That is a totally ridiculous U.S. tax rule. You have to claim your gains in one year I assume, why the hell won't they let you claim your losses when they happen, regardless of the amount? If I lose 50 grand, I write it off and have 50 grand in losses to carry forward against any gains in the coming years. Short term gains, long term gains, blah blah blah, you guys in the U.S. have it bad when it comes to tax treatment of trading. In Canada, you buy, you sell, you win you lose, you offset it accordingly. Capital gains are at half your tax rate. Nice and simple for the basics.
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ibreken