Large Crypto Losses May Not Become Instant Tax Write-0ffs, But Here’s What You Can Do

Going with the example above, if Sam doesn’t have any other capital gains in 2022, he can only deduct $3,000 of short-term capital loss in his 2022 taxes. Sam can carryforward the remaining $28,000 ($31,000 – $3,000) loss to future years. He can use this carried forward loss to offset future capital gains, if he has any.

If Sam doesn’t have any gains in future years, it will take staggering 10+ years ($31,000/$3,000) for Sam to get the full tax benefit of the loss he had back in 2022. Big market drops and recessionary times with no gains for an extended number of years often put investors in this unfavorable situation.

Plan Capital Losses Right To Receive The Full Tax Benefit Today

Planning capital losses right can help you get the full tax benefit of losses sooner without having to wait for years.

Going with the example above, assume Sam had (or expects to have) a $40,000 capital gain in 2022. In this case, he can use the full capital loss of $31,000 in 2022 to offset the $40,000 capital gains. Consequently, he will only have to pay taxes on $9,000 worth of capital gains. The $31,000 large loss is fully absorbed and used in 2022 because Sam has capital gains.

Likewise, by planning and timing your capital losses right, you can accelerate the full tax benefit of the capital loss by sheltering more capital gains faster. If there’s no gains in the horizon and you are about to realize a huge capital loss, you might as well hodle the position expecting a gain down the road.

Next Steps

Think before selling positions with large capital losses. You may not be able to get the full tax write-off in the current year unless you have capital gains.

Further Reading

· Quick Guide To Filing Your 2021 Cryptocurrency & NFT Taxes

· How The Infrastructure Bill Is Brewing A Crypto Tax Compliance Nightmare

· IRS May Not Tax Passive Income From Holding Crypto Right Away

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