Submitted By: someone
Answered: June 30, 2022 12:18 am

How do I know if stock I’ve been holding is a worthless security?

A worthless security is treated as a capital asset that’s been sold on the last day of the year. As such, it generates a long-term capital loss if you’ve held the stock for more than a year or a short-term capital loss if you’ve held the stock for one year or less. To be treated as a worthless security, it must have a market value of zero, whether publicly traded or privately held. It’s up to a taxpayer to prove the security is worthless, and this isn’t always easy to do since the security may no longer be marketable on any established exchange.

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Tax Glossary

Keogh plan

Retirement plan set up by a self-employed person, providing tax-deductible contributions, tax-free income accumulations until withdrawal, and favorable averaging for qualifying lump-sum distributions.

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