First-in, First-out Vs. Specific Selection
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First-in, First-out Vs. Specific Selection The following article appeared yesterday in the Business Section of our newspaper: "Often known by its acronym, FIFO, first-in, first-out is how the Internal Revenue Service treats the sale of securities unless you advise them to handle it differently. So, let's say that on every January 2 for the last three years, you purchased 100 shares of XYZ stock. The first year, your shares cost $20 each, the next $25, then $40. If the stock drops to $30 and you decide to sell 100 shares, the IRS will believe you sold the first shares purchased, the $20 ones, creating a capital gain of $10 per share, on which you owe taxes. By comparison, if you used “specific selection” and informed both your broker - or mutual fund company - and the IRS that this is the method you want to follow, you could sell the shares with the highest cost ($40), allowing you to report a tax loss of $10 per share and lowering your current tax burden. Generally speaking, specific selection or average cost basis accounting are better for investors than FIFO." ______ I did not realize "specific selection" was an option we could utilize with the IRS. What are the pros and cons for its use with investments clubs? Bob Hooper New Pueblo Investment Club Tucson, AZ |
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