How Do I Get My 1099-S Form After Selling My House Last Year?

I sold my house back in July, and made about $75k in profit. I lived there for around 2.5 years before selling. I'm now trying to do my taxes and when I got to the part asking if I sold my home, it's asking for a form 1099-S. I have absolutely no clue how to get this form or if the title company was supposed to file one for me! I'm completely lost, and TurboTax is now showing I owe like $13,000 in federal and state taxes. I'm freaking out because I don't even know how to get this form or if I need it! Has anyone dealt with this before? How do I even track down a 1099-S? The closing was months ago and I'm panicking that I'm going to owe all this money!

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19 comments

Aisha Abdullah

•8M

The good news is that you probably don't owe that money! If you lived in your home for at least 2 years during the 5-year period ending on the date of sale, you likely qualify for the Section 121 exclusion. This lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 if married filing jointly) from your income. The 1099-S form should have been provided by the settlement agent (title company or attorney) who handled your closing. However, if you met the 2-year residency requirement and your profit was less than the exclusion amount, the settlement agent might not have been required to file a 1099-S at all. First, check all your closing documents - the 1099-S might be in there. If not, contact your title company or settlement agent to see if one was filed. Even if no 1099-S was issued, you should still report the sale on your return but exclude the gain under Section 121.

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Aisha Abdullah

•8M

You should always report the sale of your primary residence on your tax return, even if you don't receive a 1099-S and even if all your profit is excluded. You'll need to file Form 8949 and Schedule D to report the sale and claim the exclusion. For calculating your profit, you can add the cost of qualifying home improvements to your original purchase price to increase your basis, which reduces your taxable gain. Keep receipts for all major improvements (not regular maintenance) like room additions, new roof, kitchen remodels, etc. Your profit is your selling price minus selling expenses minus your adjusted basis (purchase price plus improvements).

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Yuki Tanaka

•8M

I was in the EXACT same situation last year! I was freaking out seeing those huge tax numbers in TurboTax. What saved me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my closing documents. I uploaded everything from my home sale and it pulled out all the relevant info, calculated my exclusion eligibility, and showed me exactly what to put in TurboTax even without having my 1099-S in hand. The tool also confirmed I qualified for the primary residence exclusion and showed me which home improvements increased my basis. It seriously saved me from paying thousands in unnecessary taxes because TurboTax was calculating everything wrong without the proper inputs! You should definitely check it out before finalizing your return.

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Yuki Tanaka

•8M

You just upload your closing documents, settlement statement, and any records of home improvements you have. The system uses AI to extract all the relevant info and does the calculations for you. It then gives you a complete breakdown of what numbers to enter in TurboTax or whatever tax software you're using. Super straightforward! The tool handles both federal and state-specific rules. When you set up your profile, you select your state and it automatically applies the relevant state tax regulations. In my case, it showed the differences between federal and state treatment of my home sale and calculated both correctly. It even flagged some state-specific deductions I was eligible for that I had no idea about.

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Carmen Ortiz

•8M

Just wanted to follow up - I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow, it totally worked for me! I was missing my 1099-S too and panicking about what to report. Uploaded my closing docs and it pulled out everything I needed - purchase price, selling price, eligible improvements, and even calculated my exclusion amount. The step-by-step guide for entering everything in TurboTax was super clear. Turns out I didn't even need the 1099-S since I qualified for the full exclusion. My tax bill went from $15k down to nothing! Would definitely recommend for anyone dealing with home sale tax issues.

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Andre Laurent

•8M

Have you tried calling the IRS to ask about the 1099-S requirement? I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to them last year with a similar question. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Then I found https://claimyr.com and used their service. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they hold your place in line with the IRS and call you when an agent is about to answer. Got connected with an actual IRS agent in about 90 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent explained that if I qualified for the full exclusion (which it sounds like you do), then the title company isn't even required to file a 1099-S. That's probably why you don't have one. Saved me a ton of stress and confirmed I didn't need to track down the form.

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Andre Laurent

•8M

It doesn't jump the queue - it uses technology to wait in line for you. I was skeptical too, but the way it works is they have an automated system that calls the IRS and navigates the menu options, then holds your place in the queue. When it detects a human IRS agent is about to answer, it calls your phone and connects you directly with the agent. Completely legit. The IRS phone system isn't broken, it's just overwhelmed with callers. This service doesn't do anything shady - it just handles the waiting part so you don't have to sit there with your phone for hours. You get a text when you're about to be connected, and then you're talking to a real IRS agent who can answer your questions.

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Jamal Washington

•8M

I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. I decided to try it after your explanation, and I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. After trying for over a week to reach the IRS myself with no luck, I used the service and got connected to an agent in about 2 hours. The IRS rep confirmed exactly what you said - since I lived in my home for more than 2 years and my profit was under the exclusion amount, the title company wasn't required to issue a 1099-S. She walked me through exactly how to report the sale on my tax return without the form. Saved me a ton of stress and potentially thousands in unnecessary taxes. Thanks for the recommendation - definitely worth it for anyone who needs to speak with the IRS quickly!

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Mei Wong

•8M

Remember to calculate your basis correctly! When I sold my home, I almost forgot to include $45k in improvements we'd done over the years. Your basis is your purchase price PLUS qualifying improvements MINUS depreciation (if you ever used part of your home for business). This can make a huge difference in your taxable gain. Also, don't forget that selling expenses like real estate commissions, legal fees, and title insurance can be subtracted from your sale price. These can add up to a significant amount and further reduce any taxable gain.

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Mei Wong

•8M

Improvements add value to your home, prolong its useful life, or adapt it to new uses - these all increase your basis. Maintenance just keeps the property in good operating condition. Replacing an entire HVAC system or water heater with a new one would generally be considered an improvement that increases your basis. Simple repairs or maintenance like fixing a broken part wouldn't count. Document everything with receipts showing what was done and how much it cost. Other qualifying improvements include room additions, new roof, kitchen remodel, new siding, new windows, new flooring, etc. Regular painting, fixing leaks, or general repairs are typically maintenance and don't count.

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Giovanni Rossi

•8M

I went through this last year. If the title company didn't give you a 1099-S, call them first! In my case, they had it but never sent it to me. They emailed me a copy the same day I called. Check your closing paperwork too - sometimes it's in there and you just missed it (like I did with my first home sale lol). If they didn't file one, it's probably because you meet the primary residence exclusion requirements. Don't panic about TurboTax showing you owe money - it's likely calculating things incorrectly without the proper inputs about your eligibility for the exclusion. Once you enter that you lived there for more than 2 years and your gain is under the threshold, it should recalculate.

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