DianeW777
Expert Alumni

Investors & landlords

It depends. You can report it in the year they are deemed to be completely worthless. This usually happens when a company stops doing business or files bankruptcy.  You should be prepared with your proof and retain it in your tax file. Be sure to keep records in your tax file should you need them later.

 

The sales price would be zero and the cost basis would be what you actually paid for the stock and December 31st as the date of sale. Your description should be 'Worthless XXX' where XXX is the stock symbol. See the steps below for entering this sale (in tax terms).

 

To enter your sale in TurboTax, follow these steps. 

  1. Open or continue your return.
  2. Navigate to the investment sales section:
    • TurboTax Online/Mobile: Go to investment sales. If using this application, make sure it is open
    • TurboTax Desktop: Search for investment sales and then select the Jump to link.
      • Or Personal Tab > Continue > I'll choose what I work on > Scroll to Investment Income > Select Stocks, Cryptocurrency, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Other
  3. Answer Yes to the question Did you sell any of these investments in 2024? 
    • If you land on  the Investment sales summary or Your investments and savings screen, select Add More Sales or Add investments.
    • Click this link for more information. Where do I enter Investment Sales?
**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post
**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"