Quote from gkishot:
But what's there to audit if totals are correct and match my details which again I should prepare myself using my personal records? According to you taxpayer is one and only correct provider of the data to the irs, so what they are going to reconcile? Me with myself? And people aren't obligated to use any software like tradelog to file their tax returns, aren't they?
Well, I didn't mean to say that the taxpayer is the one and only provider of the data to the IRS. The broker will also provide the data to the IRS on form 1099, and the IRS will (perhaps) check to make sure that what you and the broker say is the same.
There are two things that are (very) (really, very) irritating about the new reporting rules. One is the shear work of reporting hundreds or thousands of transactions. The other is the fact that the brokers' 1099s are not always correct, which could trigger an audit.
Irritating or not, you should know that the IRS now requires each trade to be reported by the taxpayer for many types of trading instrument. You may get away with just reporting totals as in the past, but you're asking for extra hassle.
And the IRS places the ultimate responsibility for correct reporting on the taxpayer. The point here is that the taxpayer cannot point to the broker's 1099 and say, "Blame the broker if it isn't right." The taxpayer is expected to keep track of his trades and report them correctly, whatever the broker does. Last year there were big problems because in many cases the brokers' reporting was just wrong.
You are quite right that it is not required to use Tradelog or any other software. I think, though, that you will find that doing it by hand is so difficult and time-consuming that you will be glad of some software to make it easier.
So, FWIW, I think FrankSlaughtery's advice is very good.