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Form 5498 Boxes Explained: Every Box and Code

Updated September 29, 2026. Quick answer: Form 5498 is the year-end form an IRA trustee files to report contributions, rollovers, conversions and the account value. It is information, not a bill. The table lists every box with the IRS heading and the page that explains it.

Every box on Form 5498

BoxIRS headingExplained on
Box 1IRA ContributionsForm 5498 Box 1: IRA Contributions Explained
Box 2Rollover ContributionsForm 5498 Boxes 2, 3 and 4: Rollovers and Conversions
Box 3Roth IRA Conversion AmountForm 5498 Boxes 2, 3 and 4: Rollovers and Conversions
Box 4Recharacterized ContributionsForm 5498 Boxes 2, 3 and 4: Rollovers and Conversions
Box 5FMV of AccountForm 5498 Box 5: Fair Market Value of Account
Box 6Life Insurance Cost Included in Box 1Form 5498 Box 5: Fair Market Value of Account
Box 7CheckboxesForm 5498 Box 7: IRA, SEP, SIMPLE and Roth Checkboxes
Box 8SEP ContributionsForm 5498 Boxes 8, 9 and 10: SEP, SIMPLE and Roth
Box 9SIMPLE ContributionsForm 5498 Boxes 8, 9 and 10: SEP, SIMPLE and Roth
Box 10Roth IRA ContributionsForm 5498 Boxes 8, 9 and 10: SEP, SIMPLE and Roth
Box 11Check if RMD for 2027Form 5498 Box 11 and Box 12: RMD Checkbox and Amount
Box 12aRMD DateForm 5498 Box 11 and Box 12: RMD Checkbox and Amount
Box 12bRMD AmountForm 5498 Box 11 and Box 12: RMD Checkbox and Amount
Box 13aPostponed/Late Contrib.Form 5498 Box 13a, 13b and 13c: Postponed and Late
Box 13bYearForm 5498 Box 13a, 13b and 13c: Postponed and Late
Box 13cCodeForm 5498 Box 13a, 13b and 13c: Postponed and Late
Box 14aRepaymentsForm 5498 Box 14a and 14b: Repayment Codes QR to HP
Box 14bCodeForm 5498 Box 14a and 14b: Repayment Codes QR to HP
Box 15aFMV of Certain Specified AssetsForm 5498 Box 15a and 15b: Hard-to-Value IRA Assets
Box 15bCode(s)Form 5498 Box 15a and 15b: Hard-to-Value IRA Assets

Timing

The IRS sets the filing date: the trustee files “by May 31, 2027” for the 2026 form. The value statement comes earlier: “The statement must show the value of the participant’s account as of December 31, 2026”. The instructions read here are the 2026 edition of the IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498, which cover Form 5498 for 2026 and are written for the IRA trustee or issuer that files it.

What the form does not tell you

Form 5498 is not a tax bill and does not decide what you owe. Whether you owe anything depends on your return. CMG’s Form 5498 page covers that question. A distribution from the IRA is reported on Form 1099-R instead; see the Form 1099-R Box 7 codes.

Edition and history

The instructions read here are the 2026 edition of the IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498, which cover Form 5498 for 2026 and are written for the IRA trustee or issuer that files it. The instruction file is a single edition with no year-by-year history of the boxes, so this page has no history table. One change the IRS lists for 2026 is the new repayment code HP in Box 14b, described on the Box 14 page.

Figures verified against the IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498 (2026) and the Form 5498 participant copy (2026) on September 30, 2026. The IRS did not yet list a 2027 edition.

Sources

Source: the IRS instructions for the filer of Form 5498, read at irs.gov on September 29, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.