Cost Basis

Cost Basis
1. The original value of an asset for tax purposes (usually the purchase price), adjusted for stock splits, dividends and return of capital distributions. This value is used to determine the capital gain, which is equal to the difference between the asset's cost basis and the current market value. Also known as "tax basis".

2. The difference between the cash price and the futures price of a given commodity.

1. Using the correct tax basis is important especially if you reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions instead of taking the earnings in cash. Reinvesting distributions increases the tax basis of your investment, which you must account for in order to report a lower capital gain (and therefore pay less tax). If you don't use the higher tax basis, you could end up paying taxes twice on the reinvested distributions.

For example, say you bought 100 shares of a stock for $1,000 last year and you reinvested the $100 of dividends distributed from the company. The next year, you received $200 in dividends and capital-gains distributions, which you again reinvested. Since tax law considers these reinvested earnings as paid to you even though you didn't actually have the cash in hand, your adjusted cost basis when the stock is sold should be recorded at $1,300 instead of the original purchase price of $1,000. Thus, if the sale price is $1,500, the taxable gain would only be $200 ($1,500 - $1,300) instead of $500 ($1,500 - $1,000). If you record the cost basis as $1,000, you'll end up paying more taxes than you have to.

2. For example, if particular corn futures contract happens to be trading at $3.50, while the current market price of the commodity today is $3.10, there is said to be a $0.40 basis.


Investment dictionary. . 2012.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • cost basis — see basis 3 Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. cost basis n. The amount …   Law dictionary

  • Cost basis — Part of a series on Taxation Taxation in the United States …   Wikipedia

  • cost basis — The original price of an asset, used to determine capital gains. Bloomberg Financial Dictionary * * * cost basis UK US noun [S] ► FINANCE the original price that something cost to buy, rather than what it is worth now, used, for example, to… …   Financial and business terms

  • Cost basis reporting — is a term used in the financial services industry that refers to identifying the actual cost of a security for income tax purposes. Cost basis reporting became mandatory on January 1, 2011. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 –… …   Wikipedia

  • Average Cost Basis Method — A way of calculating cost basis when figuring out gains or losses from a sale of mutual fund shares. This is done by adding up the number of shares owned as well as the total dollar amount of the shares; the dollar amount is divided by the number …   Investment dictionary

  • adjusted cost basis — For income tax purposes, original cost plus additions to capital less depreciation results in the adjusted cost basis. Herder v. Helvering, 70 U.S. App.D.C. 287, 106 F.2d 153, 162 …   Black's law dictionary

  • adjusted cost basis — For income tax purposes, original cost plus additions to capital less depreciation results in the adjusted cost basis. Herder v. Helvering, 70 U.S. App.D.C. 287, 106 F.2d 153, 162 …   Black's law dictionary

  • basis — ba·sis / bā səs/ n pl ba·ses / ˌsēz/ 1: something (as a principle or reason) on which something else is established the court could not imagine any conceivable basis for the statute see also rational basis 2: a basic principle o …   Law dictionary

  • cost — n 1: the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something 2 pl: expenses incurred in litigation; esp: those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster.… …   Law dictionary

  • Basis — may refer to* Basis future, the value differential between a future and the spot price * Basis (options), the value differential between a call option and a put option * Cost basis, in the calculation of capital gains * Basis (crystal structure) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”