Jose Is Exploring His Options to Minimize His Tax Liability

Essay

Jose is exploring his options to minimize his tax liability for this year. Earlier in the year Jose sold a substantial number of his securities and recognized a $15,000 gain. He would like to mitigate the tax effects of that gain. The remainder of Jose's portfolio consists of 1,000 shares of Garfield Corporation stock. Jose has not sold it because it has a history of paying large dividends. Jose paid $20,000 for the stock, but it is currently trading for $5 per share. Jose is considering selling all of his Garfield stock, realizing the loss, netting it against his capital gains, and then repurchasing 1,000 shares a few days later. He knows he will lose some money due to transaction and brokerage costs, but he feels it may be worth it. Discuss Jose's plan. Relate your analysis to the basic tax concepts that help drive your position.