Can I book loss on delisted shares?

Asked by: Maureen Gleichner  |  Last update: February 12, 2026
Score: 4.4/5 (6 votes)

As explained above, technically and legally you can claim capital loss on delisted shares only on extinguishment of your rights in shares as extinguishment is treated as transfer but there are practical difficulties when your try to fill up your ITR form for claiming such losses.

Can you claim capital loss on delisted shares?

Losses on worthless shares

You may be able to claim a capital loss on worthless shares before a company is dissolved. You can do this if a liquidator or administrator declares in writing that you will not receive any further distribution from the company.

Do I lose my money if a stock is delisted?

The only thing delisting does is that the stock doesn't trade on whatever exchange it got delisted from. It would still exist and you would still own it. No one is going to pay you out. It would trade over the counter.

What can I do with delisted shares?

Once a company delists its shares, you can no longer sell those shares on publicly listed exchanges. However, your stake in the company can be maintained until you choose to sell the shares through other avenues. These other avenues can be through finding a buyer using off-the-counter markets.

Can you write off worthless stock?

Answer: If you own securities, including stocks, and they become totally worthless, you have a capital loss but not a deduction for bad debt. Worthless securities also include securities that you abandon.

DELISTED SHARES- How to Claim Tax Benefit Through Set Off Capital Loss? - TIPS BY MUKESH PATEL

44 related questions found

How do I claim a loss on a delisted stock?

Report losses due to worthless securities on Schedule D of Form 1040 and fill out Part I or Part II of Form 8949.

How do you get rid of a stock that no longer trades?

If the security cannot be sold in the market, it may be possible to dispose of the worthless security by gifting it to another person who can be related or unrelated to you. If you gift the worthless security to a family member, you will need to ensure that the person is not your spouse or minor child.

Is a delisted stock worthless?

You don't automatically lose money as an investor, but being delisted carries a stigma and is generally a sign that a company is bankrupt, near-bankrupt, or can't meet the exchange's minimum financial requirements for other reasons. Delisting also tends to prompt institutional investors to not continue to invest.

Should you keep a delisted stock?

The Impact of Delisting on Investors

However, a delisted stock often experiences significant or total devaluation. Therefore, even though a stockholder may still technically own the stock, they will likely experience a significant reduction in ownership. In some cases, stockholders can lose everything.

What happens if you own puts on a stock that gets delisted?

When a stock is delisted, options trading on that stock typically ceases. This means that options holders are no longer able to buy or sell their options on the open market. However, they still have the right to exercise their options if they choose to do so.

Where can I sell delisted shares?

When a stock is delisted, it can no longer be bought or sold on the exchange. However, it may still be possible to trade the shares over-the-counter (OTC) or through private transactions, depending on the circumstances.

Do delisted stocks ever get relisted?

Yes, a delisted stock can be re-listed on a major exchange like the NYSE or Nasdaq if the company subsequently meets all of the exchange's listing requirements. This typically involves getting the stock price above the minimum threshold, meeting financial benchmarks, and filing up-to-date financial reports.

What happens if you short a stock that gets delisted?

What happens when an investor maintains a short position in a company that gets delisted and declares bankruptcy? The answer is simple: The investor never has to pay back anyone because the shares are worthless. Companies sometimes declare bankruptcy with little warning. Other times, there is a slow fade to the end.

Will I lose my shares if a company is delisted?

If a company's stock is delisted from an exchange, shareholders still own their shares in the company, but the stock may trade over-the-counter, which could lead to decreased liquidity and less transparency for investors.

How much stock loss can you write off?

Your maximum net capital loss in any tax year is $3,000. The IRS limits your net loss to $3,000 (for individuals and married filing jointly) or $1,500 (for married filing separately). You can reduce any amount of taxable capital gains as long as you have gross losses to offset them.

How to book loss in share market?

The process is simple yet effective. You have to first sell the loss making shares in your portfolio and book the losses on them. Then next day, you can buy back the same stocks to keep your portfolio intact.

How do you get rid of delisted shares?

As these stocks are not listed on the stock exchange, you need to approach the broker or buyer privately to sell unlisted shares in India. You need to provide Demat A/c details, CMR copy, and bank details to the buyer after which the shares need to be transferred.

What happens if you have money in a stock that gets delisted?

When a company delists, investors still own their shares. However, they'll no longer be able to sell them on the exchange. Instead, they'll have to do so over the ounter (OTC).

What to do with shares after delisting?

Though delisting does not affect your ownership, shares may not hold any value post-delisting. Thus, if any of the stocks that you own get delisted, it is better to sell your shares. You can either exit the market or sell it to the company when it announces buyback.

Can you claim capital loss on delisted stock?

Investors in this situation usually cannot sell the shares if they've been delisted, which means investors can't trigger a capital loss in the typical sense. However, subsection 50(1) of the Income Tax Act allows a taxpayer to make a deemed disposition of shares from insolvent or bankrupt firms.

Can I claim delisted shares?

So though the shares are not traded on the stock exchanges after delisting, they are still there in your demat account. So, delisting cannot amount to extinguishment of the shares or your rights in the shares.

Can you claim capital loss on worthless stock?

When one determines for tax purposes that a security has become totally worthless, an investment fund can take a capital loss under IRC Section 165. The resulting loss may be deducted as though it were a loss from a sale or exchange on the last day of the taxable year in which it has become worthless.

How can I sell my delisted shares?

The corporation must honour the delisting price. If the firm has been delisted for more than a year, the shareholder might approach the company and negotiate a private sale of the shares to the promoters. This will be an off-market transaction, with the price agreed upon by the seller and buyer.

When you make a trade off what do you always lose?

In trade-off economics, the opportunity cost is the profit lost when one alternative is chosen over another. A trade-off is understanding that you are going to lose something, in relation to time, money, or energy, when the decision to choose something else is made.

What is the wash sale rule?

Under the wash sale rule, your loss is disallowed for tax purposes if you sell stock or other securities at a loss and then buy substantially identical stock or securities within 30 days before or 30 days after the sale.