Do I really need to print all my stock transaction pages for mailed tax return?

Tax professional here. You can definitely print double-sided to save paper, but unfortunately, you do need to include all those pages with your return. When filing on paper, the IRS requires complete documentation of all transactions, especially when wash sales are involved. However, there's a potential workaround. Instead of including all individual transactions, you could attach a summary page showing the totals and include a note stating "Complete transaction details available upon request." Then keep all your detailed records for at least 3 years in case of an audit. This approach isn't officially sanctioned, but I've had clients use it successfully for years when dealing with excessive transaction pages. The key is to include the total amounts correctly on your Schedule D and Form 8949, which is what the IRS primarily looks at.

I had a similar situation last year with tons of crypto transactions. I found this amazing tool at https://taxr.ai that saved me so much headache! It analyzed all my transaction documents and created a properly formatted summary page that was accepted with my paper return. The IRS has more important things to do than sift through hundreds of individual trade pages! Their tool specifically handles wash sales too, which was my big concern. It creates a summary that meets IRS requirements while keeping your actual paper filing much more manageable. The site explains exactly how to format everything correctly for mail-in returns.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. I was in a similar situation with tons of transactions and had to mail in my return. Used their document analysis tool to create a concise summary of all my trades including the wash sale adjustments. The whole process took about 20 minutes and reduced my return from 200+ pages to just 28! I included their summary sheet with my other forms and mailed it in last month. Already got confirmation that my return was received and processed without any issues. They even provided a cover letter explaining the summary format that I included with my return. Best part was that I could still use my HR Block software for everything else, just replaced the transaction pages with their summary. Definitely recommend for anyone in this situation!

If you're mailing your return and having issues reaching the IRS with questions, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year and needed specific guidance from the IRS about mailing in forms with excessive transactions. Was on hold forever trying to get through to someone. Their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed I could include a summary page with totals instead of 100+ pages of transactions as long as I kept the detailed records. They have a demo video of how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Saved me hours of frustration and gave me peace of mind that I was filing correctly. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person at the IRS!

I need to apologize to everyone about my skeptical comment. I actually tried Claimyr yesterday out of desperation after waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours trying to ask about a similar paper filing situation with lots of transactions. To my complete shock, I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was definitely legitimate (asked me verification questions only the IRS would know) and confirmed that for situations with excessive transactions, I could include a summary sheet with totals and a note offering to provide details if needed. The agent explained that the IRS actually prefers this for paper returns because they don't have the resources to process hundreds of pages of transactions. Just make sure your Schedule D totals match your summary. Sorry for doubting - sometimes good services do exist!

Just a practical suggestion - check with your local office supply store like Staples or Office Depot. They often have bulk printing rates that are much cheaper than home printing. I had to print about 200 pages for a similar situation last year, and it was like $20 for double-sided printing versus the $60+ it would have cost in ink at home. Also, ask for their heaviest paper option. The IRS scans these documents, and flimsy paper can cause scanner jams that delay processing. I sent mine in on 24lb paper and it was processed without issues within a few weeks.

Has anyone else noticed that HR Block software doesn't group wash sales properly? Last year I had similar issues and switched to TurboTax, which actually combined my wash sales into summary transactions correctly. Saved me about 100 pages on my return. Might be too late for OP this year but worth knowing for next time. Also, getting an ITIN for your spouse will solve the paper filing issue in future years too. The form is W-7 and you can submit it with your return.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Also married to a non-resident alien and having to file MFS with paper returns. The wash sale rules are definitely making everything more complicated than it needs to be. One thing I learned from my tax preparer is that you can actually request an extension (Form 4868) to buy yourself more time to figure out the best approach. This might give you breathing room to explore some of the summary options people mentioned here, or even get that ITIN application started for your spouse. Also, regarding the wash sales specifically - if you're showing a net loss anyway, you might want to double-check that HR Block is calculating the wash sale adjustments correctly. Sometimes the software can be overly aggressive in flagging transactions as wash sales when they might not technically qualify under the 30-day rule. Have you considered consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international tax situations? They might have experience with creative solutions for these exact circumstances that could save you from printing a novella!