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What if I can't import my 1099?

SOLVED•by TurboTax•657•Updated December 09, 2023

Start by checking if your financial institution or brokerage is a TurboTax 1099 partner (opens new page; scroll down and select the 1099/1098 Partners tab). If your institution isn't on the list, you won't be able to import.

Verify your partner:

Make sure you're selecting the correct partner in TurboTax. Some have similar-sounding names but are actually separate entities. For example, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Funds, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and J.P. Morgan Securities are all listed as TurboTax partners, and if you choose the wrong J.P. Morgan, you won't be able to import. Also, some entities may use a different name for investments. Be sure to check with your institution to determine what company their investments are being held under.

Once you've confirmed that your institution is a TurboTax 1099 partner, make sure you're using the proper sign in credentials on the import page, and that you have a working internet connection. A wired connection, if available, may be more stable than wireless.

Finally, make sure your forms are available to import into TurboTax. Frequently, the forms will be available to view on the brokerage side, but are not enabled for import yet.

Check your transactions:

It’s important to also make sure your transactions don’t exceed the limits TurboTax is equipped to handle:

  • Both TurboTax Online and TurboTax Desktop can support up to 10,000 of any combination of transactions and imports.
  • TurboTax Online can support up to 4,000 non-covered transactions (items such as options or cryptocurrency that aren't reported to the IRS).
  • The import file size is limited to 4MB.

If your transaction numbers approach these limits, it could cause the system to lag or time out. If this happens, you may need to clear your return and start over. Then try entering the sales section totals into TurboTax, rather than entering individual sales. If you still encounter issues, you may need to switch to TurboTax Desktop to continue your return.

If the steps above do not resolve your import errors, consider the following solutions, which have worked for some customers:

  • Sign in to your brokerage account and confirm you have enabled third-party access to your account information.
  • Change your password for your online brokerage account, then sign back in to TurboTax and start the import process again using your new password.
  • Double-check that you're entering the right credentials on the import screen. Depending on your institution, you could be asked to enter any combination of username and password, fund number, account number, or document ID number.
  • Check with your brokerage to see if you need to be enrolled in online access in order to import.
  • If you're using TurboTax Desktop, make sure your program is up to date.
  • When signing in to your brokerage account from TurboTax, try entering two extra characters at the end of the password, then delete the extra characters and press enter.
  • If your import issues are specifically related to your Schwab account, these instructions might help.

Still having trouble? Bear in mind that even if you have the hard copy of your 1099-B in hand, your institution might not have it ready for import until late February or early March, sometimes even later. We'll display your institution's "ready for import" date in TurboTax. 

Finally, if you're still not able to import your 1099, you can always enter it manually. Select Type it in myself and proceed.

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