The primary goal of all investors is to make money on their investments. Once you're fortunate enough to earn a profit on an investment, however, you also have to do what you can to keep as much as possible out of the hands of the tax man. With some investments, you can reinvest proceeds to avoid capital gains, but for stock owned in regular taxable accounts, no such provision applies, and you'll pay capital gains taxes according to how long you held your investment.
Special tax provisions don't apply to stock
The Internal Revenue Code is full of provisions that allow people to take proceeds from sales of property and reinvest it without having to recognize capital gain. The most popular is in the real-estate industry, where so-called "1031 like-kind exchanges" make it possible for owners to swap properties without any tax consequences. Similarly, in the life insurance industry, what are known as "1035 exchanges" allow policyholders to switch from one life insurance policy or annuity policy to another without having to pay capital gains tax on the paper profits from the policy being swapped out.
No such provisions apply to sales of stock in taxable accounts. Taxpayers have to recognize all of their capital gains. If they've owned the stock for a year or less, then they'll pay short-term capital gains tax at their ordinary income tax rate on the profit. If they've held the stock for longer than a year, then the lower long-term capital gains tax rates will apply.
How to avoid capital gains tax
The fact that there's no way out of paying tax on reinvested gains is one key reason why tax-favored retirement accounts are so popular. Within an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-favored retirement account, you can make sales of stock or other investments without any immediate tax consequences at all. You can then reinvest those proceeds in new stock. Only once you make withdrawals from your retirement account will tax issues come into play.
For your taxable account, though, your best defense against capital gains taxes is to be a long-term investor. You don't have to recognize capital gains on stock until you sell, so that gives those who invest in companies they're comfortable holding for years or even decades a leg up on short-term traders, who will end up paying a much higher tax burden.
Some argue that reinvesting gains from stock sales should be tax-free. Lacking major reform, though, investors should simply take steps to minimize the number of sales that force them to recognize such gains. Click here to compare brokers and choose the one that offers the most benefits for your investing style.
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FAQs
Reinvest in new property
The like-kind (aka "1031") exchange is a popular way to bypass capital gains taxes on investment property sales. With this transaction, you sell an investment property and buy another one of similar value. By doing so, you can defer owing capital gains taxes on the first property.
Do you pay tax on reinvested shares? ›
Shareholders who reinvest their dividends to buy more shares and grow their wealth still need to pay tax on these dividends as if they were paid in cash.
Do I have to report stocks if I reinvest? ›
When dividends are reinvested on your behalf and used to purchase additional shares or fractions of shares for you: If the reinvested dividends buy shares at a price equal to their fair market value (FMV), you must report the dividends as income along with any other ordinary dividends.
Do you have to pay taxes on stock dividends that are reinvested? ›
Dividends from stocks or funds are taxable income, whether you receive them or reinvest them. Qualified dividends are taxed at lower capital gains rates; unqualified dividends as ordinary income. Putting dividend-paying stocks in tax-advantaged accounts can help you avoid or delay the taxes due.
What is a simple trick for avoiding capital gains tax? ›
Hold onto taxable assets for the long term.
The easiest way to lower capital gains taxes is to simply hold taxable assets for one year or longer to benefit from the long-term capital gains tax rate.
Are reinvested dividends taxed twice? ›
Dividends are taxable regardless of whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the mutual fund that pays them out. You incur the tax liability in the year in which the dividends are reinvested.
Is it better to reinvest dividends or cash? ›
It May Take Longer To Achieve Long-Term Financial Goals: Dividend reinvestment leads to compounded growth. This makes it easier (and faster) to achieve your long-term financial goals versus keeping cash in a savings account.
How do I avoid paying taxes on reinvested dividends? ›
Reinvested dividends may be treated in different ways, however. Qualified dividends get taxed as capital gains, while non-qualified dividends get taxed as ordinary income. You can avoid paying taxes on reinvested dividends in the year you earn them by holding dividend stocks in a tax-deferred retirement plan.
Do I have to pay capital gains tax immediately? ›
It is generally paid when your taxes are filed for the given tax year, not immediately upon selling an asset. Working with a financial advisor can help optimize your investment portfolio to minimize capital gains tax.
What happens if you don't report capital gains from stocks? ›
The IRS has the authority to impose fines and penalties for your negligence, and they often do. If they can demonstrate that the act was intentional, fraudulent, or designed to evade payment of rightful taxes, they can seek criminal prosecution.
The tax doesn't apply to unsold investments or unrealized capital gains. Stock shares will not incur taxes until they are sold, no matter how long the shares are held or how much they increase in value.
At what age do you not pay capital gains? ›
Since the tax break for over 55s selling property was dropped in 1997, there is no capital gains tax exemption for seniors. This means right now, the law doesn't allow for any exemptions based on your age. Whether you're 65 or 95, seniors must pay capital gains tax where it's due.
When to stop reinvesting dividends? ›
There are times when it makes better sense to take the cash instead of reinvesting dividends. These include when you are at or close to retirement and you need the money; when the stock or fund isn't performing well; when you want to diversify your portfolio; and when reinvesting unbalances your portfolio.
How are reinvested dividends capital gains taxed? ›
Dividend reinvestment plans
Crucially, if you reinvest a dividend in this way, your income tax liability on the dividend is calculated in exactly the same way as if you'd received a cash dividend. That means you may have an income tax liability – and no cash to settle it with because the cash was all reinvested.
How can I avoid capital gains tax without a 1031 exchange? ›
Utilizing a Deferred Sales Trust, investors can defer capital gains taxes over time. Deferred Sales Trusts provide an alternative to 1031 exchanges for deferring capital gains taxes on appreciated assets.
How to avoid paying capital gains tax on inherited property? ›
Here are five ways to avoid paying capital gains tax on inherited property.
- Sell the inherited property quickly. ...
- Make the inherited property your primary residence. ...
- Rent the inherited property. ...
- Disclaim the inherited property. ...
- Deduct selling expenses from capital gains.
When selling a primary residence property, capital gains from the sale can be deducted from the seller's owed taxes if the seller has lived in the property themselves for at least 2 of the previous 5 years leading up to the sale. That is the 2-out-of-5-years rule, in short.
What happens if you sell a house and don't buy another? ›
The short answer is that profit (after paying a mortgage and sale-related costs) is yours to keep when you sell real estate. You're not required to use the proceeds to buy another property.
