How Tax-Loss Harvesting Works

Sell losing investments to realize capital losses before December 31st Use losses to offset capital gains dollar-for-dollar in the same tax year Excess losses offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income annually Remaining losses carry forward indefinitely to future tax years Reinvest proceeds in similar but not identical securities to stay invested

Cannot repurchase the same or substantially identical security within 30 days The 30-day window includes 30 days before and 30 days after the sale date Violations disallow the tax loss and add the disallowed amount to the new cost basis The rule applies across spouse's accounts and retirement accounts you control

Substantially Identical Securities

Same company stock or bonds from the same issuer are always considered identical Different share classes of the same company are typically considered identical ETFs tracking the same index are usually identical; different indexes generally are not Sector ETFs and broad market funds are generally not considered identical

Short-Term vs Long-Term Losses

Short-term losses (held one year or less) offset short-term gains first Long-term losses (held over one year) offset long-term gains first Excess losses then offset the opposite type of gains after same-type matching Long-term capital gains receive preferential tax rates (0%, 15%, or 20%)

Implementation Best Practices

Review your portfolio for harvesting opportunities quarterly, especially before year-end Maintain asset allocation by purchasing similar but different replacement securities Track cost basis carefully and use the specific identification method Harvest losses in taxable accounts while keeping winners in retirement accounts

Harvest losses before December 31st to reduce current year taxes Avoid wash sale violations by waiting 31 days before repurchasing Offset gains first, then up to $3,000 of ordinary income annually Maintain portfolio allocation with similar but different replacement securities

Tax-Loss Harvesting: A Complete Guide

Curated by: Rubric Advisors

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What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting

A strategy to sell investments at a loss to offset taxable gains in the same year
Reduces current year tax liability while maintaining overall portfolio allocation
Available to all investors in taxable accounts — not applicable to retirement accounts
Must follow strict IRS wash sale rules to preserve the tax benefit

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What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting

How Tax-Loss Harvesting Works

Wash Sale Rules

Substantially Identical Securities

Short-Term vs Long-Term Losses

Implementation Best Practices

Key Takeaways

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What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting

How Tax-Loss Harvesting Works

Wash Sale Rules

Substantially Identical Securities

Short-Term vs Long-Term Losses

Implementation Best Practices

Key Takeaways

Related Topics

Year-Round Tax Planning

Selling Rental Property: Tax Playbook

Tax Alpha: How Tax Management Adds Returns