Option Spread (Filing Returns)

K

Kaytrade

Last year I entered a lot of options trades

on SPY - Iron Condors and Vertical spreads to be precise.

My dilemma is reporting this trades to the IRS.

1) Do I report these on Schedule D and Form 8949
or
2) Do I have to do anything with Form 6781 (Straddles) - As far as I know all my trades were Verical spreads not straddles.

3) Does anyone know of any software which would take care of wash sales for 'option Spreads'.

I have been using Gainskeeper - for all the equity trades it took care of the 'Wash rule' (shows the W code) - but for Option Spreads all I see is FIFO.


I will be 'lost' if I have to do this manually....
 
If you're starting to do a lot of option trades the best thing to do is get an accountant. I've used one for the past four years and it makes it SO easy. Look in the tax section to get an idea of the good and bad ones.
 
Option Straddles and "tax straddles" are two different things. A straddle (for tax purposes) is defined as an "offsetting position" where there is a "diminished risk of loss by holding one or more other positions with respect to substantially similar or related property"."

Based on this definition, option spreads, such as vertical spreads, covered calls, can be considered a straddle for tax purposes.

If you are trading SPY, you may want to consider trading SPX instead. SPX option contracts are considered 1256 contracts for tax purposes.

1256 contracts are taxed more favorably (60% LT / 40% ST), are marked to market at year end, and help you avoid complicated wash rules and straddle rules.

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<a href="http://www.optionstack.com/?et"> Backtesting Options Strategies </a>
 
The fact that you traded them as spreads doesn’t matter. Just import the all the data and let the win/ losses on the individual options net out. You’re only being taxed on your gains or writing off a portion of your losses. With most brokers you can export a .txf file of your trades, then you can import that into your tax software and it will generate a schedule and form. Easy, but this is for vanilla spreads only, I won't speak into special situations. It’s really no different that stock gains and losses.
 
Kaytrade said:
Last year I entered a lot of options trades

on SPY - Iron Condors and Vertical spreads to be precise.

My dilemma is reporting this trades to the IRS.

1) Do I report these on Schedule D and Form 8949
or
2) Do I have to do anything with Form 6781 (Straddles) - As far as I know all my trades were Verical spreads not straddles.

3) Does anyone know of any software which would take care of wash sales for 'option Spreads'.

I have been using Gainskeeper - for all the equity trades it took care of the 'Wash rule' (shows the W code) - but for Option Spreads all I see is FIFO.


I will be 'lost' if I have to do this manually....
More...

Gainskeeper is very good. Have you asked them?

1245
 
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