Fillable
Works in the browser with local save, export, and print so you can keep the worksheet alive during execution.
Investing Tax
Tax-Loss Harvesting Worksheet
Track positions, replacement trades, wash-sale risk, and gain-offset goals before you start harvesting losses in a taxable portfolio.
Advisor Ready
Built to help you hand your CPA or advisor a cleaner packet instead of a rambling explanation.
SEO Surface
This creates another high-intent landing page around the core decision, not just another generic blog post.
Why This Worksheet Exists
Tax-loss harvesting sounds simple until the wash-sale rule and the replacement trade start fighting each other.
This worksheet helps you write down the trade, the replacement, the expected tax use, and the parts of the plan most likely to blow up in execution.
Use this before you place the trade, not after. The point is to decide what you are replacing and what tax effect you are actually targeting.
If the worksheet shows a wash-sale problem, unclear holding periods, or no real gain-offset use, stop and clean that up first.
Position and Goal
Start with the trade you are considering and why.
Replacement and Wash-Sale Review
Write down the part most people skip.
Expected Tax Use and Review
Write down what the harvested loss is actually for.
Nothing saved yet on this device.
Documentation Checklist
- Write down the replacement trade before you sell the loss position.
- Check for wash-sale risk across automatic buys, spouse accounts, and related accounts.
- Keep confirms, lot data, and the worksheet in the same folder.
Advisor Packet
- Position and unrealized-loss summary
- Replacement-trade plan
- Wash-sale risk note
- Expected gain-offset or carryforward use
Primary Sources To Verify Before You Act
Use primary guidance and your own records before you treat any page like a final answer. These are the source layers that should drive the decision.
- Current IRS forms, instructions, and publications for the relevant tax year
- Your actual account statements, payroll reports, entity records, and advisor memos
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the brokerage does not explain the replacement trade, the wash-sale exposure, or what tax purpose the harvest is actually serving.
People chase the loss, forget the replacement, and create a wash-sale or a portfolio move they did not really want.
Before harvesting any loss that matters. If the trade is meaningful enough to celebrate, it is meaningful enough to document.
Use The Worksheet As Part Of The Advisor Packet
A worksheet is the starting point. The real leverage comes when your assumptions, supporting files, and next actions are clean enough for your CPA to review quickly.
Reserve Your Free Tax Strategy SeatEducational content only. Results vary based on your facts. Always consult a qualified tax professional before making decisions.