Is it a problem if I don't round on Form 8949 or other tax forms?

You're overthinking this one! The IRS instructions are pretty clear - rounding is optional. If you choose not to round, that's completely acceptable and actually provides more precise information to the IRS. The only requirement is consistency. So if you decide not to round on Form 8949, then don't round on your Schedule D or any related forms where those numbers flow through. The IRS systems can absolutely handle cents - they're designed to process the exact amounts. In my experience working with clients, I've seen many people report exact amounts down to the penny, especially when dealing with multiple stock transactions. It's actually helpful when reconciling with 1099-B forms since those typically show the exact amounts.

I went through this exact same dilemma last year! I found a fantastic tool that made this so much easier - taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which I discovered after spending hours manually entering transactions. It actually handles both rounded and unrounded amounts perfectly. I uploaded my transaction records and it identified every single transaction correctly without me needing to manually input anything. The best part was that it kept the exact cent amounts but also showed me what the rounded values would be, giving me the choice of which to use. I went with the unrounded amounts and had zero issues with my filing.

Just wanted to follow up on my taxr.ai question - I decided to give it a try with my crypto and stock transactions, and I'm honestly amazed. I was spending DAYS trying to reconcile all my crypto trades from different exchanges with my stock sales. It handled everything perfectly - imported all my transactions, identified which ones were wash sales, calculated my adjusted basis, and gave me the option to use exact or rounded numbers on Form 8949. I went with exact amounts since that's what my 1099s showed, and everything matched up perfectly. The time savings alone was worth it!

If you're having trouble getting specific answers from the IRS about Form 8949 rounding (or any tax questions really), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent literally WEEKS trying to get through to an IRS agent to ask about some complicated 8949 reporting issues last year. With Claimyr, I got connected to an actual IRS rep in under 45 minutes! They have this neat system where they wait on hold for you and then call when an agent is available. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I asked specifically about rounding on Form 8949 when you have lots of transactions, and the agent confirmed that exact amounts are perfectly acceptable and actually preferred in many cases since they match the source documents exactly.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I needed answers about reporting multiple small stock transactions on Form 8949. It actually worked! Got a call back in about an hour, and I was talking to a real IRS agent. I asked about the rounding issue specifically, and they told me that using exact amounts on Form 8949 is perfectly fine and actually helps them match your return to the 1099-B forms they receive from brokers. The agent even thanked me for being so precise with my reporting! So regarding the original question - confirmed by an actual IRS agent: non-rounded amounts on Form 8949 are absolutely acceptable.

Just to add another perspective - I'm a tax software developer and I can tell you for certain that non-rounded numbers on Form 8949 cause absolutely no issues with e-filing. The IRS systems handle cents without problems. One thing to consider though - some tax software might automatically round for you. I'd check your software settings to make sure it's not overriding your input and rounding automatically. Most good tax programs have a setting to toggle rounding on or off.

Remember that consistency is key here! If you decide not to round on Form 8949, make sure you carry that same approach throughout all related schedules and forms. The main thing that would cause problems is inconsistency - like reporting exact amounts on 8949 but then rounding on Schedule D.