The short answer
| What it reports | Sales or redemptions of securities, futures transactions, commodities, and barter exchange transactions. |
|---|---|
| Amounts to report | No minimum; every amount is reported |
| To the recipient | February 15 |
| To the IRS, on paper | February 28 |
| To the IRS, electronically | March 31 |
If one arrives
Each sale goes on Form 8949 and carries to Schedule D. Check whether basis was reported to the IRS — the form says so, and it decides how much work is yours.
The form is how a payer tells the IRS what it paid. Its absence is not permission — income you received is reportable whether or not a form covers it, and a threshold decides only who must file, never what you owe.
Two kinds of sender
Form 1099-B comes from one of two places, and they have little else in common.
- A broker, reporting what it sold for you: shares and other securities.
- A barter exchange, reporting what its members received through it. Topic 420 describes one as "an organization whose members contract with each other (or with the barter exchange) to exchange property or services."
A self-employed reader is more likely to meet the second, and it is the one that is business income.
From a broker: proceeds, and basis if covered
The broker reports each sale's proceeds, after taking off its costs: it "must reduce the proceeds by commissions and transfer taxes related to the sale." Whether it also reports your basis depends on whether the shares are a covered security. Stock acquired for cash in the account after 2010 generally is, or after 2011 for shares where the average basis method is available. For anything else, the broker checks box 5 and the basis may be blank.
Digital assets have left this form. From 2026 their sales are reported on Form 1099-DA, even for a digital asset that is also a security.
From a barter exchange: box 13
Topic 420's example of bartering is "a plumber exchanging plumbing services for the dental services of a dentist." When that trade goes through an exchange, the exchange files a 1099-B, and box 13 shows the gross amount the member received: "cash received, the FMV of any property or services received, and the FMV of any trade credits or scrip credited to the member's or client's account."
The rule on your side is the same whether or not a form arrives: "You must include in gross income in the year of receipt the fair market value of goods or services received from bartering." Barter income from your business goes on Schedule C; other barter income generally goes on Schedule 1. Topic 420 adds that barter income may mean you have to make estimated tax payments.
An exchange does not have to file for exchanges "having fewer than 100 transactions during the year," or for property or services worth less than $1.00. And an informal swap of similar services, such as a babysitting co-operative, is not a barter exchange at all.
The boxes a reader meets
| Box | What it holds |
|---|---|
| 1a | Description of the property |
| 1b, 1c | Date acquired and date sold |
| 1d | Proceeds, after commissions and transfer taxes |
| 1e | Cost or other basis, when reported |
| 2 | Whether the gain or loss is short-term or long-term |
| 4 | Federal income tax withheld under backup withholding |
| 5 | Checked when the security is noncovered |
| 7 | Checked when a loss is not allowed |
| 12 | Checked when basis was reported to the IRS |
| 13 | Bartering: the gross amount a member received |
Not every box is covered here.
Where it goes on your return
Sales of shares go on Form 8949, sorted by whether they are short or long term and whether the broker reported basis, and the totals carry to Schedule D. A sale whose basis was reported and which needs no adjustment can go straight onto Schedule D as a total. Box 13 does not go to Schedule D at all: barter is income, reported where the business or activity that earned it is reported.
Common questions
I sold shares and box 1e, the basis, is blank. Why?
My barter exchange sent a 1099-B for trade credits I never cashed. Is that income?
Will my crypto sales be on a 1099-B?
Does box 1d include the broker's commission?
I swapped services with another business owner directly. Do we exchange 1099-Bs?
This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. It covers United States federal reporting. Consult a qualified tax professional about your situation.