If anyone is still having trouble with the H&R Block error, try entering your investment information using the "Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds Not Reported on Form 1099-B" section instead of the regular 1099-B section. For some reason, this alternative entry method shows all the fields more clearly, including the acquisition date field. I know it sounds counterintuitive if you actually have a 1099-B, but the data entry screens are better organized in that section. Just make sure all the numbers match your 1099-B exactly. This workaround fixed the "Date acquired is required entry" error for me without having to contact customer service or use any additional tools.

I had this exact same problem last month! The trick that finally worked for me was looking for a small "More Details" or "Advanced" link on the investment entry screen. In H&R Block, after you enter the basic 1099-B information, there's usually a tiny link (easy to miss) that expands the form to show additional fields including the acquisition date. Also, if you're entering multiple sales of the same stock purchased at different times, H&R Block sometimes requires you to enter each lot separately with its own acquisition date. This might be why the error keeps appearing - the software is expecting individual entries for each purchase date rather than a single combined entry. Try scrolling all the way to the bottom of the investment entry screen and look for any "Show Additional Fields" or similar options. The acquisition date field is often hidden in these expanded sections.

Did you claim EIC or child tax credit? Those usually trigger reviews

Had the exact same codes last year! The 570/971 combo is super common when you file Head of Household with dependents. Mine took about 6 weeks to clear but I got the full refund plus a tiny bit of interest. The notice they send usually asks for proof of your dependents or income verification. Just respond quickly when you get it and you should be good to go. Hang in there! 💪

Honestly this whole MTM vs non-MTM thing is why I switched to just having everything in a non-MTM account. Yeah I lose some tax advantages for frequent trading but the simplicity is worth it. No more worrying about transfers between accounts or what counts as trading vs investing.

This is a great discussion! I'm in a similar situation but with options instead of stocks. I have some TSLA calls that I bought in my MTM account about 6 weeks ago, and I'm thinking about transferring them to my non-MTM account since I want to hold them longer term now. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like I'd have to recognize any gains on the transfer date even though they're still unrealized. That's actually helpful to know because these calls are up about 60% right now, so I need to factor that tax hit into my decision. Does anyone know if the same "deemed disposition" rules apply to options transfers, or are there any special considerations for derivatives? I don't want to accidentally trigger a bigger tax bill than I'm expecting.

Don't forget to separate the land value when calculating depreciation! This is a common mistake. Land isn't depreciable, so you need to determine what portion of your property value is for the building only. Your county property tax assessment often breaks this down, or you can use a reasonable method to determine the split (like 80% building/20% land in many residential areas). Also, remember that anything with a useful life of less than 27.5 years (appliances, carpeting, etc.) can be depreciated on a faster schedule than the building itself. This is called component depreciation and can give you bigger deductions sooner.

I find that TurboTax actually does a decent job with rental property depreciation. It asks you questions about when you placed the property in service, the value, percentage used for rental, etc., and then automatically calculates everything, including filling out Form 4562 when needed. If you do use tax software, just make sure you have all your info ready: purchase price of the property, fair market value when converted to rental, percentage used for rental, and an estimate of land value (which isn't depreciable).

Another approach is to use the DRAFT versions of forms that the IRS posts before final versions. They're at irs.gov/draftforms. They usually post these a few months before final versions. Just remember you can't file draft forms! But you can use them to prepare and then transfer the info to the final form when released.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I was definitely leaning toward just modifying the 2023 form but I'm glad I asked here first. @Jackson Carter your explanation about the forms being year-specific really cleared things up for me. I'll wait for the official 2024 version to be released rather than risk processing delays or penalties. In the meantime, I'll sign up for those IRS e-News subscriptions that @Ella rollingthunder87 mentioned - that sounds like a much better way to stay on top of when new forms are available than constantly checking the website. This community has been so much more helpful than trying to navigate the IRS website on my own!