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K-1 Reader Matching Logic: How Uploads Map to Investments

A breakdown of the investment matching rules K1 Reader uses during K-1 upload.

How matching works during K-1 upload

When you upload a K-1, K-1 Reader tries to attach it to the correct existing investment in K1 Aggregator. It does this by comparing information on the K-1 to information already saved on your investments.

This article explains:

  • what fields K-1 Reader compares,

  • how it chooses a match when there are multiple similar investments,

  • what happens when it can’t find a match,

  • how to understand and review duplicates or incorrect matches 

What K-1 Reader is trying to do

For each uploaded K-1, K-1 Reader asks:

“Do we already have an investment record that matches this K-1?”

  • If yes (one clear match): K-1 Reader links the uploaded K-1 to that investment (the extracted K-1 data from the upload is applied to that investment).

  • If no clear match: K-1 Reader creates a new investment record.

What fields K-1 Reader uses to match

K-1 Reader checks your existing investments using the fields below, in this general order. It starts with the strongest identifiers and uses additional fields only when needed to narrow down the result.

Primary identifiers

  1. Partnership EIN

  2. Partnership Name

Additional identifiers (used to break ties)
3. Partner EIN/SSN
4. DRE (Disregarded Entity) EIN
5. DRE Name

In plain English: K-1 Reader tries to match by EIN first. If that’s not enough (because multiple investments share the same EIN), it uses name and partner/DRE details to narrow the match down to one.

How matching works (step-by-step)

K-1 Reader uses a “narrow down” approach.

K-1 Reader evaluates these fields one at a time, moving to the next field only when more than one investment remains a possible match

  1. Start broad (check all investments)

  2. Filter to candidates using the first field (usually Partnership EIN)

  3. If more than one candidate remains, use the next field

  4. Repeat until either:

    1. exactly one investment remains (match found), or

    2. no investments remain (no match), or

    3. more than one investment still matches after all checks (no clear match)

Outcomes

If exactly one match is found

K-1 Reader links the uploaded K-1 to that investment.

What you should expect:

  • The K-1 data extracted from the new upload is applied to that matched investment, and the newly extracted K-1 overwrites any existing data in the investment.

  • You do not get a new investment record created for the same K-1.

If no match is found

K-1 Reader creates a new investment record.

This is normal when:

  • it’s truly a new investment you haven’t uploaded before, or

  • the key identifiers on the K-1 are missing/incorrect compared to what’s in your existing investment list.

If there are multiple possible matches (no clear winner)

If K-1 Reader cannot narrow it down to one investment, it may create a new investment record rather than risk attaching the K-1 to the wrong investment.

This is most likely to happen when:

  • you have multiple investments with the same EIN, and

  • the additional tie-breaker fields (name, partner/DRE IDs) are missing or inconsistent.

Examples

Example 1: One clear match after narrowing

Scenario: You have 50 investments. Three share the same Partnership EIN. You upload a new K-1.

  1. K-1 Reader checks all 50 for a matching Partnership EIN

  2. It finds 3 candidates (same EIN)

  3. It checks those 3 for a matching Partnership Name

  4. Only 1 matches on name

    ✅ Result: K-1 Reader links the K-1 to that investment.

Example 2: Matching requires multiple tie-breakers

Scenario: Same as above, but two investments share the same Partnership Name.

  1. Match on Partnership EIN → 3 candidates

  2. Match on Partnership Name → 2 candidates

  3. Check Partner EIN/SSN → reduces further

  4. If still tied, check DRE EIN, then DRE Name

    ✅ Result: If it narrows to exactly 1 investment, K-1 Reader links to it.

Example 3: New EIN creates a new investment

Scenario: You upload a K-1 with a Partnership EIN that doesn’t exist in your current list.

  1. Match on Partnership EIN → 0 candidates

    ✅ Result: K-1 Reader creates a new investment record.


Intentional duplicates: multiple K-1s with the same EIN

In some cases, multiple K-1s with the same Partnership EIN are expected and intentional. A common example is when a partnership issues separate K-1s to spouses or multiple partners under the same entity.

In these scenarios:

  • Multiple investment records may legitimately share the same EIN.

  • K-1 Reader relies on additional identifiers (such as partnership name, partner identifiers, or DRE information) to determine which investment a K-1 belongs to.

  • If those additional identifiers are not present or are identical, K-1 Reader may create a new investment rather than risk attaching the K-1 to the wrong record.

For more detail on this scenario, see: Multiple K-1s with the Same EIN

This behavior is expected and helps prevent incorrect matching when K-1s are intentionally duplicated.

Note: If the EIN is wrong or formatted differently than your existing record, this may look like a duplicate. In most cases, it’s a data mismatch, not a product error.

What this means in practice (and how to prevent duplicates)

If you have multiple investments with the same EIN…

K-1 Reader must rely on the next fields (name, partner identifiers, DRE fields) to narrow it down.

If those fields are missing or inconsistent, K-1 Reader may create a new investment record.

How to reduce duplicates (what you can control)

Since you can’t change what’s printed on incoming K-1s, the best way to improve matching is to keep your investment records clean and consistent.

Recommended practices

  • Verify key identifiers on the investment record (especially Partnership EIN and Partnership Name) before uploading large batches, when possible.

  • If you have multiple investments with the same EIN, ensure the investment records have distinct names and supporting identifiers (like Partner EIN/SSN or DRE details) where applicable.

  • After an upload batch, review newly created investments to catch duplicates early (duplicates are easier to resolve sooner than later).

  • If you routinely receive K-1s where key identifiers are missing or inconsistent, treat “new investment created” as a normal outcome and plan for a quick review step.

If a K-1 matches incorrectly

Incorrect matches usually happen when more than one investment looks “valid” based on the identifiers available on the K-1.

What to check in K1 Aggregator:

  1. Do you have multiple investments with the same Partnership EIN?

  2. Are those investment records clearly differentiated by name and (when available) partner/DRE identifiers?

  3. Did the K-1 include enough identifiers to narrow down to one investment?

If two investments are genuinely indistinguishable from the identifiers on the K-1, K-1 Reader may not be able to reliably match without a manual review step.