Can you use your losses to lower your capital gain tax?

[tiddlywinks]

You just never know who is reading this forum thread.
KH

Correct. There are definitely "experts" around here.

The issues are...
1) They are expert in their own situation and circumstance.
2) Many uninformed want to challenge and even argue facts that are foreign to their limited knowledge.
Why should a non-vendor expert even bother?

For trader taxation, Greens annual guide should be a mandatory read.

 

[terr]

My question:

You have 20K net capital loss in year 1. For argument's sake, it is short term. It carries over.

Year 2 you have net short term capital gain of 10K. Does the 20K carryover offset the whole 10K capital gain, making it 0 for the year (and 10K carryover remaining)?

The following seems to be saying that is true:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/capital-gains-and-losses/L7GF1ouP8

"Any excess net capital loss can be carried over to subsequent years to be deducted against capital gains and against up to $3,000 of other kinds of income."

 

[ph1l]

My question:

You have 20K net capital loss in year 1. For argument's sake, it is short term. It carries over.

Year 2 you have net short term capital gain of 10K. Does the 20K carryover offset the whole 10K capital gain, making it 0 for the year (and 10K carryover remaining)?

The following seems to be saying that is true:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/capital-gains-and-losses/L7GF1ouP8

"Any excess net capital loss can be carried over to subsequent years to be deducted against capital gains and against up to $3,000 of other kinds of income."

Yes, true.
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sd.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sd.pdf

 

[Esha.J]

Losses are the stepping stone to achieve success in the Forex Market. You need to learn from it, and should never make the same mistakes that led you to it.

 

[tiddlywinks]

Yes, true.
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sd.pdf

If you include the entire Schedule D you would see on Page 2, section III

Line 21...

NOTE... Enter on Form 1040/SR/NR, Line 7
NOTE... the SMALLER of
NOTE... ($3000) or ($1500)


Back to the question...

You have 20K net capital loss in year 1. For argument's sake, it is short term. It carries over.

Year 2 you have net short term capital gain of 10K. Does the 20K carryover offset the whole 10K capital gain, making it 0 for the year (and 10K carryover remaining)?

Depending on filing status, as an individual, the 10K gain can be offset by 3000, generating a new loss carryover amount of 17000 for the next tax year.

 

[Mr Subliminal]

If you include the entire Schedule D you would see on Page 2, section III

Line 21...

View attachment 265154

NOTE... Enter on Form 1040/SR/NR, Line 7
NOTE... the SMALLER of
NOTE... ($3000) or ($1500)


Back to the question...




Depending on filing status, as an individual, the 10K gain can be offset by 3000, generating a new loss carryover amount of 17000 for the next tax year.

In our case, Line 16 is a gain, not a loss and therefore Line 21 is not completed, per the Schedule D instructions.

@ph1l is correct.

 

[ph1l]

If you include the entire Schedule D you would see on Page 2, section III

Line 21...

View attachment 265154

NOTE... Enter on Form 1040/SR/NR, Line 7
NOTE... the SMALLER of
NOTE... ($3000) or ($1500)


Back to the question...




Depending on filing status, as an individual, the 10K gain can be offset by 3000, generating a new loss carryover amount of 17000 for the next tax year.

I think the 10K gain would have already been entered somewhere on lines 1a through 4 of Schedule D, leaving a 10K loss left this year from the original 20K loss carried over from last year.
And from that 10K loss, 3K would offset ordinary income this year (line 7 on form 1040) with 7K carried over for next year.

So, the IRS lets you apply carried over capital losses from last year to the same type of capital gain (short-term) this year.

I admit having no experience in this since I never lose. Just kidding -- I carried over capital losses once or twice when I had to fill out the forms by hand. I suppose any retail tax software would easily handle this now.

 

[terr]

So, the IRS lets you apply carried over capital losses from last year to the same type of capital gain (short-term) this year.

To make sure - fully, right? Not subject to the $3000 limit.

 

[Mr Subliminal]

To make sure - fully, right? Not subject to the $3000 limit.

Correct.

 

[tiddlywinks]

In our case, Line 16 is a gain, not a loss and therefore Line 21 is not completed, per the Schedule D instructions.

@ph1l is correct.

Agree.

The second year 10k short term gain is fully offset by the first year 20k short term loss carryover. Additionally, since the offset of like-type capital gains (short term only in this case) has been fully applied, still with excess short term loss, an additional 3k (depending on filing status) can be applied to ordinary income. The result from this offsetting would be a remaining short-term carry over loss of 7k.