inherited account

If an individual inherits a brokerage account that has bonds in it with a current value of $180,000 and liquidates the bond positions and after broker commissions and fluctuating bond values ends up with a value of $150,000, can the individual deduct the $30,000 decrease in value on their tax return?



Yes, there would be a LT capital loss on Sch D of 30k. This would first be applied against cap gains, then up to 3k against ordinary income with the rest being carried over.



There is one possible limitation. If some of the inerited bonds were municipal bondsand the date of death value was in excess of par – you are required to amortize the premium. With a municipal bond, there’s no loss when they mature but you will have some loss if they’re sold or called. There’s an IRS publication that explains this. Search for amortization.



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