Does a wash sale apply if you offset the loss with a profit within the wash sale period.

[nathanial-c-jone]

If you make a wash sale and then a profit within the wash sale period, does the wash still apply?

Scenario: You buy 10 shares XYZ at $10/share on day 1 for $100. On day 5, you sell all for $5/share ($50 loss). On Day 10, you rebuy 10 shares of XYZ at $6/share (the loss is now a wash sale). On Day 20, you sell all for $20/share ($200 cash).

Clearly if the second sale took place on Day 32 or after, the cost basis for the sale would be $110 ($60 + the $50 loss). Is this still true for the sale as stated (on Day 20, which is well within the wash sale period)?

[fanfare · Accepted solution]

Your basis on Day 10 lot is $11.00 per share. It doesn't matter when you sell if you sell at a profit.

Your loss on the Day 1 purchase is disallowed (Wash Sale).

[fanfare]

Oops. Typo! your basis on  the Day 10 lot is $11.00 not $1.00.

[nathanial-c-jone]

Thank you very much for the answer. That answers the question I was asking.

[lingdi]

So, should she get taxed on $90 gain or $140 gain?

[fanfare]

With an adjusted basis of 11, the profit is 9 dollars per share.

[lingdi]

Thank you for the reply! But my question is the deferred wash sale lose of $50 which added on the day 10 basis, is that tax deductible? In other words, the tax should be on $90 or $140 gain?

[rklans]

Understand the purpose of the wash sale treatment. The treatment effectively adds the loss of the first transaction to the cost basis of the second transaction within the 30-day wash period. Thus, the loss would serve to offset any gain in the second transaction by increasing the cost basis of the second transaction. Thus, for tax accounting purpose, the 2 transactions are combined into the second transaction. The tax treatment prevents the taking of a tax loss on a stock when rebuying the same stock within 30 days, netting the loss of the first transaction with any gain of the second transaction. Without the tax loss disallowance, someone could sell a stock for a loss at the short-term tax rate during a massive stock market decline, and then, within a few hours rebuy the stock and proceed to hold onto the repurchased stock for several years before selling it for a long-term gain (at the long-term tax rate that is lower than the short-term tax rate).

[taxesarestilltheft]

And so why do I have a wash sale on my record when I have never sold a stock for a loss?

[Critter-3]

@taxesarestilltheft

Since this is your only post on this forum and there is not enough info posted to give an answer.  I highly recommend you talk to the broker on your account if you don't understand what is on the 1099-B form they issued.  

[taxesarestilltheft]

Well, I sold a stock for a gain, then rebought it later that day.  Now I have a wash on my account.

[fanfare]

Maybe you instructed your broker to use LIFO instead of FIFO.