Schedule F (Form 1040) 2015: Report Farm Profit or Loss

Schedule F (Form 1040) (2015) is the IRS profit or loss form for farming sole proprietors who must report farm income and expenses on their federal income tax return for tax year 2015.

Late Filers

Farmers who missed the April 15, 2016, deadline can still file a 2015 Schedule F to stop the failure-to-file penalty from accruing monthly.

Multiple Income Sources

Schedule F covers livestock sales, produce, grains, cooperative distributions, agricultural program payments, crop insurance, and custom hire income on one federal income tax return.

Itemizing Deductions

Farmers whose expenses — such as feed, fertilizers, labor hired, and depreciation — exceed the standard deduction can itemize qualifying farm costs on the 2015 Schedule F.

Claiming 2015 Credits

Eligible farmers may report a gasoline or fuel tax credit or refund as other farm income on Line 8 when computing net farm profit.

IRS Compliance

Filing Schedule F creates a compliance record with the IRS, which may be required before approving a payment plan or resolving an outstanding farm balance.

Citizens Abroad / Military

U.S. citizens farming abroad or military personnel with farming operations may still need to file Schedule F and report farm profit or loss on their return.

Follow the steps below to accurately complete your 2015 Schedule F; note that some steps include rules and line numbers unique to this tax year.

1. Gather Your Documents Before Starting

Collect all farm income records before starting, including Form 1099-PATR for cooperative distributions, Form 1099-G for agricultural program and Conservation Reserve Program payments, CCC loan documentation, crop insurance statements, and receipts for all deductible farm expenses.

2. Choose the Correct Accounting Method [2015 Only]

On the 2015 Schedule F, select cash or accrual method on Line C. Cash-method farmers complete Parts I and II; accrual-method farmers complete Parts II and III, entering Part III gross income on Part I, Line 9. Do not switch methods without IRS approval, as changes affect income timing and deductions for tax year 2015.

3. Report All Income on the Correct Lines

Report purchased livestock on Line 1a, raised livestock and produce on Line 2, cooperative distributions on Line 3a, agricultural program payments on Line 4a, CCC loans on Line 5a, crop insurance on Line 6a, custom hire on Line 7, and other income on Line 8. For 2015, CRP payments on IRS Form 1099-G are fully taxable. [2015 Only]

4. Calculate Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

Subtract total expenses on Line 33 from gross income on Line 9 to reach net farm profit or loss on Line 34, then carry that figure to Form 1040 and Schedule SE. Net farm profit determines the self-employment tax base and affects AGI, which controls eligibility for deductions and credits.

5. Choose Your Deductions and Apply Applicable Rules [2015 Only]

Report all allowable expenses in Part II, Lines 10 through 32f — including car and truck, chemicals, conservation, depreciation, and Section 179, feed, fertilizers, insurance, interest, labor hired, rent or lease, repairs, seeds and plants, supplies, utilities, and veterinary costs. For 2015, Pease limitations reduced certain itemized deductions for higher-income taxpayers, potentially affecting Form 1040 deductions outside Schedule F. [2015 Only]

6. Determine Material Participation and At-Risk Status [2015 Only]

Answer Line E to confirm material participation during 2015; there are no limits on losses under passive activity rules. If Line 34 shows a loss, complete Lines 35 and 36 to indicate subsidy receipt and whether all investment is at risk.

Missing Schedule F (Form 1040) or Tax Records for 2015?

Late filers often lack original 2015 farm income documents, but IRS transcripts and Social Security Administration records can help reconstruct the information needed to file an accurate 2015 Schedule F return.

IRS Wage & Income Transcript

This free IRS transcript lists income reported by employers, cooperatives, and financial institutions for 2015 — including Form 1099-G and agricultural program amounts — and is available at IRS.gov.

IRS Account Transcript

The IRS account transcript shows estimated tax payments received, penalties assessed, and account adjustments for 2015, making it useful for reconciling any discrepancies in the outstanding farm tax balance.

Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration can provide wage records for hired farm employees if the original W-2 is missing, particularly for labor hired on the farm during the 2015 tax year.

Contact Prior Employers

If a Form 1099-PATR, Form 1099-G, or other farm income record is missing, contact the issuing cooperative or institution for a duplicate, or use the IRS wage and income transcript to verify amounts.

Do not estimate farm income figures; use official IRS transcripts to match records and reduce the likelihood of follow-up notices.

These are the most frequent errors causing IRS delays, rejected returns, or missed credits on 2015 Schedule F returns.

• Using the wrong tax year form — Submitting any prior- or subsequent-year version of Schedule F will result in automatic rejection, so always use the official 2015 form exclusively.
  
  
• Missing Schedule SE / net earnings from self-employment — Failing to attach Schedule SE when the 2015 net farm profit is $400 or more causes the IRS to assess self-employment tax and issue a notice.
  
  
• Wrong accounting method selection — Checking the wrong accounting method on Line C and completing incorrect schedule parts produces an inaccurate gross income figure and may prompt an IRS examination.
  
  
• Applying Pease limitations incorrectly — Higher-income taxpayers must correctly apply the 2015 Pease limitation to itemized deductions on Form 1040, even when farm expenses are separately reported on Schedule F.
  
  
• Treating Conservation Reserve Program income incorrectly — CRP payments on IRS Form 1099-G are taxable in 2015 and may be subject to self-employment tax for materially participating farmers per Eighth Circuit precedent.
  
  
• Assuming a refund is still available — The three-year window to claim a 2015 income tax refund closed April 15, 2019; any unclaimed refund is now permanently forfeited and cannot be recovered.
  
  
• Missing or incorrect Social Security numbers — An incorrect or missing Social Security number or EIN on Schedule F or Form 1040 will cause the IRS to reject or delay the return.
  
  
• Unsigned return — A 2015 Schedule F on an unsigned Form 1040 is invalid and will not be processed until the taxpayer provides the required signature.
  
  
• Missing attachments — Omitting Schedule SE, Form 4562, or Form 4797 for breeding livestock causes the IRS to delay processing or disallow the claimed farm deduction.
  

What is Schedule F (Form 1040) (2015) used for?

Schedule F (Form 1040) (2015) is the IRS form that sole proprietors use to report farm profit or loss. It covers all farm income — including sales of livestock, produce, grains, and agricultural program payments — and all deductible farm expenses for the 2015 individual federal income tax return.

Can I still file a 2015 Schedule F tax return?

Yes, a farmer can still file a 2015 Schedule F after the April 15, 2016, deadline. If taxes are owed, filing now stops the failure-to-file penalty from accruing further. However, the three-year window to claim a 2015 refund closed on April 15, 2019, so any refund is no longer available.

Who is required to file Schedule F for 2015?

Any sole proprietor engaged in farming who received farm income or incurred farm expenses during 2015 must file Schedule F and attach it to Form 1040. This includes crop farmers, livestock producers, and those receiving Conservation Reserve Program or other agricultural program payments reported on IRS Form 1099-G.

How does Schedule F relate to Schedule SE in 2015?

Net farm profit reported on Line 34 of Schedule F carries over to Schedule SE (Self-Employment Tax) when net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. Schedule SE calculates the self-employment tax owed under the Social Security Act, which is then reported on Form 1040 for the 2015 tax year.

Are Conservation Reserve Program payments taxable on the 2015 Schedule F?

Yes, CRP payments received in 2015 and reported on IRS Form 1099-G must be included in farm income on Schedule F, Line 4a. Whether those amounts are also subject to self-employment tax depends on material participation; the Eighth Circuit held that CRP income is self-employment income for material participants. [2015 Only]

What is the difference between Schedule F and Schedule E for farming income?

Schedule F is used when a sole proprietor operates the farm and materially participates in the business. Schedule E covers farm rental income — including real estate rental payments — where the landlord does not materially participate and instead receives a fixed cash or crop-share rent from a tenant farmer.

What farm expenses are deductible on the 2015 Schedule F?

Deductible 2015 farm expenses include car and truck costs, chemicals, conservation, custom hire, depreciation and Section 179, employee benefits, feed, fertilizers, freight, gasoline and fuel, insurance, interest, labor hired, pension plans, rent or lease, repairs, seeds and plants, storage, supplies, taxes, utilities, and veterinary and breeding costs.

What happens if I do not file Schedule F for 2015?

Failing to file the 2015 Schedule F triggers a 5% monthly failure-to-file penalty, up to 25%, plus a 0.5% monthly failure-to-pay penalty and daily interest. The IRS may also assess a substitute return that disallows farm expenses and produces a significantly higher tax liability than a properly completed return would.