Mon May 06 2024, by Tyler Gardner

Tax LawsCapital GainsBitcoin TradingWash Sale RuleInvesting Strategies

Tyler, it looks like you made $45,000 from selling stocks this year.

Tyler: Yep.

Okay, so you owe us nothing—15% of those capital gains.

Tyler: Oh, no, I don't. Because my Bitcoin went from $60,000 to $15,000. I just sold it to lock in the losses on paper that offset the gains from the other stocks.

But it says here you still own one Bitcoin.

Tyler: Yep. I sold it at 1 PM and bought it back at 1:05 PM.

You can't do that. You have to wait 30 days to rebuy it or it's considered a wash sale.

So, Bitcoin is still classified as property, not as a security. Therefore, the wash sale rule doesn't apply.

Tyler: So I owe you nothing.

That's right.

Source