Understanding the tax implications of selling or switching mutual funds (2024)

FAQs

What are the tax implications of exchanging mutual funds? ›

If you move between mutual funds at the same company, it may not feel like you received your money back and then reinvested it; however, the transactions are treated like any other sales and purchases, and so you must report them and pay taxes on any gains.

If you switch from an equity fund before one year, you will have to pay short-term capital gains tax at 15%. If you switch after one year, you will have to pay long-term capital gains tax at 10% on the gains exceeding Rs. 1 lakh in a financial year.

Short-term capital gains (assets held 12 months or less) are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, whereas long-term capital gains (assets held for more than 12 months) are currently subject to federal capital gains tax at a rate of up to 20%.

When switching between funds, keep in mind that you are required to keep track of your capital gains and include the taxable portion of the capital gain in your taxable income in the year of sale.

A mutual fund exchange occurs when you sell mutual fund assets to purchase mutual fund assets in the same mutual fund family. A mutual fund cross family trade occurs when you sell mutual fund assets in one mutual fund family to purchase mutual fund assets in a different mutual fund family.

Non-Taxable Transactions

Transactions that are not taxable in an IRA account include purchases, exchanges between mutual funds, buying and selling stocks, dividend reinvestments, and capital gain distributions.

If you sell a mutual fund investment and the proceeds exceed your adjusted cost base, you realize a capital gain. Realized capital gains must be reported for tax purposes in the year of sale. Capital gains are also taxed more favourably than interest, dividend and foreign income.

Switching between mutual funds

If the units you sold are worth more than your ACB, the switch will generate a capital gain . If the units you sold are worth less than your ACB, the switch will generate a capital loss .

When an investor sells mutual fund shares, the redemption process is straightforward, but there might be unexpected charges or fees. Class A shares usually have front-end sales loads, which are fees charged when the investment is made, but Class B shares may impose a charge when shares are sold.

Investors can switch mutual funds without selling their shares and paying capital gains taxes, which allows them to change their investment approach. A switch fund investment organisation takes money from several investors and buys equities, bonds, and short-term debt.

How do you calculate capital gains on sale of mutual funds? ›

To calculate capital gains from mutual funds, you need to subtract the purchase cost (or indexed purchase cost where applicable) from the sale or redemption value.

Long-term capital gain = Final Sale Price - (indexed cost of acquisition + indexed cost of improvement + cost of transfer), where the indexed cost of acquisition equals the cost of acquisition x cost inflation index of transfer/cost inflation index of acquisition.

The best way to avoid the capital gains distributions associated with mutual funds is to invest in exchange-traded-funds (ETFs) instead. ETFs are structured in a way that allows for more efficient tax management.

The three primary 1031 exchange rules to follow are: Replacement property should be of equal or greater value to the one being sold. Replacement property must be identified within 45 days. Replacement property must be purchased within 180 days.

To discourage excessive trading and protect the interests of long-term investors, mutual funds keep a close eye on shareholders who sell shares within 30 days of purchase – called round-trip trading – or try to time the market to profit from short-term changes in a fund's NAV.

If the ETFs were held for less than 1 year, the profits are considered to be short-term capital gains. Such gains are taxed at 15% u/s 111A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. However, if you have held the ETFs for longer than 1 year, the profits will be classified as long-term capital gains.

Most investors hold their mutual funds in accounts at brokerage firms (whether tax-deferred retirement accounts or taxable accounts) or in 401(k) retirement plans. In these cases, investors don't have to pay extra taxes when a mutual fund they own converts to an ETF.

The conversion itself is tax-free to the investor and switches from actively managed mutual funds, which aim to outperform the market. The primary benefit of the new ETF is more tax efficiency. "That's a big selling point," Sotiroff said.

The tax benefits of exchange funds come from Section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows investors to defer the recognition of a taxable gain or a loss when they contribute stocks to a partnership.