The following analysis of tax difficulties relating to commodities trading contains an example of calculations for your tax return, which you can read to learn more about the process.
Taxes on Commodity Trading
By January 31st, your broker is required to issue you a 1099-B Form. Your profits and losses from trading commodities the previous year will be listed. Your losses will be subtracted from your earnings to determine your capital gains.
Since commodities are subject to a 60% long-term capital gains tax and a 40% short-term capital gains tax, they are subject to favorable federal tax rates. Long-term gains are limited to 15%, whereas short-term gains are taxed at your ordinary tax rate, which is determined by your adjusted income.
Example Documents for Filing
Assume you traded futures all year long and made $5,000 in profit each year. To be sure, wait until you receive your broker's 1099-B form. The title of this is probably Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions. You will see a list of your yearly profits and losses. You must utilize IRS Form 6781 to submit your data for tax purposes. The IRS classifies transactions involving commodities and derivatives as 1256 Contracts.
Revenue and expenses are added.
On line 1 of the form, enter the earnings and losses from your 1099-B. Continue to the form portion, where you add the gains and losses to get a final number. For instance, this sum might signify a $5,000 profit.
Commodities are marked to market at the end of the year. As a result, if you have open positions, the gains and losses will be calculated using the price on the year's final day, just as if the parts were closed.
The capital gains now need to be calculated. Commodities have a slightly more favorable tax treatment than stocks do. The earnings from things are divided into long-term capital gains (60%) and short-term capital gains (40%), regardless of how long you hold the contracts.
Significantly More Optimistic
Gains from stocks held for less than a year are considered short-term capital gains, and they are subject to tax at the rate based on your tax bracket. For those with higher wages, the 15% long-term capital gains cap is significantly more advantageous.
Use lines 8 and 9 to calculate your capital gains. In this scenario, you would enter $2,000 on line 8 of Form 6781 by multiplying $5,000 by 40%.
Complete The Schedule
On line 9, you would multiply $5,000 by 60% to get $3,000. With these numbers, complete Schedule D, Capital Gains, and Losses. Once the Schedule D computations are finished, transfer the data to your 1040 Form, and you're done.
Most people who do not technically trade for a living should be covered by the information on taxes on commodities provided above. Still, a few more complicated issues related to filing taxes for commodity trading.
Traders' Tax Status
There are various advantageous circumstances for eligible persons for merchant tax status. To qualify for trader tax status, you must be a full-time trader whose activities are considered to be those of a corporation. If you trade stocks using a stock app for a few hours each day, the IRS will likely identify you as an investor rather than a trader.
You can deduct your losses and any company expenses as ordinary losses from your income if you have a trader tax status. The losses are also not subject to the $3,000 cap on capital losses. Self-employment tax does not apply to trading gains or losses from selling stocks.
Since tax regulations are subject to change, seek professional advice.
Remember that both state and local tax regulations might change at any time. So that you can be sure you are fully compliant with the law and can take advantage of all tax incentives allowed by the tax code, it is always good to seek the assistance of a tax professional who is a CPA for help with return preparation and filing.
What is a commodities tax?
It is not the same as a "commodity tax" to pay taxes when trading commodity futures. While trading futures, one must pay either capital gains or regular income taxes. Commodity taxes are levied on goods or services, like gas, to raise money for the government.
When do futures traders pay taxes?
For some traders, taxes on trading gains may only need to be paid yearly. However, investors anticipating substantial profits might be forced to make quarterly projected payments for the tax year.
