Capital gains sound super technical, right?
But they're a key part of understanding the stock market. Let's decode it! ๐ง
๐ก Capital gains = the increase in the value of an investment
Capital gains only apply when the stock is actually sold. ๐๏ธ
Capital gains can be short-term or long-term.
๐กShort-term = holding for less than a year.
๐กLong-term = holding for more than a year.
Capital gains can be taxed if you make over $44K per year. ๐คฏ
The longer you hold your stocks, the less you are taxed. ๐ฅณ
Short-term gains come with a tax based on your income level, so the rate will be similar to your income tax! ๐ต
Letโs say you buy Tesla at $100 on Jan 1.
It grows to $150 and you sell it on Jan 30. ๐ค
Letโs also say your income tax is 10%.
So, your capital gains tax would be 10% of that $50 profit. ๐งฎ
But, letโs say you bought that same Tesla and sold it for the same price, but sold it after a year had passed. โ
Since your income tax is 10%, you would get the lowest long-term tax rate of 0%! ๐คฏ
Now you know what to do with capital gains and how to properly make sure you paid taxes on them! ๐ซก