how calculate cost basis for uncovered shares in sale of stocks form mutual fund

[allie8]

I will be selling some shares from my Vanguard mutual fund using the minimal tax method. How can I determine the cost basis for the uncovered shares in the sale?

[NCperson · Accepted solution]

The uncovered shares means they were originally purchased prior to  2012.

you can google the name of the mututal fund and its symbol and with any luck Yahoo! will have the price on the date you originally purchased the shares. 

"Uncovered" simply means that Vanguard is not required to send the cost basis information to the IRS.  I suspect you moved this position to Vanguard sometime after 2011

Vanguard's MinTax is going to sell the lots that have the HIGHEST cost basis / share.  It is that simple. 

[fanfare]

"the cost basis for the uncovered shares in the sale?"

This comes from your own records which IRS requires you to maintain.

See IRS Pub 550 Table 4.1 for an example of the information needed.

@allie8