Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 1.1233-1. Gains and losses from short sales.
Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).
Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 1233
Cite as 26 CFR § 1.1233-1
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Issued
- September 30, 1960 by T.D. 6494
- Last amended
- November 3, 1980 by T.D. 7728
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 1233
- Length
- 5,373 words · about 23 min to read
- Defines
- 2 terms
- Cross-references
- cites 5 Code sections and 1 regulation; cited by 3
Rule (1). Any gain upon the closing of such short sale shall be considered as a gain upon the sale or exchange of a capital asset held for not more than 1 year (6 months for taxable years beginning before 1977; 9 months for taxable years beginning in 1977) (notwithstanding the period of time any property used to close such short sale has been held); and
Rule (2). The holding period of such substantially identical property shall be considered to begin (notwithstanding the provisions of section 1223) on the date of the closing of such short sale or on the date of a sale, gift, or other disposition of such property, whichever date occurs first.
Rule (3). Any loss upon the closing of such short sale shall be considered as a loss upon the sale or exchange of a capital asset held for more than 1 year (6 months for taxable years beginning before 1977; 9 months for taxable years beginning in 1977), not withstanding the period of time any property used to close such short sale has been held. For the purpose of this rule, the acquisition of an option to sell property at a fixed price is not considered a short sale, and the exercise or failure to exercise such option is not considered as a closing of a short sale.
A buys 100 shares of X stock at $10 per share on February 1, 1955, sells short 100 shares of X stock at $16 per share on July 1, 1955, and closes the short sale on August 2, 1955, by delivering the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, to the lender of the stock used to effect the short sale. Since 100 shares of X stock had been held by A on the date of the short sale for not more than 6 months, the gain of $600 realized upon the closing of the short sale is, by application of rule (1) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, a short-term capital gain.
A buys 100 shares of X stock at $10 per share on February 1, 1955, sells short 100 shares of X stock at $16 per share on July 1, 1955, closes the short sale on August 1, 1955, with 100 shares of X stock purchased on that date at $18 per share, and on August 2, 1955, sells at $18 per share the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955. The $200 loss sustained upon the closing of the short sale is a short-term capital loss to which section 1233(d) has no application. By application of rule (2) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, however, the holding period of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, and sold on August 2, 1955 is considered to begin on August 1, 1955, the date of the closing of the short sale. The $800 gain realized upon the sale of such stock is, therefore, a short-term capital gain.
A buys 100 shares of X stock at $10 per share on February 1, 1955, sells short 100 shares of X stock at $16 per share on September 1, 1955, sells on October 1, 1955, at $18 per share the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, and closes the short sale on October 1, 1955, with 100 shares of X stock purchased on that date at $18 per share. The $800 gain realized upon the sale of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, is a long-term capital gain to which section 1233(b) has no application. Since A had held 100 shares of X stock on the date of the short sale for more than 6 months, the $200 loss sustained upon the closing of the short sale is, by application of rule (3) in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph, a long-term capital loss. If, instead of purchasing 100 shares of X stock on October 1, 1955, A closed the short sale with the 100 shares of stock purchased on February 1, 1955, the $600 gain realized on the closing of the short sale would be a long-term capital gain to which section 1233(b) has no application.
A sells short 100 shares of X stock at $16 per share on February 1, 1955. He buys 250 shares of X stock on March 1, 1955, at $10 per share and holds the latter stock until September 2, 1955 (more than 6 months), at which time, 100 shares of the 250 shares of X stock are delivered to close the short sale made on February 1, 1955. Since substantially identical property was acquired by A after the short sale and before it was closed, the $600 gain realized on the closing of the short sale is, by application of rule (1) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, a short-term capital gain. The holding period of the remaining 150 shares of X stock is not affected by section 1233 since this amount of the substantially identical property exceeds the quantity of the property sold short.
A buys 100 shares of X stock at $10 per share on February 1, 1955, buys an additional 100 shares of X stock at $20 per share on July 1, 1955, sells short 100 shares of X stock at $30 per share on September 1, 1955, and closes the short sale on February 1, 1956, by delivering the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, to the lender of the stock used to effect the short sale. Since 100 shares of X stock had been held by A on the date of the short sale for not more than 6 months, the gain of $2,000 realized upon the closing of the short sale is, by application of rule (1) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, a short-term capital gain and the holding period of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on July 1, 1955, is considered, by application of rule (2) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph to begin on February 1, 1956, the date of the closing of the short sale. If, however, the 100 shares of X stock purchased on July 1, 1955, had been used by A to close the short sale, then, since 100 shares of X stock had been held by A on the date of the short sale for not more than 6 months, the gain of $1,000 realized upon the closing of the short sale would be, by application of rule (1) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, a short-term capital gain, but the holding period of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, would not be affected by section 1233. If, on the other hand, A purchased an additional 100 shares of X stock at $40 per share on February 1, 1956, and used such shares to close the short sale at that time, then, since 100 shares of X stock had been held by A on the date of the short sale for more than 6 months, the loss of $1,000 sustained upon the closing of the short sale would be, by application of rule (3) in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph, a long-term capital loss, and since 100 shares of X stock had been held by A on the date of the short sale for not more than 6 months, the holding period of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on July 1, 1955, would be considered, by application of rule (2) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, to begin on February 1, 1956, but the holding period of the 100 shares of X stock purchased on February 1, 1955, would not be affected by section 1233.
A buys 100 shares of X preferred stock at $10 per share on February 1, 1955. On July 1, 1955, he enters into a contract to sell 100 shares of XY common stock at $16 per share when, as, and if issued pursuant to a particular plan of reorganization. On August 2, 1955, he receives 100 shares of XY common stock in exchange for the 100 shares of X preferred stock purchased on February 1, 1955, and delivers such common shares in performance of his July 1, 1955, contract. Assume that the exchange of the X preferred stock for the XY common stock is a tax-free exchange pursuant to section 354(a)(1), and that on the basis of all of the facts and circumstances existing on July 1, 1955, the when issued XY common stock is substantially identical to the X preferred stock. Since 100 shares of substantially identical property had been held by A for not more than 6 months on the date of entering into the July 1, 1955, contract of sale, the gain of $600 realized upon the closing of the contract of sale is, by application of rule (1) in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, a short-term capital gain.
A, who makes his return on the basis of the calendar year, on February 1, 1955, enters into a contract through broker X to purchase 10,000 bushels of December wheat on the Chicago market at $2 per bushel. On July 1, 1955, he enters into a contract through broker Y to sell 10,000 bushels of December wheat on the Chicago market at $2.25 per bushel. On August 2, 1955, he closes both transactions at $2.50 per bushel. The $2,500 loss sustained on the closing of the short sale is a short-term capital loss to which section 1233(d) has no application. By application of rule (2) in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, however, the holding period of the futures contract entered into on February 1, 1955, is considered to begin on August 2, 1955, the date of the closing of the short sale. The $5,000 gain realized upon the closing of such contract is, therefore, a short-term capital gain.
On August 13, 1957, A buys 100 bonds of X Corporation for purposes other than arbitrage operations. The bonds are convertible at the option of the bondholders into common stock of X Corporation on the basis of one bond for one share of stock. On November 1, 1957, A sells short 100 shares of common stock of X Corporation in a transaction identified and intended to be part of an arbitrage operation and on the same day buys another 100 bonds of X Corporation in a transaction identified and intended to be part of the same arbitrage operation. The bonds acquired on both August 13, 1957, and November 1, 1957, are, on the basis of all the facts and circumstances, substantially identical to the common stock of X Corporation. On December 1, 1957, A closes the short sale with 100 shares of common stock of X Corporation acquired on that day. The holding period of the bonds acquired on November 1, by application of rule (2) of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, will be deemed to begin on December 1 and the holding period of the bonds acquired on August 13 will be unaffected. If, instead of purchasing the 100 shares of common stock of X Corporation on December 1, 1957, A had converted the bonds acquired on November 1 into common stock and, on December 1, 1957, used the stock so acquired to close the short sale, rule (2) of paragraph (c)(2) of this section would similarly have no effect on the holding period of the bonds acquired on August 13.
Assume the same facts as in example (1), except that A, on December 1, sells the bonds acquired on November 1 (or converts such bonds into common stock and sells the stock), but does not close the short sale. The sale of the bonds (or stock) creates a net short position in assets acquired for arbitrage operations which is deemed to be a short sale made on December 1. Accordingly, the holding period of the bonds acquired on August 13 will, by application of rule (2) of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, begin on the date such short sale is closed or on the date of sale, gift, or other disposition of such bonds, whichever date occurs first.
A acquires on August 13, 1957, 100 shares of common stock of X Corporation for purposes other than arbitrage operations. On November 1, A sells short, in a transaction identified and intended to be part of an arbitrage operation, 100 shares of X common stock. On the same day, in a transaction also identified and intended to be part of the same arbitrage operation, A contracts to purchase 100 shares of preferred stock of X. The preferred stock of X may be converted into common stock of X on the basis of one share of preferred stock for one share of common stock. The preferred stock is not actually delivered to A until November 3. Since A has contracted before the close of business on the date of the short sale, as part of an arbitrage operation, to purchase property by virtue of which he has the right to receive or acquire substantially identical property to that sold short, he will be deemed, for purposes of section 1233(f) (1) and (2), to hold such substantially identical property at the close of business on the date of the short sale. For purposes of this subparagraph, it is immaterial whether, on the basis of all the facts and circumstances, the preferred stock of X is substantially identical to the common stock of X. The short sale on November 1 does not affect the holding period of the 100 shares of X Corporation common stock purchased on August 13, 1957. Because of the operation of rule (2) of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the holding period of the preferred stock acquired as the result of A's contract to purchase it as part of an arbitrage operation (or the common stock which A acquires by conversion of such preferred stock into common stock) will not begin until the short sale entered into in the arbitrage operation is closed.
[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 12011, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 6494, 25 FR 9372, Sept. 30, 1960; T.D. 6926, 32 FR 11468, Aug. 9, 1967; T.D. 7728, 45 FR 72650, Nov. 3, 1980]
Terms defined here
Where the text says “the term … means”. Select a term to jump to its definition.
Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.
Code sections it cites
- § 1091 Loss from wash sales of stock or securities
- § 1233 Gains and losses from short sales
- § 1223 Holding period of property
- § 354 Exchanges of stock and securities in certain reorganizations
- § 1236 Dealers in securities
Regulations it cites
Cited by 3 other regulations
Amendment history
From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.
- Amended by T.D. 7728 (45 FR 72650)
- Amended by T.D. 6926 (32 FR 11468)
- Amended by T.D. 6500 (25 FR 12011)
- Issued by T.D. 6494 (25 FR 9372)
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter A Income tax
- Part 1 Income taxes
- Special Rules for Determining Capital Gains and Losses
Nearby sections
- § 1.1231-2 Livestock held for draft, breeding, dairy, or sporting purposes.
- § 1.1232-1 Bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; scope of section.
- § 1.1232-3 Gain upon sale or exchange of obligations issued at a discount after December 31, 1954.
- § 1.1232-3A Inclusion as interest of original issue discount on certain obligations issued after May 27, 1969.
- § 1.1233-1 Gains and losses from short sales.
- § 1.1233-2 Hedging transactions.
- § 1.1234-1 Options to buy or sell.
- § 1.1234-2 Special rule for grantors of straddles applicable to certain options granted on or before September 1, 1976.
- § 1.1234-3 Special rules for the treatment of grantors of certain options granted after September 1, 1976.