I was send a 1099 R in error as I never received a distribution. Should I ignore it?

[paulusml]

Can I ignore a 1099 R because I never received a distribution?

[MayaD]

Even if you didn't receive a distribution, you might receive a 1099-R if:

• You took a payout on a matured life insurance policy.
• You rolled over a 401(k) to an IRA or close a traditional or Roth IRA.
• You took a loan from a 401(k) and failed to repay it.

[SteamTrain]

....also might get one for a cod "U" in box 7.

That would need to be reported if box 1 was over 49cents

[dmertz]

And to be clear, all of those things MayaD mentioned, and perhaps a few others, are indeed distributions even though the gross amount of the distribution did not end up as cash in your pocket.  If you received a Form 1099-R, you almost certainly received a distribution.

One of the only cases where it not too unusual to receive a Form 1099-R when you should not have is if an IRA was moved by nonreportable trustee-to-trustee transfer but mistakenly reported it as a distribution.   A trustee-to-trustee transfer of an IRA is neither a distribution nor a rollover.