The wash sale rule states that if you buy or acquire a substantially identical stock within 30 days before or after you sold the declining stock at a loss, you generally cannot deduct the loss.

Few taxpayers were interested in or needed to know the “wash sale” rules, until recently. When stock prices rose steadily, the wash sale rules didn’t come into play. The rules matter only ...

The wash sale rule generally disallows tax deductions for losses from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities if you buy the same asset (or substantially similar one) within 30 days ...