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?

[RobertB4444]

If all of your transactions are entered into your tax return individually (and not in summary) then you don't need to send in your 1099-B.  

@GrandpaOfLoba 

[NeoNeo5050]

it is now 2023 and same issue still exists

[MarilynG1]

Are you using TurboTax Desktop or TurboTax Online?  

In TTD, you have the option to Import your 1099-B or enter Sales Summary info.  

If you enter Sales Summary info, your Form 8949 will have a line for 'Long-Term..', 'Short-Term', and possibly 'Wash Sales' (if that applies).  The only pages that need to be mailed in would apply to Wash Sales.   Here's more info on Mailing Form 8949. 

If you using TurboTax Online, keep a PDF of your 1099-B on your desktop.  Select 'Sales Section Totals' and TurboTax eventually asks you to upload your PDF. 

@NeoNeo5050 

[NeoNeo5050]

Thank you, I am using turbotax desktop. all my 1099B are automatically uploaded, however for crypto some of the exchanges did not provide 1099B so I entered them manually. I did not enter summary for any of them, I entered every transaction. this is the first time I see the form 8453, and have been using TT since 1995.

also, all the forms 8495 are in TT, I basically printed them out from TT and am now mailing them... so was wondering why TT does not print the 8495 along with the 8453 and just instruct user to mail it in?

[NeoNeo5050]

Also it would be great if TT tells user they have to mail form 8453 before efile... so user has the choice of printing and sending everything together instead of efile and snail mail

[fanfare]

If you are not excused by the detail reporting exception,
IRS requires details of your SELL transactions to be supplied on some Form 8949 (with details you enter),
or on your other forms (e.g. consolidated 1099-B or spreadsheet) which have the same information and in the same manner as Form 8949.

If you have details of all your transactions on your e-Filed tax return,

you don't have to mail them again on paper.

you don't have to attach PDF of detail since that is redundant.

Note: To add to the confusion, for Box A or Box D Turbotax may use the detail reporting exception and suppress transactions.

This is recently  new undocumented behavior. you are still excused by the exception.

Detail Reporting Exception: if you summarize Box A or Box D, Form 8949 is not needed for transactions without adjustments. No mailing is necessary. No attachment is necessary.

 This is the only exception.

@NeoNeo5050 

[TrishMarie]

Why do I need to mail Form 8453 if I have already electronically filed form 8949?

[TrishMarie]

This note about mailing Form 8453 is three years old.  I have never had to mail form 8453.  I have electronically filed form 8949 for many years.  Why is TT telling me to mail form 8453 now?

[HopeS]

If you are being prompted to mail further statements, Form 8453 says to attach Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets (or a statement with the same information), if you elect not to report your transactions electronically on Form 8949.

When you use the summary method, TurboTax only produces a Form 8949 with the summary totals that you entered, not the individual transactions, so the Form 8949 that is included in your return is NOT sufficient for this purpose.  (Though, you can include it with the mailing)

You need to use Form 8453 to mail the brokerage (or other) statements that show the details of your transactions.  Statements should include the following items for each transaction (these are usually reported on your Form 1099-Bs:(  

• Description
• Date acquired,
• Date sold,
• Sales price,
• Cost basis,
• Gain or loss for each sale,
• Sale category based on how the sale was reported to you and the IRS, and
• In some cases, there will be an adjustment code and adjustment amount.

If you received a request to submit Form 8453 (U.S. Individual Income Tax Transmittal for an IRS e-file Return), you need to mail some forms to the IRS that can't be e-filed.

TurboTax creates Form 8453 for you, and it serves as a cover page for your additional documentation.

Mail Form 8453 to the IRS within three business days after you’ve received your acknowledgment that the IRS has accepted your return to this address:

Internal Revenue Service

Attn: Shipping and Receiving, 0254

Receipt and Control Branch

Austin, TX 73344-0254

Please review the link below for more information:

Form 8453

@TrishMarie 

[GrandpaOfLoba]

Thank you.

Question answered.

[JOQ]

@HopeS:

If TurboTax had explained the need to enter some of the trades manually to avoid sending in paper copies of the 8453 and 1099-B  (I only have a handful of Wash sales) then I could have gone back and entered the Wash sales and summarized the rest.  I have been doing this for years and never was asked to send in paper documentation.

Waiting until after e-file is complete is NOT an acceptable action when there is a solution at hand.  Also, a warning could be displayed as soon as the 1099-B information has been entered.

Thank you for your explanation.  I will be sure to enter the wash transactions individually in the future.

Having never filed an amended return, I am curious if it pays to do that to address this issue.

[ErnieS0]

If you reported your transactions correctly there is no need to file an amended return.

If you are saying you did not enter wash sales, then you can start the amended return process and see whether the wash sale entries give you an additional refund or tax due.

Regardless, it is a good practice to amend and enter your wash sales if you still own the same or substantially the same securities. Entering the wash sales now will document that your cost basis was adjusted for those sales so you can claim the correct cost basis in later years.

See How to Correct Federal Tax Returns and How do I amend my federal tax return for this year?

@JOQ

[JOQ]

@ErnieS0

Thank you for the information.  I was actually hoping that an amended return might remove the need to print and send pages of 1099-B information.

[aznkk82]

I already submitted my tax return and got prompted for the form 8453. 
The issue with the upload process was that the file was too big. So i had to summarize my transaction (with wash sales).

Do I need to snail mail my whole 500+ page from my broker to the irs?

[GrandpaOfLoba]

Thank you!

Your answer is the best answer, short and sweet.

But there's no "best answer" button/link to click.  If it were there, I'd click it.