Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Box 4 of Form 1098-Q shows what the contract was worth on December 31 of the reporting year. Boxes 5a to 5l show premiums paid during that year, one box for each month, with the date of the payment. A month with several payments shows one combined amount and the date of the last one.
What box 4 reports
The instructions give the box one sentence: “Shows the fair market value (FMV) of your QLAC as of December 31 of the reporting year.” It is a year-end value for the contract, tied to a single date, and it belongs to the reporting year printed on the form. It is a separate figure from the cumulative premium total in box 3, which is discussed in Form 1098-Q box 3.
The opening paragraph of the instructions says the value of a QLAC held in a plan or traditional IRA “is not included when calculating the required minimum distribution (RMD) from your plan or IRA.” The year-end value in box 4 is therefore information about the contract. For a fuller look at the yearly withdrawal rules, see required minimum distributions and the 2026 RMD table.
Boxes 5a to 5l: one box for each month
The lower half of the form is a grid. The participant copy labels the first box “5a January” and the last “5l December”, and each box has a dollar line and a date line. The twelve boxes run in calendar order from January to December.
| Box | What the participant instructions say |
|---|---|
| Box 4 | “Shows the fair market value (FMV) of your QLAC as of December 31 of the reporting year.” |
| Boxes 5a to 5l, what they show | “Show the amount of each premium paid for the contract and the date each premium payment was made in the reporting year.” |
| More than one payment in a month | “If there is more than one payment per month, the box for that month will include the total payments for the month and the date of the last payment in the month.” |
In plain terms, a month with no premium payment has an empty box, a month with one payment shows that payment and its date, and a month with several shows the total and only the last date.
How to read the dates
Because a busy month collapses into one amount and one date, the grid cannot tell you how many separate payments were made. If you paid in installments and need the individual dates, your own bank records or the issuer will have them. The instructions point to the issuer for questions: “If you have questions about your QLAC, contact the issuer at the address and phone number shown on the front of the form.”
Adding up the twelve monthly amounts gives the premiums paid in the reporting year. That addition is just arithmetic on the form’s own boxes. The running total for the whole contract is in box 3.
Account number and the last four digits of your TIN
Two identifying lines sit at the top of the form. The instructions say the account number “May show an account or other unique number the issuer assigned to distinguish your account.”
For your own taxpayer number the instructions say: “For your protection, this form may show only the last four digits of your TIN”. They add that “the issuer has reported your complete TIN to the IRS.” A form that shows only four digits is therefore normal. The boxes at the top of the form are covered in Form 1098-Q boxes 1a, 1b and 2.
Edition and box numbers
This page reads Form 1098-Q (Rev. April 2025), the current file irs.gov served on 2026-10-19. Check the year and edition printed on the form you received, because box numbers can change between editions.
Common mistakes
- Reading box 4 as a figure for any date but year end. The instructions fix it “as of December 31 of the reporting year.”
- Expecting a separate box for each payment in a busy month. The instructions say “the box for that month will include the total payments for the month and the date of the last payment in the month.”
- Worrying that the form hides your number. The instructions explain “the issuer has reported your complete TIN to the IRS.”
Related: required minimum distributions, the 2026 RMD table, and the QLAC limit page.
Sources
- Form 1098-Q, Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contract Information (Rev. April 2025), with Instructions for Participant: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1098q.pdf
- IRS: About Form 1098-Q: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1098-q
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.