02 / 06 / 12

Bryson Tax Tips: New Way to Report Capital Gain Sales

Reporting your stock, bond, mutual funds or other asset sales will be more of a headache this year. The IRS has modified the old Schedule D, Form 1040 and added a new Form 8979, "Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets."

The new modified Schedule D becomes a summary page of all capital gain transactions which are now reported on the new Form 8949. The new form was created to accommodate the new basis reporting rules Congress passed back in 2008 and are now in effect.

All the details of your sale will need to be separated for short-term and long-term gains and losses in three different categories: sales for which you get a Form 1099-B reporting your tax basis; sales for which the 1099-B does not show your basis; and sales for which you don't receive a Form 1099-B. A separate Form 8949 must be completed for each of the three categories of sales.