Last updated: October 19, 2026 · Applies to forms issued for the 2026 tax year (received in early 2027)
Form 1099-DA is the tax form US crypto exchanges and other digital asset brokers now send to you and to the IRS when you sell, swap or otherwise dispose of crypto through them. It reports what you received from each sale and, for coins bought from 2026 onward, what you paid for them. The IRS matches it against your tax return, so understanding what is on it, and what is missing, is the first step to reporting crypto correctly.
Key takeaways
- Form 1099-DA reports sales and swaps of digital assets made through a broker such as a US exchange.
- For 2025 sales, brokers reported proceeds only. For sales in 2026 and later, they must also report cost basis, but only for coins bought after 2025 and kept at that broker.
- The form does not show your gain or loss. You calculate it on Form 8949.
- Staking rewards are not reported on Form 1099-DA, and neither are some DeFi activities.
- The IRS gets a copy, so the proceeds you report should reconcile with the form, even when you have to correct the basis.
Who sends Form 1099-DA, and when
The form is issued by digital asset brokers: businesses that hold your crypto for you or effect sales on your behalf, such as centralized exchanges, some crypto apps and some payment processors. Wallet software you control yourself (self-custody) does not send one.
Brokers send you the form for the previous year’s sales in mid-February, and file the same information with the IRS shortly after. Forms covering 2026 activity arrive in early 2027. Many exchanges make it available as a download in the tax documents section of your account rather than by mail.
2025 vs 2026: what changed
Reporting is being phased in, so the form you receive for 2026 is more complete than the first version:
| Sales made in | Form received | What the broker reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Early 2026 | Gross proceeds only |
| 2026 and later | Early 2027 onward | Gross proceeds, plus cost basis for “covered” assets |
A digital asset is covered when it was acquired after 2025 in an account at that broker and stayed there until you sold it. Everything else is noncovered: coins you bought before 2026, and coins you transferred in from another exchange or a personal wallet. For noncovered assets, the broker may leave the basis blank or report it voluntarily, and box 9 will be checked.
Form 1099-DA box by box
Each sale or group of sales appears with these fields. The ones you will use most are in bold.
| Box | What it shows | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | Digital asset code (a standard identifier) | Nothing; it identifies the coin for the IRS |
| 1b | Name of the digital asset | Use it as the description on Form 8949 |
| 1c | Number of units sold | Check it against your records |
| 1d | Date acquired | Decides short-term vs long-term; may be blank for noncovered assets |
| 1e | Date sold or disposed of | Goes on Form 8949 |
| 1f | Gross proceeds, reduced by transaction costs | Your sale amount on Form 8949 |
| 1g | Cost or other basis | Your cost on Form 8949; blank or wrong means you supply it |
| 1i | Wash sale loss disallowed | Usually blank for crypto |
| 2 | Checked if basis was reported to the IRS | Decides which Form 8949 box you use |
| 4 | Federal income tax withheld | Claim it as a payment on your return |
| 6 | Short-term or long-term | Decides which part of Form 8949 you use |
| 8 | Broker relied on information you provided about the acquisition | Double-check the basis |
| 9 | Checked if the asset is noncovered | Expect missing basis; use your own records |
| 11a–11c | Optional reporting methods (stablecoins and NFTs) | Totals instead of individual sales |
| 12a–12b | Units transferred into the account and transfer date | Helps match coins you moved in |
| 14–16 | State information | For your state return |
Notice what is not on the form: your gain or loss. Box 6 only tells you whether it is short-term or long-term. You work out the gain yourself as proceeds (1f) minus basis (1g).
What Form 1099-DA does not include
- Staking rewards and other rewards. The IRS instructions tell brokers not to report them on Form 1099-DA. They are still taxable income; some platforms report them on Form 1099-MISC, others not at all.
- Certain DeFi and specialized transactions. Under IRS Notice 2024-57, brokers do not have to report wrapping and unwrapping, liquidity provider, staking, lending and short sale transactions for now.
- Small stablecoin and NFT sales. Brokers can skip qualifying stablecoin sales if your total proceeds for the year are $10,000 or less, and specified NFT sales up to $600, or report them as one total.
- Anything outside the broker. Trades in a self-custody wallet, on decentralized exchanges or on platforms that do not issue the form.
None of these exceptions changes what you owe. If a transaction is taxable, you report it whether or not a form shows it.
How Form 1099-DA flows to your tax return
Each sale goes on Form 8949, which has its own checkboxes for digital assets. Boxes 2 and 9 on your 1099-DA tell you which one to use:
| Your Form 1099-DA shows | Short-term | Long-term |
|---|---|---|
| Basis reported to the IRS (box 2 checked) | Form 8949 box G | Form 8949 box J |
| No basis, or basis not reported to the IRS (often box 9 checked) | Form 8949 box H | Form 8949 box K |
| You received no Form 1099-DA for the sale | Form 8949 box I | Form 8949 box L |
The Form 8949 totals then move to Schedule D. For the full walkthrough, including income from staking and how losses offset gains, see our guide on how to report crypto on your taxes.
Example: reading a 1099-DA with missing basis
Mike bought 2 ETH on his exchange in June 2024 for $7,000 and sold them there in September 2026. His Form 1099-DA shows:
- Box 1b: Ethereum · Box 1c: 2 units
- Box 1e: 09/10/2026 · Box 1f: $9,200
- Box 1d and box 1g: blank
- Box 9: checked (noncovered, because he bought before 2026)
Because basis was not reported and he held the ETH for more than a year, Mike uses Form 8949 box K. He enters proceeds of $9,200 from box 1f, his own records for the acquisition date and the $7,000 basis, and a long-term gain of $2,200. If he had copied the blank basis as zero, he would have reported a $9,200 gain and overpaid tax on $7,000 that was simply his original money. See how to fix a 1099-DA with missing cost basis for the step-by-step process.
When your 1099-DA looks wrong
Mismatches are common in the first years, especially for coins transferred between platforms. Work through them in this order:
- Download your full transaction history from the exchange and compare it with the form, sale by sale.
- Check for transferred-in coins. Boxes 12a and 12b show transfers into the account; their basis lives in the records of the wallet or exchange they came from.
- Ask the broker for a corrected form if the proceeds, dates or units are wrong.
- Report the correct numbers. Keep the proceeds from the form unless they are wrong, supply the correct basis, and use the Form 8949 adjustment column with code B when the reported basis is incorrect.
- Keep documentation of how you calculated basis in case the IRS asks.
If the reported proceeds are missing from your return altogether, the IRS’s automated matching can generate a notice proposing extra tax, so make sure every 1099-DA sale is accounted for even when the gain is zero or negative.
Frequently asked questions
I didn’t get a Form 1099-DA. Do I still have to report my crypto?
Yes. The form is an information return from the broker; your obligation to report taxable sales exists with or without it. Use Form 8949 boxes I or L for sales with no 1099-DA.
Does Form 1099-DA replace Form 1099-B or 1099-K for crypto?
For sales of crypto through a broker, Form 1099-DA is now the form designed for the job. You may still receive a 1099-B for crypto ETFs or other securities, and a 1099-K from some payment platforms.
Why is there tax withheld in box 4?
Brokers can be required to apply backup withholding when they do not have a valid taxpayer identification number for you. The IRS has granted transitional relief from backup withholding on digital asset sales (Notice 2025-33), so for most people box 4 should be empty. If it is not, claim the amount as federal tax withheld on your return.
Can my crypto tax software import Form 1099-DA?
Most crypto tax tools import your exchange transaction history directly and calculate basis across all your accounts, which is usually more complete than the 1099-DA itself. Use the form to check that the software’s proceeds match what the IRS received.
Sources
This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal or investment advice. Tax rules depend on your individual situation; consult a qualified tax professional before filing.