Disclosure: This post is for educational purposes and should not be considered tax, legal or investment planning advice.
Do you trade for a living or want to trade for a living? Last year’s tax overhaul made some key changes you might want to know about.
TradeStation hosted a webinar last week with accountant Robert Green, CEO of GreenTraderTax.com. In case you missed it, we wanted to review some of his key points and include a recording of his talk.
Green’s big message is that the the new tax rules potentially favors active traders who take certain steps. Meanwhile previous benefits have disappeared.
Under the old system, for example, customers could write off business expenses like software, offices and stock-borrowing fees. Under the new system, a clients must qualify as an active trader and elect a specific tax treatment. This may exempt him or her from wash-sale restrictions and lower their tax rate on short-term gains, according to Green.
“You can deduct business expenses” by qualifying as an active trader, he said. “They’re not investment expenses; businesses get the golden goose in America’s tax code. We are a business nation.”
Green discussed some of the legal entities, like corporations, that customers may want to consider. He also mentioned the potential to pay for health insurance and provided guidelines for customers to know whether they might qualify for trader tax status.
In conclusion, viewing this webinar may help you prepare for changes under the new tax law.
