — well after the filing deadline. Contact the custodian directly to get contribution totals before then.

Roth conversions require Form 8606.

This is the most commonly missed form. 8606 calculates the taxable portion of the conversion when there’s a mix of pre-tax and non-deductible contributions in the Traditional IRA (the pro-rata rule).

Form 709 is required for any gift above $18K to a single recipient.

Even if the client is well under the lifetime exemption, the gift tax return must be filed to report the gift and use the exemption. The $18K exclusion applies per recipient, not as a total.

Share this guide with your clients’ CPAs.

Download the PDF and send it to the CPA at the start of tax season. It helps the CPA know exactly which forms to expect based on the financial events you facilitated during the year.

1099-B forms often arrive last.

Custodians have until February 15 for 1099-B (capital gains). If the client is eager to file early, this is usually the form they’re waiting for.

Use Tax Wrap to track events throughout the year?

Log activities as they happen and generate a pre-built forms checklist for your clients and their CPAs.

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Disclaimer: Information provided is for educational purposes. Your advisor does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. In considering this material, you should discuss your individual circumstances with professionals in those areas before making any decisions.