ira's can figure into wash sales.
A wash sale occurs when you sell or trade stock or securities at a loss and within 30 days before or after the sale you…. 4.) Acquire substantially identical stock for your individual retirement account (IRA) or Roth IRA."
For many years the rules were not as clear when it came to IRAs, but that changed with Revenue Ruling 2008-5. In that ruling, the IRS identified what must result when a wash sale occurs because of an IRA trade: "The loss on the sale of the stock or securities is disallowed under section 1091 of the Code, and the individual’s basis in the IRA or Roth IRA is not increased by virtue of section 1091(d)."
also spelled out in IRS pub 550 - see page 56
Rev. Rul. 2008-5
Loss from wash sales of stock or securities. This ruling provides that if an individual sells stock or securities for a loss and causes his or her IRA or Roth IRA to purchase substantially identical stock or securities within a specified period, the loss on the sale of the stock or securities is disallowed under section 1091 of the Code, and the individual’s basis in the IRA or Roth IRA is not increased by virtue of section 1091(d).
