Selling mutual fund shares: What are the tax implications?
For tax purposes, the rules involved in selling mutual fund shares can be complex. If you sell appreciated fund shares that you’ve owned for more than one year, the profit will be a long-term capital gain. The top federal income tax rate will be 20% and you may also owe the 3.8% net investment income tax. One challenge is that certain mutual fund transactions are treated as sales even though they might not seem like it. For example, many funds provide check-writing privileges. Each time you write a check on your fund account, you’re selling shares. Another problem may arise in determining your basis for shares sold. We can explain in greater detail how the rules apply in your situation.
