How do I pay income tax on ForEx earnings?
Friday, January 17, 2014
, Posted by Ryanita at 2:00 AM
John S
I am doing normal daily trading of EUR/USD, trades lasting a few hours on average. I am not sure if this is considered futures or securities and I therefore don't know how to pay taxes on it.
Answer
NOTE: "Forex Taxes" are applies to U.S. traders only. Foreign investors that are not residents or citizens of the United States of America do not have to pay any taxes on foreign exchange profits!
Forex Trading Taxation - Definition and Overview:
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...
More and more investors from all over the world are accessing the largest financial markets online through their personal computers. As demand surges for foreign exchange trading, more and more U.S. Traders have to deal with taxation issues at the end of the year.
Forex: Taxed as Futures or Cash?
Currency traders involved in the forex spot (cash) market, can choose to be taxed under the same tax rules as regular commodities [IRC (Internal Revenue Code) Section 1256 contracts] or under the special rules of IRC Section 988 (Treatment of Certain Foreign Currency Transactions). IRC 988 applies to cash forex unless the trader elects to opt out.
The Advantage of Section 1256 for Currency Traders Under Section 1256, forex traders can have a significant advantage over stock traders. By reporting capital gains on IRS Form 6781 (Gains and Losses from Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles), forex traders are allowed to split their capital gains on Schedule D using a 60% / 40% split. This means that 60% of the capital gains are taxed at the lower, long-term capital gains rate (currently 15%) and the remaining 40% at the ordinary or short-term capital gains rate, which depends on the tax bracket the trader falls under (as high as 35%). This results in an average rate of 23%, which is 12% less than the regular (short-term) rate.
If cash forex is subject to the Section 988 rules, how can a trader elect the more beneficial Section 1256 split? Please read on to find out more.
To Opt Out or Not to Opt Out of Section 988 !!
Companies that profit from the fluctuation in foreign exchange rates as part of their normal course of business, fall under Section 988. This means their gains and losses from foreign exchange (such as buying and selling of foreign goods) are treated as interest income or expense and get taxed accordingly. Consequently, they do not receive the beneficial 60/40 split.
Since forex traders are also exposed to daily exchange rate fluctuations, their trading activity falls under the provisions of Section 988 too - but don't worry. The IRS wants to be nice to you (so far). Because these daily fluctuations can be considered part of a currency trader's assets in the normal course of his business, the IRS gives the trader the option of rejecting (opting out) of Section 988 and electing that the gains be taxed under the favorable 60/40 split of Section 1256.
What do you have to do to opt out of Section 988? Even though you don't have to file anything with the IRS to opt out, you are required to do so "internally" before starting to trade; i.e., you must keep records in your own books about the fact that you are opting out of Section 988.
Many currency traders bend the rules by waiting after the year is over to see if they have any gains from their trading activities. If they do, they claim that they elected out of IRC 988 to enjoy the beneficial Section 1256 treatment. On the other hand, if the sum of the trades from cash forex is not positive, they stick with the traditional Section 988. Since (under the current tax law) it becomes very difficult to disprove whether the trader made the election at the beginning or at the end of the year, IRS has not yet begun to crack down on this activity.
What does a Forex Trader do When Tax Time Comes?
Forex traders should receive 1099 forms from their US-based broker at the end of the year like stock and futures traders do. No matter in what country your forex broker is based or what tax-related reports they provide, you could pull up reports online from your accounts and seek the help of a tax professional. No matter what you decide to do, don't fall into the temptation of lumping your trades with your section 1256 activity (if any). Forex transactions need to be separated into Section 988 reporting.
Given the fact that the forex market is one of the fastest-growing financial markets around, it might eventually come under closer IRS regulation. In the meantime, traders continue to enjoy tax advantages by trading foreign currencies.
...To find out More how You can Become a Profitable Trader on a Consistent Basis, Please Visit Here: http://www.urlpire.com/?MALFY - You Will Learn Valuable Ways and Tips to help You Make Money Trading the Forex Market !!
NOTE: "Forex Taxes" are applies to U.S. traders only. Foreign investors that are not residents or citizens of the United States of America do not have to pay any taxes on foreign exchange profits!
Forex Trading Taxation - Definition and Overview:
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...
More and more investors from all over the world are accessing the largest financial markets online through their personal computers. As demand surges for foreign exchange trading, more and more U.S. Traders have to deal with taxation issues at the end of the year.
Forex: Taxed as Futures or Cash?
Currency traders involved in the forex spot (cash) market, can choose to be taxed under the same tax rules as regular commodities [IRC (Internal Revenue Code) Section 1256 contracts] or under the special rules of IRC Section 988 (Treatment of Certain Foreign Currency Transactions). IRC 988 applies to cash forex unless the trader elects to opt out.
The Advantage of Section 1256 for Currency Traders Under Section 1256, forex traders can have a significant advantage over stock traders. By reporting capital gains on IRS Form 6781 (Gains and Losses from Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles), forex traders are allowed to split their capital gains on Schedule D using a 60% / 40% split. This means that 60% of the capital gains are taxed at the lower, long-term capital gains rate (currently 15%) and the remaining 40% at the ordinary or short-term capital gains rate, which depends on the tax bracket the trader falls under (as high as 35%). This results in an average rate of 23%, which is 12% less than the regular (short-term) rate.
If cash forex is subject to the Section 988 rules, how can a trader elect the more beneficial Section 1256 split? Please read on to find out more.
To Opt Out or Not to Opt Out of Section 988 !!
Companies that profit from the fluctuation in foreign exchange rates as part of their normal course of business, fall under Section 988. This means their gains and losses from foreign exchange (such as buying and selling of foreign goods) are treated as interest income or expense and get taxed accordingly. Consequently, they do not receive the beneficial 60/40 split.
Since forex traders are also exposed to daily exchange rate fluctuations, their trading activity falls under the provisions of Section 988 too - but don't worry. The IRS wants to be nice to you (so far). Because these daily fluctuations can be considered part of a currency trader's assets in the normal course of his business, the IRS gives the trader the option of rejecting (opting out) of Section 988 and electing that the gains be taxed under the favorable 60/40 split of Section 1256.
What do you have to do to opt out of Section 988? Even though you don't have to file anything with the IRS to opt out, you are required to do so "internally" before starting to trade; i.e., you must keep records in your own books about the fact that you are opting out of Section 988.
Many currency traders bend the rules by waiting after the year is over to see if they have any gains from their trading activities. If they do, they claim that they elected out of IRC 988 to enjoy the beneficial Section 1256 treatment. On the other hand, if the sum of the trades from cash forex is not positive, they stick with the traditional Section 988. Since (under the current tax law) it becomes very difficult to disprove whether the trader made the election at the beginning or at the end of the year, IRS has not yet begun to crack down on this activity.
What does a Forex Trader do When Tax Time Comes?
Forex traders should receive 1099 forms from their US-based broker at the end of the year like stock and futures traders do. No matter in what country your forex broker is based or what tax-related reports they provide, you could pull up reports online from your accounts and seek the help of a tax professional. No matter what you decide to do, don't fall into the temptation of lumping your trades with your section 1256 activity (if any). Forex transactions need to be separated into Section 988 reporting.
Given the fact that the forex market is one of the fastest-growing financial markets around, it might eventually come under closer IRS regulation. In the meantime, traders continue to enjoy tax advantages by trading foreign currencies.
...To find out More how You can Become a Profitable Trader on a Consistent Basis, Please Visit Here: http://www.urlpire.com/?MALFY - You Will Learn Valuable Ways and Tips to help You Make Money Trading the Forex Market !!
Is it really possible to make money trading on the FOREX market?
Andrew
It seems too easy. You spend a few hours a week watching trends, buy, sell, and rake in huge money. It seems too good to be true. How many people are actually successful and how much time do they put in doing it?
Answer
Oh yes, it is of course possible to make nice profits from Forex if you know what you are doing.
$4 trillion a day worth of currency changes hand daily. So, there must be profits in this business.
I don't think few hours a week is enough. You need to read financial reports and track all the news coming about economy to do the trading.
For example, a couple of months ago, when the EURO was going down, almost every major currency (Except the USD, and the YEN which moves in the Opposite direction) was going down especially the Aussie and GBP.
But these days, this is not happending any more. The Euro is still at 1-year record low, while the Aussie and GBP are getting some push from their local economy.
There are a lot of reports that you need to read.
Better to start with books and follow some currency blogs.
Don't get cheated by some ADs that claim they can make huge money. If you do that, you will lose all of your money in a blink. Try to find some certified online Forex firms that charge you less money for the trades.
Oh yes, it is of course possible to make nice profits from Forex if you know what you are doing.
$4 trillion a day worth of currency changes hand daily. So, there must be profits in this business.
I don't think few hours a week is enough. You need to read financial reports and track all the news coming about economy to do the trading.
For example, a couple of months ago, when the EURO was going down, almost every major currency (Except the USD, and the YEN which moves in the Opposite direction) was going down especially the Aussie and GBP.
But these days, this is not happending any more. The Euro is still at 1-year record low, while the Aussie and GBP are getting some push from their local economy.
There are a lot of reports that you need to read.
Better to start with books and follow some currency blogs.
Don't get cheated by some ADs that claim they can make huge money. If you do that, you will lose all of your money in a blink. Try to find some certified online Forex firms that charge you less money for the trades.
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