Updated October 16, 2026. Quick answer: Box 17 of Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) reports a partner’s share of alternative minimum tax adjustments, in six codes A through F. An individual partner uses them to prepare Form 6251, together with adjustments from other sources. Codes A, B and C each name a Form 6251 line.
What box 17 reports
On the form, line 17 of Part III is labelled “Alternative minimum tax (AMT) items”. The instructions open with what to do with it: “Use the information reported in box 17 (as well as your adjustments and tax preference items from other sources) to prepare your Form 6251; or Schedule I (Form 1041), Alternative Minimum Tax”. The other boxes are on the Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) boxes overview. The tax form is covered on the Form 6251 page.
Box 17 is one input to the partner’s own AMT computation, alongside the adjustments and tax preference items from other sources named in the quotation above.
Box 17 codes and Form 6251 lines
Individual partners report three of the codes on named lines of Part I of Form 6251. The other codes work from a statement.
| Code | Item | Where the instructions send it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Post-1986 depreciation adjustment | “If you’re an individual partner, report this amount on Form 6251, Part I, line 2l.” |
| B | Adjusted gain or loss | “If you’re an individual partner, report this amount on Form 6251, Part I, line 2k.” |
| C | Depletion (other than oil and gas) | “If you’re an individual partner, report this amount on Form 6251, Part I, line 2d.” |
| D and E | Oil, gas and geothermal properties | “Use the amounts reported and the amounts on the attached statement to help you figure the net amount to enter on Form 6251, Part I, line 2t.” |
| F | Other AMT items | “Enter the information on the statement attached by the partnership on the applicable lines of Form 6251, Form 4626, or Schedule I (Form 1041).” |
Codes A, B and C in the instructions
Each of the first three is described as the partner’s share of a partnership computation. For code A, “This amount is your share of the partnership’s post-1986 depreciation adjustment.” For code B, “This amount is your share of the partnership’s adjusted gain or loss.” For code C, “This amount is your share of the partnership’s depletion adjustment.”
Depreciation itself is reported by the partnership elsewhere, and the regular depreciation forms are covered on the Form 4562 page. Box 17 is only the AMT adjustment figured on the partnership’s side.
Oil, gas and geothermal, codes D and E
These two codes are narrower than they look. “The amounts reported on these lines include only the gross income (code D) from, and deductions (code E) allocable to, oil, gas, and geothermal properties included in box 1 of Schedule K-1.”
Items from other boxes come on a statement: “The partnership should have attached a statement that shows any income from or deductions allocable to such properties that are included in boxes 2 through 13, 18, and 20 of Schedule K-1.” The partner then combines the K-1 amount and the statement into one number for Form 6251, Part I, line 2t, as the table above shows.
Code F and the other forms
Code F is a catch-all. The partnership identifies the items on a statement, and the instructions name three possible destinations in the table above: Form 6251, Form 4626 and Schedule I (Form 1041). Schedule I (Form 1041) is the estate and trust version named in the box 17 opening, and that side is covered on the Schedule K-1 (Form 1041) boxes page.
AMT credit and later years
Box 17 feeds the AMT computation for the year. Recovering AMT paid in an earlier year is a separate topic, covered on the AMT credit recovery page.
The limits that apply before box 17 matters
The instructions list the limitations on partnership losses in a fixed order: “These limitations and the order in which you must apply them are as follows: the basis limitations, the at-risk limitations, the passive activity limitations, and the excess business loss limitations.” The Part III amounts are shown before any of that: “The amounts shown in boxes 1 through 21 reflect your share of income, loss, deductions, credits, and other items from partnership business or rental activities without reference to limitations on losses or adjustments that may be required of you”.
Which revision applies
The edition read for this page is the 2025 Partner’s Instructions for Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) and the 2025 Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) itself, which are the revisions irs.gov served when they were read on 2026-10-16. Check the revision printed on the Schedule K-1 you received and the matching instructions, because a later edition can change the box layout, the code letters and the reporting lines.
Common mistakes
- Entering box 17 amounts on Form 1040. The instructions say to use the information, with adjustments and tax preference items from other sources, to prepare Form 6251 (or Schedule I (Form 1041) for an estate or trust).
- Putting code A, B or C on the wrong Form 6251 line. The instructions give code A to Part I, line 2l, code B to line 2k and code C to line 2d.
- Ignoring the statement on codes D, E and F. The instructions say the oil, gas and geothermal figure on line 2t uses the attached statement, and code F is entered from the statement the partnership attached.
Related: Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) boxes explained, Form 6251 alternative minimum tax, AMT credit recovery, Form 4562 depreciation, and Schedule K-1 (Form 1041) boxes explained.
Sources
- 2025 Partner’s Instructions for Schedule K-1 (Form 1065): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1065sk1.pdf
- Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) (2025), Partner’s Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc.: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1065sk1.pdf
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 16, 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.