Meridian Blog

It’s hard to believe it is already tax season, but here we are! If you aren’t paying attention to the calendar, you can certainly tell by the number of tax prep company ads that are all over the place. My favorite one involves someone riding a bike through a city while on a cell phone video call with a tax preparation expert…seems very reasonable!

Needless to say, waiting for tax forms can be frustrating for those of you who like to get things done as quickly as possible. That said, there are valid reasons why custodians (like Charles Schwab, Fidelity, etc.) need time to provide clients with the necessary information.

Why Some Tax Forms Arrive Before Others

Pre-tax traditional IRA tax forms (1099R) are easy and straightforward and almost always come first, because all of the funds withdrawn from them are taxable as income. The custodian doesn’t need to wait on/calculate the tax information on the investments inside of the IRA, because that data is not relevant. This can lead to frustration (and/or confusion), because most IRA holders ALSO have brokerage/investment accounts. Those types of tax forms (usually a 1099 Composite) take longer because of the amount of data that needs to be compiled from mutual fund issuers and other investments.

The issuance of the first batch of 1099s (usually the 1099R for IRAs) can lead clients to wonder why they haven’t yet gotten their other tax forms, and in some cases, we have seen clients file before receiving all of the necessary information. So, unfortunately, patience is warranted, and you can always log-in to your accounts to see what tax forms are ready (or not). Schwab has a 1099 Dashboard where you can view this information (as I am sure other custodians do).

When Will My Tax Forms Be Available?

Here is an approximate (and typical) schedule:

• Late January (Jan 30-31, 2026): First production run for accounts with straightforward tax information.
• Mid-February (Feb 13-14, 2026): Second production run for accounts with more complex securities (mutual funds, ETFs, etc.).
• End of February (Feb 27-28, 2026): Final production run for remaining accounts.
• Early March: Corrected forms may be issued if necessary.

Chasing down tax forms is not fun for anybody, but in many cases there are valid reasons for the delay in information. Happy (?) Tax Season!

My son is now driving and definitely not worried about tax forms just yet!