A Guide to Information Returns

Introduction

The Information Reporting Program Website is designed to help you meet your Information Reporting Requirements. Included are help-line telephone numbers and direct links to aid you in reporting information returns. You will also find information about how to file returns electronically.

What is an Information Return?

An information return is a tax document businesses are required to file to report certain business transactions to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The requirement to file Information Returns is mandated by the Internal Revenue Service and associated regulations.

Who must file Information Returns?

Any person, including a corporation, partnership, individual, estate, and trust, who make reportable transactions during the calendar year must file information returns to report those transactions to the IRS. Persons required to file Information Returns to the IRS must also furnish statements to the recipients of the income. Filers who have 250 or more must file these returns electronically.

Types of Payments

Below is an alphabetical list of some payments and the forms to file and report them. However, it is not a complete list of all payments, and the absence of a payment from the list does not indicate that the payment is not reportable. For information on a specific type of payment, see the separate instructions for the form(s) listed.

Type of Payment  Report on Form

Abandonment 1099-A

Accelerated death benefits 1099-LTC

Acquisition 1099-A

Advance earned income credit W-2

Agriculture payments 1099-G

Allocated tips W-2

Annuities 1099-R

Attorneys, fees and gross proceeds 1099-MISC

Auto reimbursements: Employee W-2

Auto reimbursements: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Awards: Employee W-2

Awards: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Barter exchange income 1099-B

Bonuses: Employee W-2

Bonuses: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Broker transactions 1099-B

Cancellation of debt 1099-C

Capital gain distributions 1099-DIV

Car expense: Employee W-2

Car expense: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Charitable gift annuities 1099-R

Commissions: Employee W-2

Commissions: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Commodities transactions 1099-B

Compensation: Employee W-2

Compensation: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Crop insurance proceeds 1099-MISC

Damages 1099-MISC

Death benefits 1099-R

Death benefits:Accelerated 1099-LTC

Debt cancellation 1099-C

Dependent care payments W-2

Direct rollovers 1099-R, 5498

Direct sales of consumer products for resale 1099-MISC

Directors fees 1099-MISC

Discharge of indebtedness 1099-C

Dividends 1099-DIV

Education IRA contributions 5498

Education IRA distributions 1099-R

Education loan interest 1098-E

Employee business expense Reimbursement W-2

Employee compensation W-2

Excess deferrals, excess contributions, distributions of 1099-R

Fees: Employee W-2

Fees: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Fishing boat crew members proceeds 1099-MISC

Fish purchases for cash 1099-MISC

Foreclosures 1099-A

Foreign persons U.S source income 1042-S

401(k) contributions W-2

404(k) dividend 1099-DIV

Gambling winnings W-2G

Golden parachute: Employee W-2

Golden parachute: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Grants, taxable 1099-G

Health care services 1099-MISC

Income tax refunds, state and local 1099-G

Indian gaming profits paid to tribal members 1099-MISC

Interest income 1099-INT

Interest, mortgage 1098

IRA contributions 5498

IRA distributions 1099-R

Life insurance contract distributions 1099-R, 1099-LTC

Liquidation, distributions in 1099-DIV

Loans, distribution from pension plan 1099-R

Long-term care benefits 1099-LTC

Medical savings accounts: Contributions 5498-MSA

Medical savings accounts: Distributions 1099-MSA

Medicare+Choice Medical Savings Accounts: Contributions 5498-MSA

Medicare+Choice Medical Savings Accounts: Distributions 1099-MSA

Medical services 1099-MISC

Mileage: Employee W-2

Mileage: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Military retirement 1099-R

Mortgage interest 1098

Moving expense W-2

Nonemployee compensation 1099-MISC

Nonqualified plan distribution W-2

Nonqualified plan distribution: Beneficiaries 1099-R

Original issue discount (OID) 1099-OID

Patronage dividends 1099-PATR

Pensions 1099-R

Points 1098

Prizes: Employee W-2

Prizes: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Profit-sharing plan 1099-R

PS 58 costs 1099-R

Punitive damages 1099-MISC

Qualified plan distributions 1099-R

Qualified state tuition program payments 1099-G

Real estate transactions 1099-S

Recharacterized IRA contributions 1099-R, 5498

Refunds, state and local tax 1099-G

Rents 1099-MISC

Retirement 1099-R

Roth conversion IRA contributions 5498

Roth conversion IRA distributions 1099-R

Roth IRA contributions 5498

Roth IRA distributions 1099-R

Royalties 1099-MISC

Timber, pay-as-cut contract 1099-S

Sales: Real estate 1099-S

Sales: Securities 1099-B

Section 1035 exchange 1099-R

SEP contributions W-2, 5498

SEP distributions 1099-R

Severance pay W-2

Sick pay W-2

SIMPLE contributions W-2, 5498

SIMPLE distributions 1099-R

Student loan interest 1098-E

Substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest 1099-MISC

Supplemental unemployment W-2

Tax refunds, state and local 1099-G

Tips W-2

Tuition 1098-T

Unemployment benefits 1099-G

Vacation allowance: Employee W-2

Vacation allowance: Nonemployee 1099-MISC

Wages W-2