Retirement tax questions

The IRS form 1099-K gross amount in box 1a should be reported because the IRS will be receiving a copy of the 1099-K.

I would allocate selling expenses across all of the sales and retain a copy of the spreadsheet should you have to report your calculations to a taxing authority at a later time.

Selling expenses will be reported at the screen Let us know if any of these situations apply to this sale when entering the detail to the IRS form 8949. Select I paid sales expenses that aren't included in the sale proceeds reported on the form. 

Personal items sold for less than their basis (most likely, the original purchase price) report $0 capital gain on line 7 of the Federal 1040 tax return.

Personal items sold for more than their basis report the gain on line 7 of the Federal 1040 tax return.  See this example.

                     Selling            Cost

                      Price             Basis

Couch            $500              $2,000        Capital loss on personal item = $0 loss

Jewelry          $400               $300           Capital gain on personal item = $100 gain

Chair              $100               $100           No capital gain or loss

                         $1,000        $2,400

Schedule D will report a $100 long term capital gain.

Federal 1040 tax return line 7 reports $100 long term capital gain. 

To report Personal item sales in TurboTax Online, follow these directions.

• Down the left side of the screen, click Federal.
• Down the left side of the screen, click Wages & Income.
• Click Show more to the right of Other Common Income.
• Under Your income and expenses, click the Edit/Add button to the right of Form 1099-K.
• At the screen Did you get a 1099-K? click Yes.
• At the screen How would you like to enter your 1099-K? click Type it in myself.  Click Continue.
• At the screen Choose which type of income your 1099-K is for, select the button for Personal item sales.  Click Continue.
• At the screen Let’s get the info from your 1099-K, enter the information.      Click Continue.
• At the screen Personal Item Sales, you are told that further information will need to be entered.  Learn More provides detailed information for the next steps.  Click Continue.
• At the screen Your 1099-K summary, notice that the income relates to ‘Sale of Personal Items’.  Click Done.
• Under Your income and expenses, click the Edit/Add button to the right of Investments and Savings (1099-B, 1099-K….)
• At this screen, you will be asked to Review the Personal item sales (1099-K).
• At the screen Now, enter one sale…., answer questions about the personal item sale.  Click Continue.

The entry will be reported:

• on Schedule D of the Federal 1040 tax return, and 
• on line 7 of the Federal 1040 tax return.

Capital loss for a personal item sale reports $0 capital gain on line 7 of the Federal 1040 tax return.

Make sure that you retain any information about the items sold should you be required to demonstrate to the IRS that this is not taxable income.