The 1099-B specifically uses the words Acquired and Sold respectively in boxes 1b and 1c. For column b of form 8949 Date Acquired, the it's is quite specific here about short sales, "For a short sale, enter the date you acquired the property delivered to the broker or lender to close the short sale." (irs.gov/instructions/i8949).
For column c, Date Sold or Disposed of the wording here is also specific, "For a short sale, enter the date you delivered the property to the broker or lender to close the short sale."
I have to tell you, I am not sure what any of that means when the property isn't property but a contract obligation, but I am guessing that those are the same date.
So E*trade and Robinhood report the transactions which may be wrong. The correct thing appears to provide only the one date in both boxes; the closing date.
Still doesn't help my situation does it? It doesn't matter who is right. TT needs to help us. Either by helping to institute a change at E*trade or accepting that their entries are incorrect, yet correctable and inconsequential. I don't need to be reminded 339 times that E*trade is wrong and Intuit is right. I need Intuit to fill out my 8489 automatically. E*trade and Intuit are at an impasse and we all are caught in the crossfire. So I guess I need access to an editable 8489 so I can make these changes. Let's hope TT allows that, probably doesn't.
