What is a Schedule D? (Capital Gains and Losses)

A Schedule D is a form used to report capital gains and losses incurred during the year. This form is filed with your annual tax return.

The Schedule D is provided by the IRS and attached to US Individual Income Tax Return Form 1040.

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets such as stocks, bonds, or real estate. These gains are subject to taxation.

Losses can be used to offset other capital gains for the year, reducing your overall tax liability. Schedule D is used to report both short-term and long-term capital gains and losses.

Related: Day Trading Taxes

Understanding Schedule D

Understanding a Schedule D can help you maximize your tax return and minimize your tax liability.

Schedule D is divided into two parts: Part I and Part II.

Part I is used to report short-term capital gains and losses, while Part II is used to report long-term capital gains and losses.

Short-term capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets held for one year or less. Long-term capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets held for more than one year.

Both short-term and long-term capital gains are subject to taxation. The tax rate applied to each type of gain is different.

Short-term capital gains are taxed at your marginal tax rate, which can be as high as 39.6 percent in the United States. Long-term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate of 15 percent or 20 percent, depending on your tax bracket.

Additional taxes may be levied by local governments that make this rate higher.

Schedule D also includes a section for reporting net capital gains or losses. This is the total of your short-term and long-term capital gains and losses for the year, minus any losses that can be used to offset gains.

If you have a net capital gain, you’ll need to pay taxes on this amount.

If you have a net capital loss, you may be able to use it to offset other types of income on your tax return.

Completing Schedule D

When completing Schedule D, you’ll need to provide information about each asset that was sold during the year.

This includes the date of the sale, the purchase price of the asset, the sales price of the asset, and any commissions or fees paid.

You’ll also need to indicate whether the asset was held for one year or less (short-term) or for more than one year (long-term).

Once you’ve entered all of this information, you can calculate your capital gain or loss for each asset.

Often this is done automatically by your broker, which will send you the information usually sometime in February for the previous year.

If you have a net capital gain, you’ll need to pay taxes on this amount. If you have a net capital loss, you may be able to use it to offset other types of income on your tax return.

Example of Using Schedule D

For example, let’s say you sold shares of stock for a profit of $10,000. You bought the stock six months ago for $7,000.

You also sold a bond for a loss of $1,000. You bought the bond two years ago for $2,000.

Your short-term capital gain would be $3,000 ($10,000 – $7,000). Your long-term capital loss would be $1,000 ($2,000 – $1,000).

This means you have a net capital gain of $2,000 ($3,000 – $1,000). You’ll need to pay taxes on this amount.

Schedule D can help you understand your capital gains and losses for the year so that you can minimize your tax liability. Be sure to consult with a tax professional if you have any questions about completing this form.

Schedule D – FAQs

Why is a Schedule D important?

Schedule D is used to report both short-term and long-term capital gains and losses from the sale of assets such as stocks, bonds, or real estate.

This form is filed with your annual tax return.

Gains are subject to taxation, but losses may be used to offset other capital gains for the year.

How is the Schedule D divided?

Schedule D is divided into two parts:

• Part I is used to report short-term capital gains and losses, while
• Part II is used to report long-term capital gains and losses

Short-term capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets held for one year or less. Long-term capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets held for greater than one year.

What’s the difference between short-term and long-term capital gains?

Short-term capital gains are taxed at your marginal tax rate, which can be as high as 39.6 percent in the US.

Long-term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate of 15 percent or 20 percent, depending on your tax bracket.

Both of these are federal tax rates. State and local taxes may also apply on top of those rates, bringing the overall tax burden higher.

Schedule D also includes a section for reporting net capital gains or losses. This is the total of your short-term and long-term capital gains and losses for the year, minus any losses that can be used to offset gains.

How do I complete Schedule D?

When completing Schedule D, you’ll need to provide information about each asset that was sold during the year.

This includes the date of the sale, the purchase price of the asset, the sales price of the asset, and any commissions or fees paid.

You’ll also need to indicate whether the asset was held for one year or less (short-term) or for more than one year (long-term).

Once you’ve entered all of this information, you can calculate your capital gain or loss for each asset.

Often this is done automatically by your broker, which will send you the information usually sometime in February for the previous year.

If you have a net capital gain, you’ll need to pay taxes on this amount. If you have a net capital loss, you may be able to use it to offset other types of income on your tax return.

What is a loss carryover?

If you have a net capital loss for the year, you may be able to carry over this loss to future years.

The amount of the loss that can be carried over is limited to $3,000 per year. Any unused losses can be carried over to future years until they are used up.

Are there any other Schedule D forms?

In addition to Schedule D, you may also need to file Form 8949 and/or Schedule D-1.

Form 8949 is used to report sales and exchanges of capital assets, while Schedule D-1 is used if you need to report additional information for items reported on Schedule D.

While Schedule D is the form used to report most capital gains and losses, there are some exceptions.

Gains from the sale of collectibles (such as art, coins, or stamps) and gains from the sale of certain types of property (such as unrecaptured section 1250 gain) are reported on other forms.

When is a Schedule D required?

Schedule D is required if you have sold any assets during the year, and you realize a capital gain or loss from the sale.

Do I need to file Schedule D if I don’t have any capital gains or losses?

No, you only need to file Schedule D if you have capital gains or losses to report.

However, even if you don’t have any capital gains or losses, you may still need to file other forms related to the sale of assets, such as Form 8949 or Schedule D-1.

How do I file Schedule D?

Schedule D is filed with your annual tax return. You can file Schedule D electronically using IRS e-file (which is built into many forms of tax software), or you can file it by mail.

Summary – Schedule D

Schedule D is the form used to report most capital gains and losses. It’s required if you have sold any assets during the year, and you realize a capital gain or loss from the sale.

Schedule D is filed with your annual tax return. You can file Schedule D electronically using IRS e-file or you can file it by postal mail.

If you have questions about Schedule D or need help completing the form, it’s best to contact a tax professional.