What Is a Wash?
Let me explain what a wash means in investing. It's basically a series of transactions that end up with a net gain of zero. For instance, if you lose $100 on one investment but gain $100 on another, that's a wash. You might hear it called a break-even proposition too. But here's where it gets tricky: the tax side of things can complicate matters for you as an investor.
Key Takeaways on Washes
In investing, a wash is when a loss gets canceled out by an equal gain. For taxes, that loss can serve as a deduction, but there are strict time limits on when you can deduct it if you buy back the same stock. You need to know these rules to avoid issues with the IRS.
Understanding a Wash
When two transactions offset each other completely, it's a wash, leaving you at break-even. Take a company that spends $25,000 to make merchandise and sells it for exactly $25,000—that's a wash. Or if you as an investor lose $5,000 selling one investment but gain $5,000 from another, the whole thing washes out.
It sounds straightforward, but the IRS has detailed rules on wash sales for investors, especially when claiming losses. The key rule is you can't claim a loss if you sell a security at a loss and then buy the same or a substantially identical one within 30 days.
An Example of Wash Sale Rules
Suppose you buy 100 shares of Anheuser-Busch (BUD) for $10,000. Six weeks later, those shares drop to $7,000, so you sell them, aiming to deduct the $3,000 capital loss on your taxes. But then, a week after, you think it's a bargain and buy 100 shares back.
In this case, you can't claim that initial loss for tax purposes because you repurchased within the 30-day window. Remember, you can't sell a stock at a loss, buy it back within 30 days, and still deduct the loss.
The Silver Lining in Wash Sales
That loss from a wash isn't totally gone, though. You can add it to the cost basis of your second BUD purchase, which means it'll reduce any taxable gains when you sell later. The benefit is just delayed, not lost.
Plus, the holding period from the first set of shares adds to the new ones. In my example, you'd add those six weeks, helping you reach the one-year mark faster for the lower long-term capital gains tax rate.
When a Wash Becomes Illegal
Not all washes are legal. Some cross into illegal territory because they look like pump and dump schemes. For example, you can't buy a stock through one broker and sell it through another just to drum up fake interest from other investors. That's manipulative and against the rules.
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