Taxes Tax Planning What Is Form 1099-Q? Form 1099-Q Explained in Less Than 4 Minutes By Logan Allec Updated on January 5, 2023 Reviewed by Lea D. Uradu Fact checked by Heather van der Hoop Fact checked by Heather van der Hoop Website Heather van der Hoop (she/her) has been editing since 2010. She has edited thousands of personal finance articles on everything from what happens to debt when you die to the intricacies of down-payment assistance programs. Her work has appeared on The Penny Hoarder, NerdWallet, and more. learn about our editorial policies In This Article View All In This Article How Does Form 1099-Q Work? Who Uses Form 1099-Q? Where To Get a Form 1099-Q Benefits of Form 1099-Q Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: Hill Street Studios / Getty images Definition Form 1099-Q is the IRS tax form used to report distributions from qualified education programs, including 529 plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Key Takeaways Form 1099-Q is used to report distributions from 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs.The form is filed with the IRS by the 529 plan and Coverdell ESAs administrators, with a copy sent to the beneficiary or, in some instances, the account owner.The IRS uses Form 1099-Q to ensure that taxpayers are in compliance with 529 plan and Coverdell ESA rules. How Does Form 1099-Q Work? 1099-Q is the tax form on which distributions from 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs are reported. If you’ve received a distribution from one of these programs, you should also receive Form 1099-Q. It’s issued to people who received distributions from one of these education programs during the year, or in some cases, to account owners. Example of Form 1099-Q Let’s say that a parent set up a 529 plan for their child years ago. In 2022, the child attended college and the 529 plan made a distribution that the child used to pay for their tuition. In this case, the 529 plan administrator would issue a Form 1099-Q to the child. Who Uses Form 1099-Q? Form 1099-Q is used by qualified education programs, individuals, and the IRS. Qualified education programs are responsible for filing Form 1099-Q with the IRS and sending a copy to the recipient of the distribution. If the distribution was not made to the beneficiary or directly to an educational institution (such as a college or university) for the benefit of the beneficiary, Form 1099-Q should instead be issued to the account owner. Individuals use Form 1099-Q to review the distribution amounts they received from qualified education programs during the previous tax year. Note While distributions from 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs are generally not taxable if used for qualified educational expenses, they may be taxable if used for non-qualified expenses. Form 1099-Q recipients should ensure they have used their distributed amounts for qualified purposes. Otherwise, any distribution amount reported on Form 1099-Q in excess of the amount used for qualified purposes may be taxable. The IRS uses Form 1099-Q to know the amount of distributions made from 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs. For example, if a taxpayer is audited, the IRS may compare the amount of qualified educational expenses the taxpayer claims to have paid with the distribution amount reported on Form 1099-Q. Where To Get a Form 1099-Q If you received a distribution from a 529 plan or a Coverdell ESA during the previous tax year, you should expect to receive a Form 1099-Q from your plan administrator or trustee by Jan. 31 of the following year. Note You may receive your Form 1099-Q either electronically or by mail. When you receive Form 1099-Q, the first thing you should do is compare the gross distribution amount reported in Box 1 to the amount of qualified educational expenses paid by the beneficiary (or paid on their behalf) during the year. If the amount in Box 1 exceeds the amount of qualified educational expenses paid during the year, you will need to use the amounts in Box 2 and Box 3 to determine the taxable amount of your distribution. Keep in mind that any basis amount reported in Box 2 can typically be withdrawn tax-free at any time. What To Do If You Don’t Receive Form 1099-Q If you were expecting a Form 1099-Q and you don’t receive it by Jan. 31, contact your 529 plan administrator or Coverdell ESA trustee to ask about the status. Benefits of Form 1099-Q Form 1099-Q, like many informational tax forms, helps taxpayers prepare their taxes. However, taxpayers should compare the amounts reported on Form 1099-Q with their own records and communicate any discrepancy to the qualified education program that filed the Form 1099-Q. Form 1099-Q also helps the IRS catch tax cheats who abuse the tax advantages of qualified education programs by using their distributions for non-qualified purposes but not reporting non-qualified amounts in excess of their basis as taxable income Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is a qualified plan for IRS form 1099-Q? Form 1099-Q is used to document payments from "qualified tuition programs," according to the IRS. Qualified tuition programs are typically 529 plans and allow the owner to contribute money toward a beneficiary's college expenses. Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are also reported on a 1099-Q. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. IRS. “Instructions for Form 1099-Q.” IRS. “Topic No. 310 Coverdell Education Savings Accounts." IRS. “Topic No. 313 Qualified Tuition Programs (QTPs).” IRS. “General Instructions for Certain Information Returns,” Page 28. IRS. "Topic No. 313 Qualified Tuition Programs (QTPs)."