Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Form 1099-LTC reports payments made under a long-term care insurance contract or as accelerated death benefits. The policyholder’s copy says “A payer, such as an insurance company or a viatical settlement provider, must give this form to you for payments made under a long-term care insurance contract or for accelerated death benefits.” Find the box you are reading in the table below.
The boxes, one page each
Each row links to the page that reads that part of the form. The right column is a line from the policyholder copy of the form. The form has five boxes, and two pages cover them in groups because the boxes work together.
| Page | What the policyholder copy says |
|---|---|
| Form 1099-LTC boxes 1 and 2 | “Shows the gross benefits paid under a long-term care insurance contract during the year.” |
| Form 1099-LTC box 3 | “Shows if the amount in box 1 or 2 was paid on a per diem basis or was reimbursement of actual long-term care expenses.” |
| Form 1099-LTC boxes 4 and 5 | “May show if the benefits were from a qualified long-term care insurance contract.” |
Who gets which copy
The form has separate copies for the policyholder and the insured. The insured’s copy says: “If you are the insured but are not the policyholder, Copy C is provided to you for information only because these payments are not taxable to you.” The policyholder’s copy sends the reader onward: “See Pub. 525 and Form 8853 and its instructions for more information.” The Form 8853 line on the return is introduced on Schedule 1 lines 8d to 8f.
Edition this guide follows
These pages read Form 1099-LTC (Rev. April 2025) and the Instructions for Form 1099-LTC (Rev. April 2025), the current files irs.gov served on 2026-10-19. The instructions say “Use these instructions for tax year 2025 and subsequent years until a superseding revision is issued.” Check the year printed on the form you received.
Common mistakes
- Treating every dollar in box 1 as taxable. The form says “Generally, amounts received under a qualified long-term care insurance contract are excluded from your income.” It adds: “However, if payments are made on a per diem basis, the amount you may exclude is limited.”
- Reading box 3 as optional detail. It “Shows if the amount in box 1 or 2 was paid on a per diem basis”, and that decides whether the per diem limit applies.
- Expecting the insured to report the form. Copy C says “Only the policyholder is required to report this information on a tax return.”
Related: Long-term care guide, Hybrid vs traditional long-term care insurance, Medicare and long-term care, and Form 1040.
Sources
- Form 1099-LTC, Long-Term Care and Accelerated Death Benefits (Rev. April 2025), with Instructions for Policyholder and Insured: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1099ltc.pdf
- Instructions for Form 1099-LTC (Rev. April 2025): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1099ltc.pdf
- IRS: About Form 1099-LTC: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-ltc
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 19, 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.