Is this a wash sale, yes or no?

Discussion in 'Trading' started by S2007S, Feb 11, 2024.


  1. In your scenario you bought 50 shares @ $25 = $1250
    Then bought 1000 shares @ $5 = 5000
    Total: $6250

    You sold 50 shares @ $6 = $300
    You sold 1000 shares @ $6 = $6000
    Total: $6300

    Profit: $50
    You will pay tax on $50
     
    #11     Feb 12, 2024
  2. S2007S

    S2007S


    So in my break down that's not clear enough. ???


    I bought 50 shares and then 1000

    And sold the entire lot of 1050 shares


    I just don't understand how there can possibly by a wash in my transactions
    If I sold at a profit.
     
    #12     Feb 12, 2024
  3. ph1l

    ph1l

    Yes, there would be a wash sale on those 50 shares.
    https://www.costbasistools.com/wash/wash.php
    upload_2024-2-12_10-1-12.png

    So, the $950 loss is a wash sale and is disallowed. This gets added to the basis of the second purchase. The cost basis is 5,000 + 950 == 5,950.

    The sale of 1,050 shares at 6.00 gives you proceeds of 6,300. Subtracting the 5,950 basis results in a short-term gain of $350. So, the disallowed loss from the wash sale is essentially washed away.
     
    #13     Feb 12, 2024
  4. I was just pointing out that you were getting the weighted average cost when the tax will be based on the fifo transactions.
     
    #14     Feb 12, 2024
    JamesOptions and S2007S like this.
  5. S2007S

    S2007S


    So since I pulled out a profit there should not be a wash sale is what you are saying?
     
    #15     Feb 12, 2024
  6. S2007S

    S2007S

    The broker emailed.me back after researching and said it's a WASH sale...


    Wow....

    Absolutely baffling


    I sold it for a profit.

    I bought it once. Bought again to cost average in and sold the entire lot in one trade for a gain.
     
    #16     Feb 12, 2024
  7. S2007S

    S2007S


    The Original shares were bought January 2023

    The second lot of shares were bought January 2024

    The entire amount of shares were sold within a week for a profit.
     
    #17     Feb 12, 2024
  8. ph1l

    ph1l

    No, it is a wash sale. But, if this happened in the same tax year, there is no change to the gain that will be taxed.

    Suppose there was no wash sale rule. Then, there would be a loss of $950 on the first 50 shares. But there would be a gain of $1,000 on the next 1,000 shares ($6,000 proceeds minus $5,000 cost). So, the net result is a short-term gain of $50 (I made a mistake before with the $350 gain).

    With the wash sale rule the loss of $950 on the first 50 shares would be added to the cost basis of the next 1,000 shares. So, instead of a $5,000 cost basis it would be $5,950. Then the short-term gain is also $50 ($6,000 proceeds minus $5,950 cost).
     
    #18     Feb 12, 2024
  9. ph1l

    ph1l

    Then, as I posted before, there is no wash sale.

    Your broker apparently thinks you sold the original 50 shares at a loss within 30 days of buying them (e.g., if you bought them December 31, 2023 not in January, 2023).
     
    #19     Feb 12, 2024
  10. S2007S

    S2007S



    So when is cost averaging into a stock considered a wash sale??

    Many people cost average into a stock over time and that's what I exactly did. So everyone cost averaging in is creating wash sales?

    Doesn't Cathy woods do tbis with millions of shares a year.
     
    #20     Feb 12, 2024