How To Read Form 1099-DA, Box by Box

Short answer: Form 1099-DA lists each crypto sale your broker handled: the token (boxes 1a to 1c), the dates (1d and 1e), the proceeds (1f) and, for covered assets, the cost basis (1g). The Applicable checkbox tells you which Form 8949 box to use. Where box 1g is blank, your own records supply the basis.

Your exchange has sent you a Form 1099-DA, and it looks like a grid of boxes with short labels. This guide reads it box by box, in the order the IRS prints it, and shows where each figure goes on your return. It is written for the person who received the form, not for the broker filing it. If you want the background on why the form exists and who issues it, start with our Form 1099-DA guide. This article stays with the boxes.

Everything below is read from the IRS's own documents: the 2025 Form 1099-DA, the 2026 Form 1099-DA, the 2025 Instructions for Form 1099-DA, the 2026 Instructions for Form 1099-DA and the 2025 Instructions for Form 8949. Where the two years differ, the difference is named.

What Form 1099-DA Is, for the Person Who Receives It

Form 1099-DA is titled "Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transactions". The recipient instructions on Copy B say brokers must report proceeds from, and in some cases basis for, digital asset dispositions to you and to the IRS on this form. The same instructions say that if you received one, you generally sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of a digital asset and should check "Yes" on the digital asset question on page 1 of Form 1040 (Form 1099-DA, Instructions for Recipient).

Each form usually describes one transaction, or one group of units sold together. A broker that sells units bought at different times may split one sale across several forms, for example one for short-term units and one for long-term units, which the 2025 instructions illustrate with a worked example. So a stack of forms from one exchange is normal.

Which tax year does my Form 1099-DA cover?

The year printed in the top right corner of the form. Calendar year 2025 is the first year brokers must file the form. The 2025 Instructions for Form 1099-DA say brokers must report gross proceeds for each sale effected in 2025 and are not required to report basis information for those sales. From sales effected on or after January 1, 2026, the 2026 instructions add mandatory basis reporting for digital assets that are covered securities.

Are the boxes the same on the 2025 and 2026 forms?

Yes. Both revisions use the same numbered boxes, 1a through 16, with boxes 10 and 13 reserved for future use. What changes between the years is which boxes a broker must fill in, not where they sit. On a 2025 form the basis boxes are often empty because the broker was allowed to leave them empty.

Does Form 1099-DA replace my own records?

No. The Form 8949 instructions tell you to report every sale and exchange of a capital asset, including digital assets, even if you did not receive a Form 1099-B, 1099-DA or 1099-S for it. The form is a starting point the IRS also holds, so your return should reconcile to it, but sales on platforms that do not issue one still belong on your return.

The Header: Filer, Recipient, Account and CUSIP

The left side of the form identifies who is reporting and who is being reported on. None of these boxes carry a dollar figure, but they matter when you match forms to accounts.

Who is the filer?

The filer is the broker: the exchange or other platform that effected the sale. Its name, address, telephone number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) appear at the top left. If you hold accounts on several platforms, each one files its own forms.

Why does my TIN show only four digits?

The recipient instructions say that for your protection the form may show only the last four digits of your SSN, ITIN, ATIN or EIN, but that the issuer has reported your complete TIN to the IRS (Form 1099-DA).

What is the account number box?

It shows the number the broker assigned to distinguish your account. The 2025 issuer instructions specify that this is the number the broker assigns to a customer, not the customer's wallet address. If you have two accounts at one exchange, this box tells you which account a form belongs to.

What is the CUSIP number box?

It shows a CUSIP or other identifying number where one applies to the digital asset sold. For most crypto it is blank. It is used for digital assets that are also securities, such as tokenized securities.

The Applicable Checkbox on Form 8949

Near the top of the form is a box labelled "Applicable checkbox on Form 8949". It holds a one-letter code that tells you which part of Form 8949 the transaction belongs on and which box to check at the top of that part. The 2025 Form 8949 instructions added boxes G, H and I for short-term digital asset transactions and J, K and L for long-term ones, and say digital asset transactions should not be reported using box C or F.

The code list for G, H, J, K and Y comes from the 2025 Instructions for Form 1099-DA; the box I and box L rule for sales with no form comes from the Form 8949 instructions.

What if the box shows Y, or box 6 is blank?

The broker does not know whether your gain or loss is short-term or long-term. The 2025 issuer instructions describe this case as code Y. The 2025 Form 8949 instructions describe the same situation with code X: if box 6 is blank and code X is in the Applicable checkbox, your broker does not know the holding period and you use your own records to decide. Whichever letter appears, the answer is the same: you date the acquisition from your records and place the sale in Part I or Part II accordingly.

Can I trust the code the broker printed?

It is a starting point. The Form 8949 instructions say the code "may help you determine" which box to check. If the short-term or long-term label is wrong because, for example, you moved the coins in from another wallet and the broker used the transfer date, the instructions tell you to report the sale on the correct part of Form 8949 and enter code T in column (f).

Boxes 1a to 1e: What Was Sold and When

The first group of boxes describes the asset and the dates. Together they become columns (a), (b) and (c) of Form 8949.

What is box 1a, Code for digital asset?

Box 1a shows the Digital Token Identifier Foundation (DTIF) code for the asset named in box 1b. The issuer instructions say a broker enters the nine-character DTIF identifier, or "999999999" if the asset is not registered with DTIF. You do not need this code on your return. It helps you and the IRS confirm which token the form is about when two tokens share a ticker.

What are boxes 1b and 1c?

Box 1b is the name of the digital asset and box 1c is the number of units sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of in the transaction. On Form 8949, column (a) asks for a description of the property, and the units plus the name, such as "0.5 BTC", is the usual way to fill it.

Why is box 1d, Date acquired, blank?

The recipient instructions list the reasons: box 9 is checked (a noncovered security), the units sold were acquired on a variety of dates, or the date was unknown to the broker. The issuer instructions add that the box may be left blank where a broker reports qualifying stablecoins or specified NFTs under an optional aggregate method. A blank box 1d does not mean the acquisition date does not matter. It means you supply it.

What is box 1e, Date sold or disposed?

The date of the sale or disposition. It goes in column (c) of Form 8949. For a crypto-to-crypto swap, it is the date of the swap, because a swap is a disposition of the token you gave up.

What does "various" mean when I fill in Form 8949?

Where the units in one sale were acquired on different dates, the Form 8949 instructions allow "VARIOUS" in column (b), but short-term and long-term units still have to be split between Part I and Part II. That split is the reason brokers issue separate forms for short-term and long-term units of the same sale.

Boxes 1f to 1i: Proceeds, Basis and Adjustments

These four boxes carry the money. Box 1f and box 1g are the two most people need; 1h and 1i apply only to digital assets that are also debt instruments or securities.

What does box 1f, Proceeds, include?

Box 1f shows the total proceeds from the transaction. The recipient instructions say total proceeds may include cash, the value of services, digital assets or other property received in exchange for the disposed digital assets (Form 1099-DA). So when you swap one token for another, the value of the token received counts as proceeds even though no dollars moved. The issuer instructions also require brokers to reduce gross proceeds by digital asset transaction costs, including transaction fees, commissions and transfer taxes related to the sale. Proceeds go in column (d) of Form 8949.

What does box 1g, Cost or other basis, show?

Box 1g shows the aggregate cost or other basis of the units sold. The recipient instructions say that if box 1g has any entry, including zero, that figure has been reported to the IRS as basis, and that if box 1g is blank you need to determine your basis from your own books and records (Form 1099-DA). The same instructions note that box 1g may be blank where the asset is a noncovered security, for example where it was acquired before 2026. Basis goes in column (e) of Form 8949.

Is a zero in box 1g the same as a blank?

No. A blank tells the IRS nothing about your basis. A zero is a reported figure, and if it is wrong you correct it on Form 8949 with an adjustment, covered in the section on wrong boxes below. If you hold the purchase records, you can trace the real basis; our guide to missing cost basis for crypto walks through how.

What is box 1h, Accrued market discount?

Box 1h shows accrued market discount for digital assets that are also debt instruments for tax purposes. For ordinary cryptocurrency it is blank. If it carries a figure, the Form 8949 instructions explain the adjustment.

What is box 1i, Wash sale loss disallowed?

Box 1i shows a nondeductible wash sale loss for digital assets that are also stock or securities for tax purposes (Form 1099-DA). For ordinary cryptocurrency it is normally blank. If it carries an amount, Form 8949 uses code W in column (f) and the disallowed loss as a positive number in column (g), and the instructions tell you how to correct it if the broker's figure is wrong.

Boxes 2 to 9: The Checkboxes That Decide How You Report

The middle of the form is mostly checkboxes. Read them before you copy any figure across, because they decide which Form 8949 box applies and whether a figure can be relied on.

Box 2: Check if basis reported to IRS

If box 2 is checked, the basis in box 1g has been reported to the IRS, and either the short-term or long-term box in box 6 will be checked. The recipient instructions say that if box 2 is checked and no adjustment is needed, you may be able to report the transaction directly on Schedule D (Form 1040). If box 2 is not checked, any basis shown was not reported to the IRS, and the Form 8949 instructions send you to box H or box K.

Box 3a: Gross proceeds or net proceeds

Box 3a applies where exercising a digital asset that is also a noncompensatory option resulted in a sale. A checked "Net proceeds" box means box 1f was adjusted for the option premium; "Gross proceeds" means it was not. Most crypto recipients will see this box empty.

Box 3b: Proceeds from a QOF

If checked, the proceeds came from a transaction involving a Qualified Opportunity Fund. The other option in box 3b is reserved for future use.

Box 4: Federal income tax withheld

Box 4 shows backup withholding. The recipient instructions say a filer generally must backup withhold if you did not give it your TIN, and that you include the amount on your income tax return as tax withheld. If box 4 has a figure, it is a credit on your return, not a cost of the sale.

Box 5: Check if loss is not allowed based on amount in 1f

If checked, you cannot take a loss based on gross proceeds from a reportable change in control or capital structure shown in box 1f. This applies to digital assets that are also stock of a corporation, and the broker should advise you of any loss on a separate statement.

Box 6: Short-term, long-term or ordinary

Box 6 tells you whether the broker treats the gain or loss as short-term or long-term. If "Ordinary" is checked, the recipient instructions say your digital asset may be subject to special rules and point you to the Form 8949 instructions, Pub. 550 and Pub. 1212, and that an adjustment may be required. If box 9 is checked, box 6 may be blank.

Box 7: Check if 1f is only cash

If checked, you received only cash proceeds in the transaction. An unchecked box 7 is a prompt that the proceeds in box 1f include the value of other digital assets or property, as in a swap.

Box 8: Broker relied on customer-provided acquisition information

If checked, you gave the broker acquisition information and it relied on that information when identifying which units were sold. If you did not knowingly do this, check what the broker holds on file.

Box 9: Check if digital asset is a noncovered security

If checked, the asset sold was a noncovered security and boxes 1d, 1g, 1h, 1i, 2 and 6 may be blank (Form 1099-DA). The 2026 issuer instructions list what makes an asset noncovered, including an asset acquired before 2026, an asset the broker did not hold in custody when it was acquired, and an asset transferred in to the broker. For the term itself see our glossary entry on a noncovered digital asset. On a 2025 form the box may be empty even for a noncovered asset, because the 2025 instructions did not require brokers to complete it.

Boxes 10 to 16: Aggregates, Transfers In and State Tax

The bottom rows cover aggregate reporting, coins moved into the account, and state withholding. Boxes 10 and 13 are reserved for future use.

Boxes 11a to 11c: stablecoins and NFTs reported in aggregate

If box 11a is checked, the units sold were qualifying stablecoins or specified NFTs, and box 1f shows the aggregate gross proceeds of those sales for the year rather than one sale. Box 11b shows the number of transactions, and box 11c shows aggregate gross proceeds from the first sale of any specified NFTs you created or minted. The recipient instructions note that when a broker uses one of these optional methods, boxes 1d, 1e, 1g, 1h, 1i, 2, 3a, 3b, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12a and 12b may be blank. Under the 2026 instructions, a broker using the optional method need not report designated stablecoin sales whose aggregate proceeds for the year do not exceed $10,000, or specified NFT sales whose aggregate proceeds do not exceed $600.

Boxes 12a and 12b: units transferred in

Box 12a shows the number of units transferred into an account at the broker, and box 12b shows the date of the transfer in. These boxes matter because the broker did not see what you paid for coins you moved in from another wallet or exchange. A digital asset transferred in to the broker is a noncovered security under the 2026 instructions, so the basis for those units comes from your records of the original purchase, not from the transfer date.

Boxes 14 to 16: state information

These show the state name, the payer's state identification number and any state tax withheld. They feed your state return where your state requires it, and Copy 2 of the form is the copy marked for filing with a state return when required.

How Each Box Moves to Form 8949

Form 8949 has eight columns. Most of them map straight to a box on Form 1099-DA. The table shows the path for a single transaction.

Our Form 8949 and Schedule D guide for crypto covers the rest of the filing, and the glossary entry on Form 1099-DA and Form 8949 sets out how the two forms relate.

Can I skip Form 8949 and go straight to Schedule D?

Sometimes. Under Exception 1 in the Form 8949 instructions, you may report totals directly on Schedule D line 1a or 8a where the Form 1099-DA shows basis was reported to the IRS, shows no adjustments in box 1h or 1i, the Ordinary box in box 6 is not checked, and you need no adjustment to the basis or type of gain. On 2025 forms, where basis was generally not reported, few transactions will qualify.

Do I list every transaction separately?

Not necessarily. Exception 2 lets you report transactions on an attached statement with the same information as Parts I and II, in a similar format, and enter the combined totals on Form 8949 with the right box checked. The instructions say you cannot substitute "available upon request" and summary totals for the detail. Many crypto filers with hundreds of trades use this route.

When a Box Is Blank or Wrong

A Form 1099-DA can be incomplete by design, as on most 2025 forms, or wrong. The Form 8949 instructions set out what to do in each case.

Box 1g is blank: what do I enter?

Your basis from your own records, in column (e), with the transaction in Part I box H or Part II box K. This is the normal position for 2025 sales and for any coins you transferred in from another wallet. The basis is what you paid for the specific units sold, plus allowable costs, and it has to follow the units through every wallet they passed through.

Box 1g is wrong: how do I correct it?

Enter code B in column (f). If the transaction is in box H or box K, enter the correct basis in column (e) and zero in column (g). If it is in box G or box J (basis reported to the IRS), enter the basis shown on the form in column (e), even though it is wrong, and correct it with an adjustment in column (g), using the worksheet for basis adjustments in the instructions.

The short-term or long-term label is wrong: what then?

Report the transaction on the correct part of Form 8949 and enter code T in column (f), with zero in column (g) if no other adjustment is needed. The usual cause is a broker counting the holding period from the date coins arrived in the account rather than the date you bought them.

Should I ask the broker for a corrected form?

You can. A corrected form carries the "CORRECTED" checkbox at the top. You do not have to wait for one to report correctly, because the codes above exist to correct a broker's figures on your own return. Keep the records that support your figure with your tax file.

An illustration of a 2025 form with no basis

This is an illustration with round numbers, not a client figure. Suppose a 2025 Form 1099-DA shows 1b "ETH", 1c "2", 1e a date in June 2025, 1f $6,000, box 1d and box 1g blank, and the Applicable checkbox code H. Your records show you bought those 2 ETH in March 2025 for $4,000 on another exchange and moved them in. On Form 8949 Part I, box H, you enter "2 ETH" in column (a), the March 2025 purchase date in (b), the June 2025 sale date in (c), $6,000 in (d) and $4,000 in (e), for a short-term gain of $2,000 in column (h). Had your purchase been more than one year before the sale, the line would go in Part II box K instead.

When To Get Help With Your Form 1099-DA

The form is easy to read when each figure on it ties to one purchase you can document. It gets harder when coins moved through several wallets, when a swap chain sits between purchase and sale, or when box 1g is blank on dozens of forms. Those are reconciliation problems: the work is rebuilding the history so every sale has a traced basis and every transfer is matched.

That is the work our US crypto tax accountants do. CountDeFi is a firm of crypto tax accountants, not a CPA firm: we reconcile your transactions, trace basis across wallets and exchanges, and produce Form 8949-ready reports that you or your CPA file. If you already work with a CPA, our guide on who prepares crypto tax reports for your CPA explains how that hand-off works. For where to download the forms themselves, see our guides to Coinbase tax documents and Crypto.com tax documents.