sparkle-illustration

Register for a NerdWallet account to access simple tax filing for a $50 flat fee, powered by 

ColumnTax Logo

What Is IRS Form 1099-DIV? Dividends and Distributions

If you received dividends this year, you'll probably get a Form 1099-DIV. Here's what it means and what to do.
Tina Orem
By Tina Orem 
Updated
Edited by Chris Hutchison

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

Form 1099-DIV is a record that someone paid you dividends.

Sometime in February, you might receive a form 1099-DIV (or more than one). You need to hang on to it because it can have a big impact on your tax life. Here's how the 1099-DIV tax form works.

NerdWalletTaxes Logo

Simple tax filing with a $50 flat fee for every scenario

With NerdWallet Taxes powered by Column Tax, registered NerdWallet members pay one fee, regardless of your tax situation. Plus, you'll get free support from tax experts. Sign up for access today.

for a NerdWallet account

checkmark

Transparent pricing

Hassle-free tax filing* is $50 for all tax situations — no hidden costs or fees.
checkmark

Maximum refund guaranteed

Get every dollar you deserve* when you file with this tax product, powered by Column Tax.
checkmark

Faster filing

File up to 2x faster than traditional options.* Get your refund, and get on with your life.

*guaranteed by Column Tax

illustration

What is a 1099-DIV form?

A Form 1099-DIV is a record that a company or other entity — not your employer — paid you at least $10 in dividends

Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1099-DIV, Dividends and Distributions. Accessed Dec 11, 2023.
.

  • You might receive a 1099-DIV tax form from your brokerage firm because you earned dividends on your investments.

  • A Form 1099-DIV will have your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number on it, which means the IRS will know you’ve received dividends — and it will know if you don’t report that income on your tax return.

  • Dividends are taxable income, but simply receiving a 1099-DIV tax form doesn’t necessarily mean you owe taxes on that money. You might have deductions that offset the income, for example, or some or all of it might be sheltered based on characteristics of the asset that generated it. In any case, remember: The IRS knows about it.

What do I do with a 1099-DIV form?

You use your IRS Form 1099-DIV to help figure out how much income you received during the year and what kind of income it was. You’ll report that income in different places on your tax return, depending on what kind of income it was.

If you need help estimating how dividend income on a Form 1099-DIV could affect your tax bill, check out our free tax calculator.

What does my 1099 tax form mean for my tax situation?

If you received a Form 1099-DIV from a brokerage firm or other entity because you have investments or accounts that earned dividends, you might also get a few other 1099 tax forms in the mail.

1099-CAP

You might receive a 1099-CAP if you hold shares of a corporation that was acquired or underwent a big change in capital structure and you got cash, stock or other property as a result.

1099-INT

If you earned $10 or more in interest from a bank, brokerage or other financial institution, you’ll receive a 1099-INT.

1099-OID

You might receive Form 1099-OID if you bought bonds, notes or other financial instruments at a discount to the face value or redemption value at maturity. Typically, the instrument must have a maturity of more than one year.

1099-PATR

If you belong to a co-op and received at least $10 in patronage dividends, expect to see Form 1099-PATR in your mailbox.

1099-R

If you got distributions from a pension, retirement plan, profit-sharing program, IRA or annuity, you might receive a 1099-R. (Remember, many retirement plans are tax-advantaged, so this form might be simple record-keeping on behalf of the IRS.) If you took a loan from your retirement plan, you might have to treat it as a distribution, which means it might be on this form, too, as well as permanent and total disability payments under life insurance contracts.

NerdWalletTaxes Logo

Simple tax filing with a $50 flat fee for every scenario

With NerdWallet Taxes powered by Column Tax, registered NerdWallet members pay one fee, regardless of your tax situation. Plus, you'll get free support from tax experts. Sign up for access today.

for a NerdWallet account

illustration
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.