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March 5, 2024
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Loss of investment losses due to buying a new computer

  • March 5, 2024
  • 4 replies
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We've been using Turbotax forever.  This past year we purchased a new computer and when I tried to capture the Turbotax 2022 filing history we had no luck.  I am concerned that we have lost our loss history for our purchase/sale of stocks.  Now is that information tracked with Turbotax year to year or does our broker track that when we download the information from their site?

    Best answer by Mike9241

    Turbotax does not track stock basis. an accounting program like Quicken, Quickbooks and others do.

     

    pre 2008? in 2008 laws required brokers to track tax basis for securities acquired after 2007. Most if not all did this beforehand because they had to file tax reports with the IRS and taxpayers. It may be unanswerable if your brokerage changes hands or you change brokers. for example transferring stock A from Broker B to Broker R. if Broker R does not get the info from Broker b., then likely it will use market value on the date of transfer. However, it is you who is responsible for properly reporting when sold.

     

    4 replies

    Mike9241Answer
    March 5, 2024

    Turbotax does not track stock basis. an accounting program like Quicken, Quickbooks and others do.

     

    pre 2008? in 2008 laws required brokers to track tax basis for securities acquired after 2007. Most if not all did this beforehand because they had to file tax reports with the IRS and taxpayers. It may be unanswerable if your brokerage changes hands or you change brokers. for example transferring stock A from Broker B to Broker R. if Broker R does not get the info from Broker b., then likely it will use market value on the date of transfer. However, it is you who is responsible for properly reporting when sold.

     

    VolvoGirl
    Employee
    March 5, 2024

    2008?  I found it was Jan 1, 2011.

     

    I sold a stock I had since 1984. The 1099B broke it into Covered and Non-Covered shares. They weren't required to track the basis before Jan 1, 2011. Before then you have to figure out the cost yourself.

     

    See this article, under….What investments are covered by the cost basis tax rules and when?
    https://www.ameriprise.com/financial-goals-priorities/taxes/cost-basis-reporting

     

    March 5, 2024

    I believe your broker retains all your details. My broker did.

    March 5, 2024

    Yes, that's true.  However if you change brokers, then the new broker would not have any history.  For this reason you must track your cost basis of all investments so the information is always readily available when you sell.  This is what Mike9241 was trying to explain

     

    @Dan166 

    @Tomzee 

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    TomzeeAuthor
    March 8, 2024

    I would like to thank all of you for your responses, all helped put my mind at ease, I was hoping that was the case that the broker kept track but I'm never sure about anything when it come to figuring out taxes!

    TX again