Why is TT telling me to mail Form 8453 to the IRS manually? I uploaded a PDF of my detailed 1099-B to TurboTax. Doesn't TT send my uploaded PDF 1099-B w my e-filing?

[DaveF1006]

if you summarized your stock transactions then turbo Tax needs you to mail copy 8453 along with the 1099B statement.  Don't ask for the rhyme or reasons other than it's an IRS requirement. Please read this Turbo Tax link for more details.

[rickhuizinga]

This is nuts. Turbotax is giving conflicting guidance, and TurboTax employees are giving conflicting answers.  This answer is completely opposite to the guidance to 'rest assured' provided a few posts back by KathrynG3:

"Yes, I understand the confusion. Rest assured, as long as you have uploaded the 1099-B to TurboTax, you do not need to submit Form 8453 within three days of filing."

[DavidD66]

I will reiterate what was posted earlier:  If your investment sales transactions are reported as summary totals by sales category, the IRS requires you to mail them a copy of your 1099-B, and it must be accompanied by for 8453.  If each of your sales transactions is reported on Form 8949 individually, you don't need to mail anything.

[rickhuizinga]

TurboTax says:

"Now we'll help you upload your 1099-B since the IRS requires a copy

The IRS requires a copy of your 1099-B because you need to provide documentation for some of the transactions on your sales summary.

If you have a PDF copy, upload it and we'll send it to the IRS for you.

If you don't have a PDF copy, you can skip upload and we'll help you mail a paper copy."

[agent991]

I concur with all of the other users here describing this problem.

Yes, I used the 1099-B "summary" method of reporting.

HOWEVER, on the same screen, TurboTax says this, to quote:

"Now we'll help you upload your 1099-B since the IRS requires a copy

The IRS requires a copy of your 1099-B because you need to provide documentation for some of the transactions on your sales summary.

If you have a PDF copy, upload it and we'll send it to the IRS for you.

If you don't have a PDF copy, you can skip upload and we'll help you mail a paper copy."

Since I used the summary method of reporting, TurboTax correctly states that "Now we'll help you upload your 1099-B since the IRS requires a copy"

Then TT goes on to say, "If you have a PDF copy, upload it and we'll send it to the IRS for you."

So WHY if I uploaded a PDF copy, for TurboTax to send to the IRS for me, exactly as it states, does TurboTax later ask me to mail in it as well?

One of two things is happening here.  In BOTH cases, Turbotax is providing INCORRECT information.

1. Turbotax says it is sending an electronic copy of the uploaded 1099-B PDF to the IRS, it actually does so, and then INCORRECTLY states later that the user must ALSO mail it to the IRS.

2. Turbotax INCORRECTLY says it is sending an electronic copy of the uploaded 1099-B PDF to the IRS - TT does NOT actually send it, and then later states CORRECTLY that the user must mail in the copy to the IRS.

Which is it?  And when is TT going to fix this problem?

I don't recall this "feature" in last year's version of TT, so it's likely new, which is why I expect the so-called "tax experts" on this forum to continue to repeat the same old "if you summarize you have to mail it" response.  That is NOT what we're asking, we KNOW the IRS requires the 1099-B if transactions are summarized.  What we're asking is WHY does TT ask to us to mail the 1099-B in, when TT explictly states" Upload it and we'll send it to the IRS electronically for you".

[DavidD66]

If you were able to successfully upload a copy of your 1099-B, then you don't need to mail a copy of it (accompanied by form 8453.  This is the first year that the option to upload a 1099-B into your return existed.  I guess the program saying you have to mail it, even though you uploaded it is a bit of a hangover from prior years that needs to be addressed.  

[Tuzkiiiiii]

Thanks for clarification DavidD66. I hope we don't need to mail the physical copy, as long as we uploaded the transaction details in pdf successfully. However, I couldn't see my uploaded document in the generated tax return pdf during final review phase, which really makes me concerned. Is there any clarification on this?

[DawnC]

You do not need to mail anything if the transaction details are included in your tax return.  The IRS requirement is that they receive the details of your sales transactions.  If you entered a summary instead of entering each sale separately AND you entered manually computed adjustments, you would have received an instruction sheet telling you to mail Form 8453 within 3 days of e-filing.  

When you save a copy of your tax return, you have the option to include some, all, or no supporting forms and worksheets.  A full tax return that includes everything can be over 100 pages.  

@Tuzkiiiiii

[kongf2012]

It's a new tax season and I am facing the same old problem. TT asked me to load 1099-B pdf so that TT would send it to IRS. The upload was successful, but then the review file asked me to send form 8453 with supporting documents.  Not sure why TT hasn't addressed this issue for a whole year and people still have to face the same confusion. 

Did any of you send form 8453 in the end last year?

[chowdha5]

same problem as kongf2012. How is this not fixed? do we mail or not? "experts" on the phone are just as confusing as this forum 

[fanfare]

It looks like TurboTax may be finally implementing the e-File of your 1099-B PDF.

In the past that was not supported.  I'm not so sure this was available for 2019 returns.

I don't have TurboTax 2020 so I can't see the actual prompts.

Phew!

If your 1099-B PDF file was loaded into TurboTax, don't mail any paper.

It would really help if they put out the correct corresponding messages. There should be a topic announcement posted if this actually works.

[fanfare]

If you can't e-file and need to mail your return,

Print the PDF file and attach it to your mailed tax return.

[nickroeder]

Holy moly this is a frustrating thread. Here I am a year later, new tax season and same problem. I was able to successfully upload my 1099 PDF to TT but its instructing me to send it in through the mail. Do I have to or not?

I'm only doing the summarize method of reporting in the first place because of a whole other TurboTax bug with importing from M1 Finance that results in an endless loop.

Most frustrating tax season yet.

Did anyone last year end up having to snail mail in form 8453 with their 1099? I'm thinking about just sending it in anyway just to be safe. There's legitimately no way to know the answer based of of this thread and TT's guidance. Wow.

The "experts" are unbelievably frustrating.

[agent991]

I haven't started my taxes this year but it's sad to hear this bug has not been fixed. I didn't snail mail my Form 8453 to the IRS last year, and they never contacted me about it.  I figured the brokerage sends the same 1099 information to the IRS, and the information isn't going to change the tax due, so if TurboTax really didn't send the file I just took my chances that the IRS wouldn't bother me about it. 

[Irene2805]

TurboTax does NOT currently have the capability to attach a PDF file of a brokerage statement (or any other PDF file) to a return. Only the professional packages can do this (ProSeries, ProConnect, Lacerte).

What you were doing was importing the information from the brokerage statement into the actual return itself to populate Form 8949 and Schedule D.  Just the numbers are imported, not the form itself.

If you choose to enter summaries for each category of transaction, you must send the brokerage statement to the IRS, with Form 8453 as a transmittal.  TurboTax will give you instructions when you have completed entering the transaction summaries.

It may take the IRS a few years to catch up with you if you don't send in the brokerage statement and Form 8453.  They are currently sending out letters for 2018 returns.

@agent991

@nickroeder