# Capital loss writeoff, how many years?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 31, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310 "2008-05-31T23:41:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310/1 "2008-05-31T23:41:58Z")

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I know you can write off up to $3,000 each year on a capital loss (such as a loss on the sale of stocks), but I can’t recall for how many years you can do this.

Is there a limit, or can you keep taking off the $3K until the thing is all used up.

I use a computer tax program and e-file, so they don’t send me the instruction booklet any more where I could look it up.

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**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310/2 "2008-06-01T00:28:21Z")

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[IRS Publication 550](http://www.irs.gov/publications/p550/index.html) should tell you what you want to know.

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**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310/3 "2008-06-01T00:38:51Z")

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[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff]  
I know you can write off up to $3,000 each year on a capital loss (such as a loss on the sale of stocks), but I can’t recall for how many years you can do this.

Is there a limit, or can you keep taking off the $3K until the thing is all used up.

I use a computer tax program and e-file, so they don’t send me the instruction booklet any more where I could look it up.  
[/QUOTE]

Every year you match up gains vs. losses and if you have losses over $3,000, you carry over the excess to the next year. That process can continue indefinitely.

Ed

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310/4 "2008-06-01T01:16:54Z")

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[QUOTE=suranyi]  
Every year you match up gains vs. losses and if you have losses over $3,000, you carry over the excess to the next year. That process can continue indefinitely.Ed  
[/QUOTE]

Hooray! Well, not “hooray” that I have a big loss, but that I can keep carrying it over until it’s gone (or I’m gone).

Thanks for the info.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-loss-writeoff-how-many-years/451310/5 "2008-06-01T04:56:56Z")

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You can also offset gains with your loss, of course.