™30-second takeaway
Wash-Sale Recordkeeping Checklist, in one thought.
Build the transaction record needed to review dates, matched shares, adjusted basis and future disposals.
See how each idea connects before exploring the details below.
Put the idea into numbers.
You sell 100 shares for a $1,000 loss and buy 40 substantially identical shares 19 days later. A simplified taxable-account illustration potentially matches 40 shares and defers $400 of the loss into their adjusted basis.
Where understanding breaks down.
Checking only the account where the loss occurred. Replacement purchases through another broker, a spouse or an IRA may matter even when one Form 1099-B does not show the whole pattern.
Remember this.
Test the dates, investment identity, matched quantity, account type and basis treatment—then verify the result under current tax guidance.
Record the loss sale
Keep the security, sale date, proceeds, original basis, shares or units, tax lot and resulting loss before any wash-sale adjustment.
Record every possible replacement
List acquisitions during the full 61-day window, including automatic reinvestments, options or contracts and activity in other relevant accounts.
Document the adjustment
For affected taxable-account shares, record the matched quantity, disallowed loss allocated to those shares, adjusted replacement basis and carried holding period.
Reconcile before filing
Compare broker forms with your complete transaction history. Preserve statements and calculations, and raise cross-account, spouse, retirement-account or classification questions with a qualified tax professional.
Use this as a foundation, then verify current rules and product details with primary sources and regulated providers before acting.
Primary sources and further reading
Verify the current tax rules.
Tax law, classifications and reporting requirements can change. Use current IRS guidance and a qualified tax professional for your circumstances.
Connect the concept
Go from explanation to application.
Continue with a related definition and an educational calculator that makes the numbers easier to see.