Form 1099-B field reference
Form 1099-B Box 1b: Date acquired
Form 8949 destination
Column (b) — Date acquired
Reconcile this field with the rest of the transaction before calculating gain or loss. A Form 1099-B label does not override the official basis, holding-period, or adjustment rules.
Before filing
What to check
- Compare the date with purchase or transfer records.
- Review inherited, gifted, replacement, and transferred positions carefully.
- Keep the records supporting any date reported differently on Form 8949.
How it works
Box 1b mechanics
Box 1b is a data point from the broker's system, not the final word on holding period. Several statutory rules override the literal date shown. Inherited property is automatically treated as long-term under IRC §1223(9) regardless of how long the estate or beneficiary actually held it, so Box 1b showing a recent date-of-death transfer does not make the sale short-term. Gifted property generally carries the donor's original acquisition date forward for holding-period purposes, with a separate basis rule when the property has declined in value since the gift. Replacement shares from a wash sale inherit the disallowed loss and the holding period of the original shares that triggered the wash sale, which a broker's Box 1b may or may not reflect correctly depending on whether the wash sale was tracked at the same brokerage. When multiple lots with different dates are sold together, brokers sometimes use a "various" convention in Box 1b rather than listing every date.
Worked example
Shares inherited from a parent who died in 2024 are sold in 2025. Even though the taxpayer personally held the inherited shares for only a few months, IRC §1223(9) treats inherited property as automatically long-term. Regardless of what date Box 1b shows — the date of death or the decedent's original purchase date — Form 8949 should reflect long-term treatment.
Box 1b FAQs
Does Box 1b always control short-term versus long-term treatment?
No. It is the broker's data point. Statutory holding-period rules for inherited property, wash sale replacement shares, and certain conversions can require different treatment than what Box 1b literally shows.
What does it mean when Box 1b just says "various"?
That convention is used when multiple lots with different acquisition dates were sold together in one transaction. The official Form 8949 instructions explain how to report the sale in that situation.