As an investor you report all of your transactions on Form 8949 Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets and Schedule D (Form 1040) Capital Gains and Losses. An investor, who is not a trader, is subject to the capital loss limitation (maximum loss of $3,000 or $1,500 if married filing separately) and wash sale rules. For tax years 2018-2025, investors cannot deduct expenses of producing taxable investment income due to tax reform.
To report Form 1099-B in the TaxAct program, go to our Form 1099-B - Entering Capital Gains and Losses in Program FAQ.
Special rules apply if you are a trader in securities (including day traders), meaning you are in the business of buying and selling securities for your own account. To be engaged in business as a trader in securities, you must meet all of the following conditions:
The following facts and circumstances should be considered in determining if your activity is a securities trading business:
Note. A taxpayer may be a trader in some securities and hold other securities for investment. The special rules for traders do not apply to those securities held for investment. A trader must keep detailed records to distinguish the securities held for investment from the securities in the trading business.
If you determine you are a trader, your gains and losses are still reported on Form 8949 and Schedule D and are subject to the capital loss limitation and wash sale rules. These gains and losses are not subject to self-employment tax. However, you may report your business expenses on Schedule C (Form 1040) Profit or Loss From Business. Also, as a trader, the limit on investment interest expenses does not apply. Commissions and other costs of acquiring or disposing of securities are not deductible but must be used to figure gain or loss upon disposition of the securities.
To report expenses on Schedule C in the TaxAct program, go to our Schedule C - Entering Business Expenses in Program FAQ.
Some traders make what is called a "Mark-to-Market" election in order to deduct the full amount of their losses. Neither the limitations on capital losses nor the wash sale rules apply to traders using the mark-to-market method of accounting. However, if you do this, then the gains and losses from sales of securities are treated as ordinary gains and losses (except for securities held for personal investment, as mentioned above) that must be reported on Form 4797 Sale of Business Property. To report gains and losses on Form 4797, go to our Form 4797 - Sale of Business Property Sale of Asset Entry into Program FAQ.
In general, the mark-to-market election must be made by the due date (not including extensions) of the tax return for the year prior to the year for which the election becomes effective. The election is made by attaching a statement either to your income tax return or to a request for an extension of time to file your return. The statement should include the following information:
To make the Mark-to-Market election in the TaxAct program, go to our Notes and Explanations for E-Filing FAQ, and make a note on the screen titled E-Filing - Election Explanations for Electronic Return.
Example Election: I hereby make an election pursuant to Section 475(f) of the Internal Revenue Code. This election is first effective for the tax year 2021 for XYZ Business, Inc.
This election will electronically file with the Federal return; however, will not be transmitted to the state agency.
In addition to making the election, you will also be required to file a Form 3115 Application for Change in Accounting Method. To access Form 3115 in the TaxAct program, go to our Schedule C - Accounting Method FAQ. If you have made a valid election under section 475(f), the only way to stop using mark-to-market accounting for securities is to request and receive written permission from the IRS to revoke the election. Non-filing of the Form 3115 will not invalidate a timely and valid election. To request permission to revoke your election under section 475(f), you must file a second Form 3115 and pay a fee.
TaxAct currently allows 40 transactions for Form 4797, Part II for electronic filing. If you have more than 40 transactions, you can still use TaxAct to enter the data, but would need to file a paper return. Add a Sale of Business Property worksheet in the program with a description of "See Attached" and the summary totals from all transactions. Before mailing to the IRS, attach a supporting document or spreadsheet to the return showing the details of each of the transactions.
Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.