Partially Taxable Pensions and Annuities
Enter the total pension or annuity payments (from Form 1099-R, box 1) on line 5a. If your Form 1099-R doesn’t show the taxable amount, you must use the General Rule explained in Pub. 939 to figure the taxable part to enter on line 5b. But if your annuity starting date (defined later) was after July 1, 1986, see Simplified Method , later, to find out if you must use that method to figure the taxable part.
You can ask the IRS to figure the taxable part for you for a $1,000 fee. For details, see Pub. 939.
If your Form 1099-R shows a taxable amount, you can report that amount on line 5b. But you may be able to report a lower taxable amount by using the General Rule or the Simplified Method or if the exclusion for retired public safety officers, discussed next, applies.