Filling out Schedule D

Schedule D is filed to declare capital gains and/or capital losses.

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Schedule D

For each asset sale you need the following:

  • the date you acquired the investment or asset
  • the date you sold it
  • the amount you sold for it
  • its tax basis
  • the prpoerty description

Form 1099-B includes this information about each investment sale you made during the year and will be sent to you by the beginning of the year.

Schedule D: Reporting your capital gains and losses

Short term gains are reported on Forms 6252, 4684, 6781, and 8824.

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Schedule D: carryover capital gains

Tthe IRS allows you to carryover any capital loss amount above the $3,000 maximum to the following tax year.

File Form 2439.


Next: more about Schedule D - reporting the sale of real estate and business property.

Related IRS publications

You can get more information about capital gains taxes directly from the IRS, in the form of IRS Publication 550.

If you file a paper return, you will also have to fill out Schedule D and possibly Schedule D-1. If you file electronically, all this will be taken care of for you electronically.

Note: you will need an Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these publications, which you can get here. (But you probably already have it.)