# How tax preparers request a 1099-R from clients

Source: https://dokutrak.com/requests/tax-preparers/1099-r
Author: Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak
Published: 2026-10-30
Language: en-US

> Ask each client who took money from a retirement plan, IRA, pension or annuity for every 1099-R for the year, one per payer. In the same request, ask whether any of it was rolled over and for proof of the deposit. Send the request in early February, after payers’ January 31 deadline.

## Why tax preparers need a 1099-R

Box 1 gross distribution and box 2a taxable amount set the income on Form 1040, and the box 7 distribution code says how to treat it: code 1 is an early distribution that may carry an additional tax unless an exception applies, code 7 a normal distribution, code G a direct rollover that is not taxed. An indirect rollover looks like a taxable payout on the 1099-R, so only the client can tell you the money went back into a plan within 60 days.

## What exactly to ask for

Copy B of every 1099-R for the tax year, including small pension or annuity payments. For any rollover, ask for the statement or confirmation showing the deposit and its date in the receiving account, since the receiving custodian’s Form 5498 usually arrives after filing season. Ask about Roth conversions and required minimum distributions in the same message.

## What to check when it arrives

- The box 7 code matches what the client says happened, and the IRA/SEP/SIMPLE box is checked as expected.
- Each rollover is backed by a deposit record in the receiving account dated within 60 days.
- Box 4 federal withholding and the state withholding boxes are carried to the return.

## Email to send your client

Subject: Your 1099-R and any rollover paperwork

```text
Hi [Client name],

If you took money from a retirement account, pension or annuity last year, I need the 1099-R for each one. Every plan or IRA custodian sends its own form, usually as a PDF in your online account.

One question matters a lot: did any of that money go into another retirement account? If so, please send the statement or letter showing the deposit and its date. Without it, the full amount can look taxable.

Could you send the forms by [date]? If you are unsure which accounts paid you, send what you have and we will sort it out together.

Best,
[Your name]
```

## Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.

- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a 1099-R or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.

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