Instructions for Form 5498-ESA (Rev. December 2026)

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Instructions for Form
5498-ESA
(Rev. December 2026)

Coverdell ESA Contribution Information
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code
unless otherwise noted.

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to
Form 5498-ESA and its instructions, such as legislation
enacted after they were published, go to IRS.gov/
Form5498ESA.
You can get Pub. 1099, General Instructions for Certain
Information Returns, at IRS.gov/1099GeneralInstructions.

What’s New
Address fields. For the Trustee’s, Issuer’s, and
Beneficiary’s information, we separated the address fields
into individual entry boxes.
Continuous-use form and instructions. Form
5498-ESA and these instructions have been converted
from an annual revision to continuous use. Both the form
and instructions will be updated as needed. For the most
recent versions, go to IRS.gov/Form5498ESA.
Continuous-use revisions. Use the December 2026
revision of Form 5498–ESA and these instructions to file
2026 information with the IRS in early 2027. Also use
them to furnish the information to the recipient. Continue
to use these revisions for subsequent years until we issue
a superseding revision. Do not use these revisions for
prior years.

Reminders

In addition to these specific instructions, you should use
the current Pub. 1099, General Instructions for Certain
Information Returns. Those general instructions include
information about the following topics.
• Who must file.
• When and where to file.
• Electronic reporting.
• Corrected and void returns.
• Statements to recipients.
• Taxpayer identification numbers (TINs).
• Backup withholding.
• Penalties.
• Other general topics.
E-filing returns. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019
authorized the Department of the Treasury and the IRS to
issue regulations that reduce the 250-return e-file
threshold. T.D. 9972, published February 23, 2023,
lowered the e-file threshold to 10 (calculated by
aggregating all information returns), effective for
information returns required to be filed on or after January
1, 2024. Go to IRS.gov/InfoReturn for e-file options.

Sep 22, 2025

Information Returns Intake System (IRIS). The IRS
has developed IRIS, an online portal for e-filing
information returns. Go to IRS.gov/IRIS for more
information.
Online fillable form. Due to the very low volume of
paper Forms 5498-ESA received and processed by the
IRS each year, this form has been converted to an online
fillable format. You may fill out the form, found online at
IRS.gov/Form5498ESA, and send Copy B to the recipient.
For filing with the IRS, follow the applicable procedures if
you are required to file electronically, or, for this form
only, if you are qualified to file on paper, send in the
black-and-white Copy A with Form 1096 that you print
from the IRS website.

Specific Instructions

File Form 5498-ESA, Coverdell ESA Contribution
Information, with the IRS for each person for whom you
maintained any Coverdell education savings account
(ESA) during the calendar year shown on the form.

A Coverdell ESA is a trust or custodial account created
or organized in the United States exclusively for the
purpose of paying the qualified education expenses of an
individual who is the designated beneficiary of the trust or
custodial account. The account must be designated as a
Coverdell ESA at the time it is created or organized in
order to be treated as a Coverdell ESA for tax purposes.
The governing instrument creating the trust must meet the
requirements of section 530(b)(1).
Contributions. You must report contributions, including
rollover contributions, to any Coverdell ESA on Form
5498-ESA. See the instructions under Box 1 and Box 2,
later. If no reportable contributions were made for the
calendar year, no return is required.
For contributions made between January 1st and April
15th of the year following the calendar year shown on the
form, trustees and issuers should obtain the participant's
designation of the year for which the contributions are
made.
Rollovers and transfers. Report on Form 5498-ESA
all rollovers, including a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer
from one Coverdell ESA to another Coverdell ESA. A
rollover can be made from certain U.S. Savings Bonds or
another Coverdell ESA. The contribution of a military
death gratuity to a Coverdell ESA is a rollover contribution.
Any amount distributed from a Coverdell ESA may be
rolled over to another Coverdell ESA and is not taxable if it
is paid no later than the 60th day after the date of such
payment or distribution into another Coverdell ESA for the
benefit of the same beneficiary or a member of the
beneficiary's family who has not reached age 30 as of

Instructions for Form 5498-ESA (Rev. 12-2026) Catalog Number 34006Q
Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov

such date. The preceding sentence does not apply to any
payment or distribution if it applied to any prior payment or
distribution during the 12-month period ending on the date
of the payment or distribution.
Family member. Family members of the designated
beneficiary include the beneficiary's spouse. Also
included are the beneficiary's children, stepchildren, foster
children, and their descendants; siblings and their
children; parents, their siblings, and ancestors;
stepparents; in-laws; the spouse of any of the foregoing;
and any first cousin of the designated beneficiary.
Total distribution, no contributions. Generally, if a total
distribution was made from an account during the year
and no contributions (including rollovers) were made for
that year, you do not need to file Form 5498-ESA.
Distributions. Report distributions from any Coverdell
ESA on Form 1099-Q, Payments From Qualified
Education Programs. Any change in the beneficiary of the
Coverdell ESA is not treated as a distribution if the new
beneficiary is a family member (see above) of the prior
beneficiary and has not reached the age of 30 (except for
a beneficiary with special needs).
Statements to participants. If you are required to file
Form 5498-ESA, you must furnish a statement to the
beneficiary (participant) by April 30 of the year following
the calendar year for which you are filing the form.
For more information about the requirement to furnish
statements to participants, see part M in the current Pub.
1099.
Truncating beneficiary’s TIN on payee statements.
Pursuant to Regulations section 301.6109-4, all filers of
this form may truncate a beneficiary’s TIN (social security

2

number (SSN), individual taxpayer identification number
(ITIN), adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN), or
employer identification number (EIN)) on payee
statements. Truncation is not allowed on any documents
filed with the IRS. A trustee’s or issuer's TIN may not be
truncated on any form. See part J in the current Pub.
1099.
For calendar year. Enter the 4-digit calendar year in the
"For calendar year" entry space for the calendar year this
form is being filed.
Country. For a list of country codes, go to IRS.gov/
CountryCodes.
Account number. The account number is required if you
have multiple accounts for a recipient for whom you are
filing more than one Form 5498-ESA. Additionally, the IRS
encourages you to designate an account number for all
Forms 5498-ESA that you file. See part L in the current
Pub. 1099.

Box 1. Coverdell ESA Contributions

Enter contributions to a Coverdell ESA made for the
calendar year and through April 15 of the following year
that are designated for the calendar year.
Do not include rollovers in box 1. Report rollovers in
box 2.

Box 2. Rollover Contributions

Enter any rollover contributions (including a military death
gratuity and a trustee-to-trustee transfer) to this Coverdell
ESA received by you during the calendar year (see
Rollovers and transfers, earlier).

Instructions for Form 5498-ESA (Rev. 12-2026)