If you earn interest, sell an investment or receive dividends or other types of non-employee-related payments from a business, you will receive a Form 1099, which is used for completing tax returns. Financial institutions must provide a Form 1099 by the end of January. (The information is also reported to the Internal Revenue Service.) If you haven't received a Form 1099 by February, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

There are over a dozen types of Form 1099. For example, a 1099-DIV reports investment dividends and distributions, while a 1099-S reports proceeds from real estate transactions. Many people receive a 1099-INT, which reports interest income. That’s our focus here.