Wash Sale Rule Date Calculator

Does the wash sale rule apply if I buy in a different account?

Yes. The IRS aggregates across all accounts you control, including a spouse's accounts filing jointly and even your own IRA. Buying the same stock in your Roth IRA within the window after selling it at a loss in your taxable account still triggers a wash sale — and worse, in that case the disallowed loss is permanently lost, not just deferred, since IRAs don't carry a cost basis adjustment the same way.

What counts as 'substantially identical'?

The same stock or bond, definitely. Different but very similar index funds tracking the same index (like two different S&P 500 funds from different providers) are a gray area the IRS hasn't clearly ruled on, but most practitioners treat them as safe since they're legally distinct securities from different issuers. Options and warrants on the same underlying stock can also count.

Can automatic dividend reinvestment trigger a wash sale?

Yes, and it's an easy one to miss. If a fund pays a dividend and automatically reinvests it into more shares of the same fund within the 61-day window around a loss sale of that same fund, the reinvested shares can trigger a wash sale on part of your loss. Turn off auto-reinvest before harvesting a loss if you plan to sell soon.

What happens to the disallowed loss?

It's not gone — it gets added to the cost basis of the replacement shares you purchased, and the holding period may also carry over. You'll effectively recapture the benefit whenever you eventually sell those replacement shares for good, just not in the year you wanted.