Fill out 8949 (Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets) online
Form 8949 reports the details of each sale or disposition of capital assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, and other investments. For real estate sellers, this form captures the property address, dates of acquisition and sale, sale price, cost basis, and any adjustments. The totals from Form 8949 flow to Schedule D.
How to fill out 8949 (Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets)
Identify the correct part
Part I is for short-term transactions (held one year or less). Part II is for long-term transactions (held more than one year). Check box A, B, or C based on whether your broker reported basis to the IRS.
Enter transaction details
For each sale, enter: description of property (e.g., "123 Main St"), date acquired, date sold, proceeds (sale price from 1099-S or closing statement), and cost or other basis.
Apply adjustments
Enter any adjustments in column (g), such as the Section 121 exclusion for primary residence sales, wash sale disallowed losses, or installment sale deferrals. Use the corresponding adjustment code in column (f).
Calculate gain or loss and transfer to Schedule D
Subtract cost basis and adjustments from proceeds to determine gain or loss for each transaction. Total each part and transfer the totals to the corresponding lines on Schedule D.
About 8949 (Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets)
Who needs this form
Anyone who sold real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other capital assets during the tax year. If you sold a home, investment property, or vacant land, you report each transaction on Form 8949 before summarizing on Schedule D.
Where to submit
File with the IRS as part of your annual federal income tax return (Form 1040), alongside Schedule D (Capital Gains and Losses).
Source and content freshness
- Filing deadlines may shift for weekends and holidays. Verify due dates with official instructions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the wrong cost basis for real estate (forgetting to include purchase costs, improvements, and selling expenses)
- Not checking the correct box (A, B, or C) for the type of 1099-B reporting received
- Forgetting to apply the home sale exclusion (up to $250,000 single / $500,000 married) on primary residence sales
- Confusing short-term and long-term holding periods (the dividing line is one year)
- Not reporting a transaction because no 1099-S was received (all sales must be reported regardless)
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Do I need Form 8949 if I sold my primary home?
If you qualify for the full home sale exclusion (up to $250,000 gain for single filers, $500,000 for married filing jointly) and received a Form 1099-S, you should still report the sale on Form 8949 with the exclusion noted as an adjustment. If you did not receive a 1099-S and your gain is fully excluded, you may not need to report it, but it is good practice to do so for documentation. The totals flow to Schedule D (Capital Gains and Losses).
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