I'm a patterned day trader...file as a "Trader in Securities." Last year I had a substantial loss. I don't want to be restricted to a $3000 per year deduction. What do I need to do to get mark to market tax treatment so that I can use my entire loss to avoid paying taxes on future profits. Is there an official form to fill out or do I just simply request mark to market? Thanks for your good advice.
What I read is you need atleast, 760 trades, profits in the millions. There may be other rules. Very few people would qualify under those rules.
Some general rules for those who hope to qualify as a trader with the IRS: You should be making at least four trades per day, four days per week Your average holding period must be less than 31 days. If you want to hold some securities longer, segregate them in a separate brokerage account. For that portfolio, you’ll be treated as an investor. You should spend at least four hours per day working as a trader, including research and administration. The account size should be significant account. If someone has an account at $5,000, it’s not serious enough for the IRS. You should be treating day trading as a business, with the necessary equipment, software and research tools
I meet all the criteria and have for years. This is the first time I've had a loss for the year and my question is what I have to do to be able to deduct the entire loss in the future as opposed to deducting $3,000 a year which would be the case if I was not filing as a patterned day trader.
Dude, stop asking questions and fill this out... https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf Just chillaxit man.
Consult a qualified tax accountant. That is your best option. He or she can give you the best advice and how to maximize your losses to deduct from your winnings.
Unfortunately they are vague with a lot of things that are little niches like this. It mostly comes from private letter rulings and cases. That's why you pay CPAs the big bucks to do this for you, one of the areas in life where it makes sense. And Green and Co know this little niche better than almost any CPA.