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Abby Marshall

Can I file taxes without waiting for my Robinhood 1099 form?

So I've got my W-2 from work already and I'm getting antsy about filing my taxes. I'm wondering if I really need to wait around for Robinhood to get their act together and send me my tax documents? I know exactly what my profits and losses were this year (all short-term capital gains), and I have all the numbers for cost basis and sale amounts from my account activity. Would the IRS have a problem if I just calculated these numbers myself and entered them on my tax return? I'm pretty confident in my record-keeping, but don't want to cause problems. I'm really hoping to get my refund quickly and waiting on Robinhood is holding me up. Would filing without the official 1099 from Robinhood potentially delay my return or trigger some kind of flag? Anyone done this before?

Sadie Benitez

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While you technically can file your taxes using your own calculations for capital gains, I strongly recommend waiting for your official 1099 from Robinhood. Here's why this matters: The IRS receives a copy of your 1099 directly from Robinhood, and they'll automatically match this against what you report. If there's any discrepancy, even small ones, it could trigger a notice or delay your refund. Sometimes brokerages make adjustments to cost basis or include wash sales that might not be obvious from your transaction history. Robinhood is legally required to issue 1099s by February 15th (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend/holiday), so you shouldn't have to wait too much longer. The peace of mind from having accurate reporting is worth the short wait.

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Drew Hathaway

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What if the difference is really small though? Like what if my calculations are off by just $10-20? Would the IRS really care about that?

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Sadie Benitez

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The IRS uses automated systems that flag any discrepancy, regardless of size. Even small differences can trigger a notice, which could delay your refund while you sort it out. Sometimes what seems like a $10-20 difference in your calculations can actually have bigger tax implications depending on your specific situation. The other concern is that brokerages sometimes make last-minute adjustments to their reporting that you might not be aware of. For example, they might reclassify certain dividends or adjust for wash sales that affect your cost basis. It's these technical details that make waiting for the official form worthwhile.

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Laila Prince

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I had the exact same frustration last year waiting for my investment forms! I ended up finding this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that was super helpful for dealing with investment documents and calculations. They have this feature where you can upload your transaction history and they'll help calculate your gains/losses accurately - really useful when you're trying to make sense of all your trading activity. I used it to double-check my own calculations before my official forms arrived, which gave me peace of mind. Then when the 1099 finally showed up, I could quickly verify everything matched up before submitting my return. Saved me from a potential headache with the IRS!

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Isabel Vega

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Does it actually work with Robinhood specifically? I've tried other tax tools before and sometimes they don't play nice with certain brokerages.

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I'm curious - how does it handle wash sales? That's always the part that messes me up when I try to calculate things manually.

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Laila Prince

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Yes, it works with Robinhood! I uploaded my Robinhood CSV export and it processed everything correctly. The interface guides you through connecting your brokerage accounts or uploading the transaction history files. For wash sales, that's actually where it really shines. The tool automatically identifies potential wash sale situations and adjusts your cost basis accordingly. It flags transactions that fall within the 30-day window and calculates the proper adjusted basis. This was a huge help for me since I had several instances where I bought similar stocks within the wash sale period without realizing it.

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Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) - I decided to try it out after seeing the recommendation here, and wow! It actually caught two wash sales in my Robinhood account that I completely missed in my own calculations. Would have been off by about $430 in my reported gain if I had gone with my original numbers. The interface was super straightforward and it explained why certain transactions were flagged as wash sales, which helped me understand what was happening. Definitely using this again next year since I trade pretty regularly. Saved me from potentially getting a letter from the IRS!

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Marilyn Dixon

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For anyone dealing with Robinhood tax document delays - I feel your pain! Last year they were so late with my forms that I had to call the IRS to ask about the situation. What a nightmare trying to get through to an actual person there! I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that filing without waiting for official forms could potentially cause issues, but also told me exactly when I should expect Robinhood's forms based on their reporting requirements. Super helpful info that saved me from making a mistake on my return.

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How does this even work? Sounds like some kind of scam to me. Nobody gets through to the IRS that quickly lol.

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TommyKapitz

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I'm skeptical. Did you actually have to pay for this? Seems like something that should be free. The IRS phone system is terrible but I'm not convinced paying some third party is the solution.

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Marilyn Dixon

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It's not a scam at all! They use a system that navigates the IRS phone menu for you and holds your place in line. When they reach an agent, you get a call connecting you directly. Basically skips the whole automated system nightmare. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The way it works is they use technology to continuously redial and navigate the phone tree until they get through. When I got the call connecting me to an agent, I almost fell out of my chair because I was so used to waiting for hours on previous attempts.

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TommyKapitz

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I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it since I had a separate tax issue I needed to discuss with the IRS. I'd been trying to get through for WEEKS on my own with no luck - just endless holds and disconnections. Used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was super helpful with my question about correcting a prior year return. Completely worth it just for the time saved and stress reduction. I've spent more time on hold with my internet provider than it took to reach the actual IRS!

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I made this mistake last year and filed without my Robinhood 1099. Thought I was being smart by using my own calculations... ended up with a letter from the IRS 3 months later saying I underreported by like $340 because I missed some dividend reinvestments. Had to file an amended return and pay interest. Just wait for the form!!!

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Abby Marshall

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Thanks for sharing your experience! Did that delay your refund initially or just cause problems later on?

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My refund actually processed normally at first, which made me think I was in the clear. The problems came later when their automated matching system flagged the discrepancy between what Robinhood reported and what I put on my return. The amended return was a hassle to file, and I ended up owing additional tax plus interest on the amount I underpaid. The whole process took about 4 months to resolve completely. Definitely not worth the couple weeks I "saved" by filing early without the proper forms!

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Payton Black

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Wait... are you SURE you know all your profits/losses exactly? Did u account for wash sales????? That's where most ppl mess up with self-calculating. Robinhood doesnt make it obvious in the app when wash sales happen but they report them on the 1099!!!

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Harold Oh

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This is a great point. Wash sales can be super confusing. For anyone who doesn't know, if you sell a stock at a loss and buy the same or "substantially identical" security within 30 days before or after the sale, you can't claim that loss immediately. The disallowed loss gets added to the cost basis of the replacement shares.

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