"Various" Acquisition Dates on a 1099-B: How to Enter Them in TurboTax

You're entering a stock sale in TurboTax, you look at the date acquired column on your 1099-B, and instead of a date it says "Various." TurboTax's box wants a date. Do you type the word "Various"? Pick a date? Split the transaction? Here's exactly when "Various" is allowed, when it isn't, and how to enter it so your return is correct.

"Various" isn't an error or a broker mistake. It's shorthand for a sale that pulled shares from more than one purchase date — common with dividend reinvestment, dollar-cost averaging, or selling part of a long-accumulated position.

Why Your 1099-B Says "Various"

When you sell shares that were bought on different dates, the broker can report the sale as a single line with "Various" in the date-acquired column rather than breaking it into one row per purchase lot. You'll see this most often with:

• Dividend reinvestment (DRIP) — every reinvestment is a separate purchase date, so a sale spanning years touches dozens of dates
• Recurring investments — automatic monthly buys of the same fund or stock
• Partial sales of a position you built up over time

The proceeds and total cost basis on that line are still correct. "Various" just describes the acquisition side.

When "Various" Is Allowed

The key rule is about holding period, because that determines short-term vs long-term treatment:

• If every lot in the sale is long-term (held more than one year), you can enter "Various" as the date acquired and report the whole thing as long-term.
• If every lot is short-term (held one year or less), you can likewise use "Various" and report it all as short-term.
• If the sale mixes short-term and long-term lots, you generally cannot lump them under one "Various" line — they have to be split so each holding period is reported correctly.

The good news: your 1099-B already tells you the holding period. Look at which box the transaction is reported under — short-term (Box A/B) or long-term (Box D/E). If it's cleanly in a long-term box, "Various" long-term is fine.

How to Enter It in TurboTax

For a transaction the 1099-B reports as long-term with "Various" date acquired:

1. In the investment sale entry, for Date Acquired choose the option for "Something other than a date" or select "Various" from the dropdown (TurboTax provides this)
2. Enter the Date Sold as shown on the 1099-B
3. Enter proceeds and cost basis exactly as reported
4. Confirm the holding period shows long-term

If TurboTax insists on a specific date and won't accept "Various," you can enter an acquisition date more than one year before the sale date to preserve long-term treatment — as long as that's accurate for every lot in the sale. Never backdate to change the holding period from what's true.

When You Have to Split the Transaction

If a single "Various" line actually contains both short-term and long-term shares (rare on a properly categorized 1099-B, but it happens with transfers or corrected forms), split it:

1. Use your broker's supplemental lot detail to see how many shares and how much basis fall in each holding period
2. Enter one line for the long-term portion (Various, long-term) and one for the short-term portion (Various, short-term)
3. Make sure the two lines' proceeds and basis add back to the original 1099-B line

This is the same lot-level detail that matters for DRIP reinvestment cost basis, where "Various" is most common.

Skip the Data Entry Entirely

If your 1099-B has many "Various" lines — typical for a long-held reinvestment account — converting the PDF avoids manually flagging each one. A PDF-to-CSV/TXF converter preserves the "Various" acquisition indicator and the holding-period classification straight from the 1099-B, so it imports into TurboTax already categorized. For high-volume accounts, that's the difference between minutes and an evening — see 1099-B with too many transactions.

Verify Before Filing

1. Confirm each "Various" line landed in the correct short-term or long-term section
2. Match total proceeds to the 1099-B summary
3. Check that split transactions add back to the original line
4. Confirm cost basis is present (noncovered "Various" lots may need basis filled in — see noncovered securities)

FAQ

Can I just type "Various" for the date acquired in TurboTax?

Yes, when every lot in the sale shares the same holding period. TurboTax provides a "Various" option for date acquired — use it for a sale that's entirely long-term, or entirely short-term.

What does "Various" mean on a 1099-B?

It means the shares sold were purchased on more than one date, so the broker reported a single line instead of one row per purchase lot. It's common with dividend reinvestment and recurring buys.

Can a "Various" transaction be part short-term and part long-term?

It shouldn't be on a properly categorized 1099-B, but if it is, you must split it into a long-term line and a short-term line so each holding period is reported correctly.

TurboTax won't accept "Various" — what date do I enter?

Enter an acquisition date that's accurate and more than one year before the sale to keep long-term treatment, but only if every lot truly qualifies as long-term. Never backdate to misstate the holding period.

Is "Various" a problem for the IRS?

No. "Various" is a standard, accepted way to report a multi-lot sale as long as the holding period is right. The IRS cares about correct short-term vs long-term classification, not a single acquisition date.

How do I handle dozens of "Various" lines?

Convert the 1099-B PDF instead of entering them by hand. The converter carries the "Various" indicator and holding-period classification through to your import, already categorized.

Does "Various" change my tax rate?

Only through the holding period. A long-term "Various" sale is taxed at long-term rates; a short-term one at ordinary rates. The word itself changes nothing — the holding period does.

Can I use "Various" for the date sold too?

No. The date sold is a single, specific day the sale occurred, so it's always an actual date. "Various" applies only to the date acquired, when the shares came from multiple purchase dates.

My broker listed actual dates instead of "Various." Should I combine them?

No. If your broker already broke the lots out by date, enter or import them as reported. "Various" is only for when the broker itself summarized multiple purchase dates on one line.

Bottom Line

"Various" on a 1099-B just means the sale drew from multiple purchase dates. You can enter "Various" in TurboTax whenever the whole sale is one holding period — long-term or short-term — and you only split when a line genuinely mixes the two. Match the box on the 1099-B, keep the holding period honest, and for reinvestment-heavy accounts, convert the PDF so every "Various" line imports already classified.

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A 1099-B full of "Various" lines? Convert it free — the converter preserves the acquisition indicator and holding period, so your reinvestment sales import into TurboTax already sorted into short-term and long-term.