sell at a loss before new year?

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
December 11, 2025
7 replies
93 views

Should I, can I sell my stock at a loss before the new year, then claim loss on taxes, then repurchase same stock after the new year at same price? Seems like you can claim loss on taxes and repurchase and own same amount of shares at a lower price so you still have same number of shares. Is this possible or true?

Best answer by M-MTax

Yes, but you have to be mindful of the wash sale rule:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/wash-sale-rule-what-is-it-how-does-it-wor...

Your loss is disallowed for tax purposes if you sell stock or other securities at a loss and then buy substantially identical stock or securities within 30 days before or 30 days after the sale.

M-MTaxAnswer

Level 15

Yes, but you have to be mindful of the wash sale rule:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/wash-sale-rule-what-is-it-how-does-it-wor...

Your loss is disallowed for tax purposes if you sell stock or other securities at a loss and then buy substantially identical stock or securities within 30 days before or 30 days after the sale.

Opus 17

Level 15

@M-MTax wrote:

Yes, but you have to be mindful of the wash sale rule:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/wash-sale-rule-what-is-it-how-does-it-wor...

Your loss is disallowed for tax purposes if you sell stock or other securities at a loss and then buy substantially identical stock or securities within 30 days before or 30 days after the sale.

The wash rule applies even if the sale and repurchase happen in different calendar years (straddling the New Year). It's 31 days or more no matter what.

M-MTax

Level 15

If you're buying after a loss, it's 31 days after the sale (that produced a loss) to repurchase.

Do you know if you include the date of the sale or if the start date is the day after the sale? That really isn't precisely specified anywhere in the Code or Regs that I can find (just not within "30 days"), but I include the day of the sale and every other example and hypo seems to do the same.