Wash Sale Calculator

Understanding Wash Sales

A wash sale occurs when you sell or trade a security at a loss and, within 30 days before or after the sale, you buy a "substantially identical" stock or security, or acquire a contract or option to do so. The IRS prohibits you from deducting losses related to wash sales.

This calculator helps you determine the earliest date you can buy back a stock after selling it for a loss to avoid a wash sale.

Example

For example, if you sold a stock at a loss on January 1, you would need to wait until February 1 to buy back the same stock to avoid a wash sale. Similarly, if you bought a stock on January 1 and sold it at a loss on February 1, you should not repurchase it before March 3 to avoid the wash sale rule.

How to Use the Wash Sale Calculator

1. Last Transaction Date: Select the date of your most recent stock transaction.
2. Last Transaction Type: Choose the type of your most recent transaction:
   • Sold Stock at a Loss: You sold a stock and incurred a loss.
   • Sold Stock for a Profit: You sold a stock and made a profit.
   • Bought Stock (With no selling in past 30 days): You bought a stock and have not sold any stock in the past 30 days.
   • Bought Stock (With a sale in past 30 days): You bought a stock and have a sale in the past 30 days.
3. Click the Calculate button to see the results.