Tax guide
Wash-sale rule for stocks and ETFs
Updated 2026-08-18 · Educational only — not tax advice
If you sell a stock or other security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 days before or after the sale, the IRS may disallow the loss. The disallowed amount is typically added to the basis of the replacement shares, so you do not lose the loss forever — you defer it.
The window is 61 days in total: 30 days before the sale, the sale date, and 30 days after. Dividend reinvestment, options, and highly similar ETFs can create accidental wash sales. Broker 1099-B reporting may flag some, but not all, wash sales — especially across accounts.
Crypto vs securities
Wash-sale disallowance currently applies more clearly to stocks and securities than to cryptocurrency treated as property. That distinction matters for loss harvesting, but tax law can change. Verify current IRS guidance before relying on crypto-specific harvesting.
The stocks calculator includes an optional wash-sale checkbox so you can see a planning warning. It is not a substitute for tracking replacement purchases across every account.