What Form 1099-DA is
Form 1099-DA, “Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transactions,” is an information return. According to the IRS page on understanding your Form 1099-DA, brokers use it to report proceeds from digital asset sales or dispositions, and in some cases basis, to you and to the IRS.
A disposition is broader than selling for dollars. The IRS lists exchanges for another digital asset, trades for property or services, and paying broker costs with digital assets. The form is new: the first statements covered 2025 sales and were sent in early 2026.
Who sends it, and who does not
The IRS instructions for Form 1099-DA say that, generally, only a U.S. digital asset broker reports on the form. That includes platforms that sell digital assets for customers, operators of digital asset kiosks, and certain payment processors.
- One form per broker. Each Form 1099-DA reflects only the platform that issued it. If you used three exchanges, expect up to three separate forms.
- Self-custody wallets do not send one. A provider that only supplies software or hardware for you to control your own private keys is not treated as a broker for this purpose.
- Foreign platforms may not send one. The IRS notes that transactions with foreign brokers may not produce a form but still have to be reported.
Which years it covers
- 2025 sales. The IRS 2025 instructions required brokers to report gross proceeds; they were not required to report basis for those sales, though some brokers chose to.
- 2026 sales and later. Brokers must report basis for covered securities: generally, digital assets acquired after 2025 in a custodial account with that broker and held there until the sale.
- Noncovered assets. Assets bought before 2026 or transferred in from another wallet or exchange are generally noncovered. Basis reporting for them is optional, and box 9 marks them.
So the first forms with required basis are the 2026 forms that arrive in early 2027, and even those can leave basis blank for older or transferred-in coins.
The main boxes in plain words
Box labels below are from the 2026 version of the form.
- Boxes 1a–1c: the asset’s code, its name, and the number of units sold.
- Boxes 1d and 1e: date acquired and date sold or disposed.
- Box 1f, proceeds: the IRS instructions say proceeds are reduced by digital asset transaction costs, so fees can explain a difference from a gross figure in your software.
- Box 1g, cost or other basis: what the broker reports as your cost. A blank box is not a zero cost; the instructions allow -0- only when the asset actually had a basis of zero.
- Box 2: checked if basis was reported to the IRS.
- Box 6: whether the gain or loss is short-term, long-term, or ordinary.
- Box 8: checked if the broker relied on acquisition information provided by the customer.
- Box 9: checked if the asset is a noncovered security.
- Boxes 12a and 12b: units transferred in and the transfer-in date, which help trace coins that arrived from another account.
When it arrives
Brokers furnish Form 1099-DA by mid-February. For 2025 sales the due date was February 17, 2026. Forms for 2026 sales are due to you by February 16, 2027, because February 15 is a federal holiday, according to the IRS general instructions for information returns. See the crypto tax calendar 2027 for the other dates.
What the form does not show
Transfers between your own accounts, deposits, withdrawals, and staking or other rewards are not sale proceeds, so they are not part of the proceeds on the form. Activity in self-custody wallets and on foreign platforms may not appear on any Form 1099-DA.
That is why the IRS asks you to use the form together with your other records, and states that digital asset income, gains, and losses must be reported whether or not you receive a Form 1099-DA.
If it does not match your records
- Match the scope first. One broker, one tax year, proceeds before gains. The Form 1099-DA mismatch guide walks through the comparison.
- Basis blank? Trace the original purchase in your other records; see missing crypto cost basis and, for Coinbase, Coinbase missing cost basis.
- Basis reported but different? Lot order can differ between the broker and your software; see 1099-DA cost basis mismatch.
- Information wrong on the form? Ask the issuer named in the filer box for a corrected form. The IRS says it cannot correct a Form 1099-DA for you.
- Received an IRS notice? See CP2000 notice for crypto for the records to gather.
Form 1099-DA FAQ
Is Form 1099-DA the same as Form 1099-B?
No. Form 1099-DA is the broker form for digital asset sales. For assets that could fall under both forms, the current IRS instructions generally use Form 1099-DA, with listed exceptions.
Does a blank cost basis mean my cost was zero?
No. The IRS instructions allow -0- in box 1g only when the asset actually had a basis of zero. A blank box means the broker did not report basis; your own records still show what you paid.
What if I did not receive a Form 1099-DA?
The IRS states that digital asset income, gains, and losses must be reported whether or not you receive the form. Build the history from your exchange exports and wallet records.
Can the IRS correct my Form 1099-DA?
No. The IRS asks you to request a corrected form from the issuer and keep the original, the correction, and your correspondence together.
When a records review can help
If you have forms from several brokers, coins moved between wallets, or basis that is blank or differs, Elena’s 1099-DA reconciliation review compares each form with source exports and software records and documents what explains each difference, within an agreed scope. Tax advice, return preparation, and filing are not included.
For your first inquiry, list the brokers, tax year, and software you use.
Sources
Related recordkeeping guides