Form 5498 is the year-end statement from your IRA trustee showing what went into your account. It usually arrives after tax filing season has started, which is why many people wonder what it is for.
This guide explains each box, the deadlines, how contributions, rollovers and Roth conversions are reported and how it differs from Form 1099-R, using the 2026 IRS Form 5498 and its instructions.
The IRS says the trustee or issuer of your individual retirement arrangement (IRA) submits Form 5498 to report contributions, including catch-up contributions, rollovers, repayments, required minimum distributions (RMDs) and the fair market value (FMV) of the account. It is an information form for you and the IRS. Unlike Form 1099-R, which reports money coming out, Form 5498 reports what went in and what the account is worth; see our Form 1099-R guide. The trustee must file Form 5498 with the IRS by May 31, 2027 for 2026, which is after the usual filing season, so keep your own records of contributions. Contributions made through April 15, 2027 can count for 2026.
| Box | What it shows |
|---|---|
| 1 | Traditional IRA contributions for 2026 you made in 2026 and through April 15, 2027 |
| 2 | Rollover contributions, including direct rollovers, made in 2026 |
| 3 | Amount converted from traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2026 |
| 4 | Amounts recharacterized from one type of IRA to another |
| 5 | Fair market value of all investments in the account at year end |
| 8 and 9 | SEP (box 8) and SIMPLE (box 9) contributions made in 2026, including contributions in 2026 for 2025 |
| 10 | Roth IRA contributions made in 2026 and through April 15, 2027; do not deduct them |
| 11 and 12 | Whether an RMD for 2027 is required, its date and amount |
| 13a to 13c | Late rollover contributions and postponed contributions, with codes FD, PO and SC |
| 14a and 14b | Repayments of certain distributions, with codes such as QR, DD, BA, HP, EP, DA, TI |
| 15a and 15b | FMV of hard-to-value investments such as real estate, with codes A to H |
The form may show only the last four digits of your taxpayer identification number; the trustee has reported the full number to the IRS.
If box 11 is checked, you must take an RMD for 2027, and an RMD may be required even if the box is not checked. Box 12b shows the amount; if box 11 is checked and there is no amount, the trustee must give you the amount or offer to calculate it in a separate statement by January 31, 2027. The IRS instructions say a traditional IRA owner must begin taking distributions for the calendar year in which they reach age 73 (for those reaching it after December 31, 2022 and before January 1, 2033); see our RMD guide for the age that applies to you.
Roth conversions appear in box 3 and ordinary rollovers in box 2. Late rollovers (more than 60 days after the distribution) that you certified, or postponed contributions for a prior year, appear in box 13a with a code in box 13c: FD for a federally designated disaster extension, PO for a rollover of a qualified plan loan offset and SC for the self-certification procedure. Conversions and nondeductible contributions are tracked on Form 8606; see our Form 8606 guide.
For an inherited IRA the decedent's name must be shown on the beneficiary's Form 5498. For a Trump account, Form 5498 is used only after the beneficiary's growth period; Form 5498-TA is used during it, and our Trump accounts guide has the details. Form 5498 is an information return filed by your trustee; use it to check that boxes 1, 8, 9 and 10 match your records and that a Roth contribution in box 10 is not deducted. Contribution rules and limits are in our retirement contribution limits guide.
| Event | Where it shows on Form 5498 |
|---|---|
| You contribute $5,000 to a traditional IRA in March 2027 for 2026 | Box 1, because contributions through April 15, 2027 count for 2026 |
| You convert $20,000 in 2026 from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA | Box 3 (not box 1) |
| You roll over $30,000 in 2026 from a 401(k) to an IRA | Box 2 |
| You contribute $3,000 to a Roth IRA for 2026 | Box 10; do not deduct it |
These are our illustrations of the box descriptions, not tax advice; the actual boxes depend on what your trustee reports.
IRS: Form 5498 (2026) with instructions for participant, IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498.