How do I determine the cost basis of stock I received as a gift?
The cost basis of stock you received as a gift ("gifted stock") is determined by the giver's original cost basis and the fair market value (FMV) of the stock at the time you received the gift. If the FMV when you received the gift was more than the original cost basis, use the original cost basis when you sell.
If the fair market value was more than the original basis when you received it, you use the original basis when you sell it. So, if your father bought the stocks for $25 per share and gave them to you when they were valued at $30 per share, you would use the original basis of $25 when you sell.
When you make a non-cash gift such as a stock, house, or even a business, the person receiving the gift assumes your cost basis in the assets. They do not receive a “step-up” in basis at the time the gift is made.
- Sign in to your brokerage account. ...
- Look at previous broker statements. ...
- Contact your brokerage firm. ...
- Go online for historical stock prices. ...
- Go directly to the source.
In terms of taxes, the cost basis of inherited stock is the value at the time of the original owner's death, not the value when the stock was originally purchased. The person inheriting the stock only owes taxes on the change in stock price between when it was inherited and when it was sold.
The donor's cost basis must be used to determine the gain if the shares are sold at a gain. The FMV on the date of the gift must be used if the shares are sold at a loss. For example, the donor's cost basis is $20, and the FMV on the date of the gift is $10, thus establishing a dual cost basis.
Consider the potential impact of capital gains taxes
If you gift cash, generally there are no income tax consequences for the recipient, though there could be gift and estate tax implications to the donor. But if you give appreciated securities, the capital gains taxes can be significant.
Shares that have a capital gain can easily be transferred along with the gains to the stock recipient. There's a catch. The recipient of the stock would have to pay taxes on the capital gains, but only once they sell the stocks. This will include the difference between the original cost basis and the selling price.
Carryover basis calculates the capital gains of a gifted asset by using the purchase price of the original grantor. This is to be contrasted with a step-up basis for inherited assets which looks at the market value at the time of inheritance.
(1) In general, if there is a market for stocks or bonds, on a stock exchange, in an over-the-counter market or otherwise, the mean between the highest and lowest quoted selling prices on the date of the gift is the fair market value per share or bond.
How does IRS verify cost basis?
The IRS expects taxpayers to keep the original documentation for capital assets, such as real estate and investments. It uses these documents, along with third-party records, bank statements and published market data, to verify the cost basis of assets.
The Form 1099-B that you receive might only report the sale date and sales proceeds. If it does not report the date acquired or cost basis, you still need to enter that information when you report your Form 1099-B in the TaxAct program so that it will transfer to Schedule D and/or Form 8949.
When the basis for an asset is not established at the time of sale, it means that there is no documented record of the original cost or value of the asset. In such a scenario, the IRS typically assumes a basis of $0. This implies that the entire amount received from the sale is considered as gain, subject to taxation.
The average cost method for determining cost basis is most commonly used for mutual funds. To calculate your basis, the average cost method takes the cost of all the shares you have purchased and divides it by the number of shares.
You can calculate your cost basis per share in two ways: Take the original investment amount ($10,000) and divide it by the new number of shares you hold (2,000 shares) to arrive at the new per-share cost basis ($10,000/2,000=$5.00).
For example, let's say an investor bought 10 shares of ABC company for a total investment of $1,000 plus a $10 trading fee. The investor receives dividends of $200 in year one and $400 in year two. The cost basis would be $1,610 ($1,000 + $10 fee + $600 in dividends).
Gift splitting allows a married couple to gift twice as much as an individual without being subject to a gift tax. In order to qualify for gift splitting, couples must both agree to the gift and file joint tax returns. The annual gift exclusion is $34,000 for couples for 2023.
Generally, the tax basis for inherited stocks is set on the day the estate's owner passes away. Generally, this rule does not apply to stocks that are gifted before death or to irrevocable trusts created before the death of the estate's owner.
A few options to legally avoid paying capital gains tax on investment property include buying your property with a retirement account, converting the property from an investment property to a primary residence, utilizing tax harvesting, and using Section 1031 of the IRS code for deferring taxes.
The primary way the IRS becomes aware of gifts is when you report them on form 709. You are required to report gifts to an individual over $17,000 on this form. This is how the IRS will generally become aware of a gift.
How much money can be given as a gift without being taxed?
The annual gift tax exclusion of $18,000 for 2024 is the amount of money that you can give as a gift to one person, in any given year, without having to pay any gift tax. This is up from $17,000 in 2023 and you never have to pay taxes on gifts that are equal to or less than the current annual exclusion limit.
Do you pay taxes on gifted stock? Any taxes you would normally owe when selling a stock do not apply if you decide to gift it instead. If there are any capital gains on stock you transfer to someone, that capital gain will transfer to the recipient.
You can purchase shares within your brokerage and transfer them to the recipient, but this could incur a fee. "To avoid the fee, you can give your gift recipient cash to purchase the shares on their own," Brett Holzhauer, a personal finance expert at M1, an investing app, told CBS MoneyWatch.
- Talk to the other person to see if they have a brokerage account. ...
- You need to get the Account Details from the recipient. ...
- You must authorize the transfer. ...
- Finally, you will need to wait for the transfer to be completed.
Answer: To determine your basis in property you received as a gift, you must know the property's adjusted basis to the donor just before it was given to you, its fair market value (FMV) at the time it was given to you, and the amount of any gift tax paid with respect to the gift.
