What Is Form 1099-DIV?

Form 1099-DIV is a tax document financial institutions use to report dividends and distributions to both the investor (that’s you) and the IRS. When you own dividend-paying stocks or a mutual fund that makes a capital gains distribution, you’ll receive IRS Form 1099-DIV in the mail. As with other tax forms, you’ll use the information it contains to complete your annual tax return.

Key Takeaways

• You'll receive a Form 1099-DIV if you have dividends or mutual fund distributions of more than $10 during the tax year.
• You don't have to file Form 1099-DIV with your tax return. But you'll need the information it contains when you prepare your return.
• Receiving Form 1099-DIV doesn't always mean you owe taxes on a distribution.
• You won't receive Form 1099-DIV for distributions that occurred in a tax-advantaged account such as a 401(k) or IRA.
• You must file a Schedule B with your tax return if your dividend payments exceed $1,500 for the year.

How Does Form 1099-DIV Work?

Form 1099-DIV reports dividends and distribution income to both the IRS and the taxpayer. Its formal name is "Dividends and Distributions." You'll get a Form 1099-DIV if you receive dividend payments or mutual fund distributions exceeding $10 in a tax year. Your institution must send both you and the IRS a copy of the form by a certain deadline after the tax year closes.

As a taxpayer, you'll receive copy B. The form has several copies of which different ones go to different people and agencies.

Getting a Form 1099-DIV can sometimes catch you by surprise because you'll receive one even if your dividends or capital gains were automatically reinvested to buy more shares.

Note

The financial institution must send Form 1099-DIV to you for dividends and distributions by Jan. 31 following the end of the last tax year. It must send the form to the IRS by Feb. 28. Reach out to the institution if you don't receive your form by Feb. 1.

Who Uses Form 1099-DIV?

You'll only receive a Form 1099-DIV if your distributions occurred in a taxable account. You won't receive the form for distributions from an individual retirement account (IRA), annuity, pension, or profit-sharing plan. You'll receive Form 1042-S rather than Form 1099-DIV if you're not a citizen of the U.S. (what the IRS calls a "nonresident alien") for tax purposes.

Anyone who receives dividend or capital gains distributions of more than $10 in a taxable account during a calendar year should look for a 1099-DIV.

Note

You should receive a separate Form 1099-DIV for each taxable account where a distribution has occurred. But it doesn't automatically mean that you'll owe taxes on the distribution if you receive one.

Some dividends are qualified dividends, which means that they're taxed at lower long-term capital gains tax rates.

The long-term capital gains tax rates are 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on income.

You must include Schedule B when you submit your return if you received more than $1,500 in ordinary (nonqualified) dividends or interest income in a year.

Other Types of Forms 1099

Form 1099-DIV is one of many types of 1099s. A Form 1099 is used to report income to the IRS that doesn't come from a traditional job. These are some other common versions of the 1099 forms you may receive.

Form 1099-A

Lenders send Form 1099-A to both the homeowner and to the IRS when they foreclose on a property. The IRS treats the balance that you're no longer liable for paying as taxable income.

Form 1099-C

Creditors use Form 1099-C to report the cancellation of debt. You can expect a 1099-C from any creditor that forgives a balance of $600 or more.

Form 1099-G

Federal, state, and local governments use Form 1099-G to report certain payments made to taxpayers. This form is used to report unemployment compensation and state or local income tax offsets, credits, or deductions.

Form 1099-INT

Banks and financial institutions use Form 1099-INT to report interest income. You'll receive one of these if you earned interest of $10 or more on a savings account, money market account, or certificate of deposit (CD).

Form 1099-MISC

Form 1099-MISC is used to report a variety of income sources, including salesperson incentive payments, prizes and awards, compensation for jury duty, or taxable damages from a lawsuit. It's also used to report rents paid, medical and attorney payments, and some types of transactions related to agriculture and fishing.

Form 1099-NEC

Companies now use Form 1099-NEC instead of Form 1099-MISC to report payments to independent contractors and freelancers. You should receive the form from any company that paid you $600 or more in a tax year.

Form 1099-R

Form 1099-R is used to report distributions over $10 from a retirement account or annuity. You'll receive the form even when the distribution isn't taxable.

Form SSA-1099

Form SSA-1099 is used to report Social Security benefits, even if they're not taxable.

Where To Get a Form 1099-DIV

Most investors receive Form 1099-DIV in the mail. But many companies allow you access to your tax forms online, including Form 1099-DIV, so you may be able to find it by logging in to your account.

What To Do If You Don't Receive Form 1099-DIV

Contact your brokerage company if you don't receive a Form 1099-DIV in the mail, and you don't see it when you log in to your account. Some companies will only send you the form if your distributions were $10 or more. Your gains may be less than $10 for extremely low-yield investments such as money market funds, particularly when interest rates are low.

Note

You're still responsible for reporting the income to the IRS even if you don't receive a Form 1099-DIV. You can find the amount of any distributions by logging in to your investment account.

How To File Form 1099-DIV

You don't have to file Form 1099-DIV with your tax return. The institution has already forwarded one to the IRS. But you must report the information it contains on your return. You can report it directly on Form 1040 if your dividend or interest income is less than $1,500. You must report it on a Schedule B if your distributions exceed $1,500.

Consult with a tax professional if you're not sure how to handle Form 1099-DIV. The form includes your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number, so the IRS will know about this income even if you don't report it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is interest income reported on Form 1099-DIV?

Interest income is reported on Form 1090-DIV when it comes in the form of dividends or mutual fund distributions. It's a form for investors, but not all will get one. It depends on how much money you receive and whether it was reinvested or not.

How do you fill out Form 1099-DIV?

You do not fill out Form 1099-DIV. It is sent to you from your investment firm or broker. You may also receive one in your investment profile account and you can download it and print it out or use it to file your tax return online.

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. IRS. "Topic No. 404 Dividends."
2. IRS. "General Instructions for Certain Information Returns."
3. IRS. "About Form 1042-S, Foreign Person's U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding."
4. IRS. "Instructions for Form 1099-DIV."
5. IRS. "Topic No. 409 Capital Gains and Losses."
6. IRS. "About Schedule B (Form 1040), Interest and Ordinary Dividends."
7. IRS. "About Form 1099-A, Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property."
8. IRS. "About Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt."
9. IRS. "About Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments."
10. IRS. "About Form 1099-INT, Interest Income."
11. IRS. "About Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income."
12. IRS. "Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC."
13. IRS. "Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498."
14. IRS. "Social Security Income."
15. Vanguard. "Why You Might Not Receive Form 1099-DIV."

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