tax-loss-harvesting
Identify tax-loss harvesting opportunities across taxable accounts. Finds positions with unrealized losses, suggests replacement securities, and tracks wash sale windows. Triggers on "tax-loss harvesting", "TLH", "harvest losses", "tax losses", "unrealized losses", or "year-end tax planning".
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/financial-services --skill tax-loss-harvesting- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads tax-loss-harvesting automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Tax-Loss Harvesting
Workflow
Step 1: Identify Candidates
Scan taxable accounts for positions with unrealized losses:
| Security | Asset Class | Cost Basis | Current Value | Unrealized Loss | Holding Period | % Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST / LT |
Prioritize by:
- Largest absolute loss (biggest tax benefit)
- Short-term losses first (offset short-term gains taxed at ordinary income rates)
- Positions with the largest % loss (less likely to recover quickly)
Step 2: Gain/Loss Budget
Calculate the client's tax situation:
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Realized short-term gains YTD | |
| Realized long-term gains YTD | |
| Realized losses YTD | |
| Net gain/(loss) position | |
| Carryforward losses from prior years | |
| Target harvesting amount |
Tax savings estimate:
- Short-term losses × marginal ordinary income rate
- Long-term losses × capital gains rate
- Up to $3,000 net loss deduction against ordinary income
- Excess carries forward
Step 3: Replacement Securities
For each harvest candidate, suggest a replacement that:
- Maintains similar market exposure (same asset class, sector, geography)
- Is NOT "substantially identical" (wash sale rule)
- Has similar risk/return characteristics
| Sell | Replace With | Reason | Tracking Error Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) | iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV) | Same index, different fund family | Minimal |
| Vanguard Total Intl (VXUS) | iShares MSCI ACWI ex-US (ACWX) | Similar exposure, different index | Low |
| Individual stock ABC | Sector ETF (XLK) | Broader exposure, no wash sale risk | Moderate |
Step 4: Wash Sale Check
Before executing, verify no wash sales:
- Check ALL accounts in the household (taxable, IRA, Roth, spouse accounts)
- 30-day lookback: Did we buy substantially identical securities in the last 30 days?
- 30-day forward: Block repurchase of the same security for 30 days
- Check for dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) that could trigger wash sales
- Document the wash sale window for each trade
| Security Sold | Wash Sale Window Start | Window End | DRIP Active? | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 5: Execution Plan
| Trade # | Account | Action | Security | Shares | Est. Proceeds | Est. Loss | Replacement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sell | ||||||||
| Buy |
Summary:
- Total estimated losses harvested: $
- Estimated tax savings: $ (at marginal rate of %)
- Net portfolio impact: minimal (replacement securities maintain exposure)
- Wash sale window management: [dates]
Step 6: Post-Harvest Tracking
After 30+ days, optionally:
- Swap back to original securities (if preferred)
- Maintain replacement securities (if no reason to switch back)
- Update cost basis records
- Document for tax reporting
Step 7: Output
- Harvest opportunity list (Excel)
- Trade execution sheet
- Wash sale tracking calendar
- Tax savings estimate summary
- Replacement security rationale
Important Notes
- Wash sale rules are strict — violations disallow the loss AND adjust cost basis
- Substantially identical means same security, not same asset class — ETFs tracking different indexes are generally fine
- Always coordinate across all household accounts including retirement accounts
- Consider the long-term cost basis step-down — harvesting resets cost basis, which means more gains later
- Year-end is prime harvesting season but opportunities exist throughout the year
- Mutual fund capital gains distributions in December can create additional harvesting urgency
- Document everything for tax reporting and compliance
- Not all losses are worth harvesting — transaction costs and tracking error have real costs
FAQ
What does the tax-loss-harvesting skill do?
Identify tax-loss harvesting opportunities across taxable accounts. Finds positions with unrealized losses, suggests replacement securities, and tracks wash sale windows. Triggers on "tax-loss harvesting", "TLH", "harvest losses", "tax losses", "unrealized losses", or "year-end tax planning".
How do I install tax-loss-harvesting?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/financial-services --skill tax-loss-harvesting in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/tax-loss-harvesting/ (personal) or .claude/skills/tax-loss-harvesting/ (project).
Which AI agents can use tax-loss-harvesting?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is tax-loss-harvesting safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains tax-loss-harvesting?
It is published by anthropics in anthropics/financial-services, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 914 recorded installs.
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