Can I sell stock and then rebuy at lower price?

Asked by: Prof. Khalil Hammes I  |  Last update: August 20, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (3 votes)

It isn't illegal to buy a substantially similar security 30 days before or after selling one, but you're not allowed to deduct any losses incurred from the sale and purchase to offset your taxable income.

How quickly can I rebuy a stock after selling it?

In most stock markets, there is no specific waiting period that you must observe after selling a stock before you can buy the same stock again. You can theoretically buy the same stock immediately after selling it if you wish. This is commonly referred to as ``round-tripping'' or ``day trading'' the same stock.

Can I sell a stock and buy it back cheaper?

yes, but it can be a 'wash sale' if you sell and buy the same or similar stock within a short period. this happens when you sell at a loss, hoping to get a tax write-off. then you re-buy the same or a similar stock within 30 days.

What is the 7% rule in stocks?

The 7% rule is a straightforward guideline for cutting losses in stock trading. It suggests that investors should exit a position if the stock price falls 7% below the purchase price.

How do you avoid the wash sale rule?

After selling a security at a loss, you must wait 31 days to repurchase the same or a substantially identical security to avoid triggering the wash sale rule. The rule applies to both 30 days before and after the sale, meaning a total of 61 days must be considered when planning trades to avoid a wash sale.

How To Sell Stocks: When To Take Profits | Learn How To Invest: IBD

16 related questions found

What happens if I sell a stock and buy it back?

Thus, when you sell shares that exist in your investments in 'Sell from Existing' and buy them back on the same day, there is no movement of shares that would actually happen in your demat account and thus intraday trades like such do not affect your buy average. This feature is not allowed for this platform.

What is the wash sale rule loophole?

Until now, cryptocurrencies have not been subject to the wash sale rule, creating a loophole where traders can sell digital assets at a loss and promptly buy them back, all while deducting this loss on their taxes.

What is the 90% rule in stocks?

The Rule of 90 is a grim statistic that serves as a sobering reminder of the difficulty of trading. According to this rule, 90% of novice traders will experience significant losses within their first 90 days of trading, ultimately wiping out 90% of their initial capital.

Is it legal to buy and sell the same stock repeatedly?

There are no restrictions on placing multiple buy orders to buy the same stock more than once in a day, and you can place multiple sell orders to sell the same stock in a single day. The FINRA restrictions only apply to buying and selling the same stock within the designated five-trading-day period.

What time of day is best to sell stock?

So just to quickly summarise:

If you're looking for the best time to either buy or sell a stock during the trading day it is; During the last 10-15 minutes before market close. Or about an hour after the market opens.

Should you sell and rebuy?

Taking profits sounds pretty good; unfortunately, this strategy is not wise. While you may feel some satisfaction in knowing that you made a profit on this stock, the only thing you will lock in with this sell/buy transaction is a taxable capital gain.

Can you sell shares then buy back?

The company can repurchase its shares at any price. At least 75% of the shareholding must be bought back – this can be in one instalment or under multiple instalments. Shareholder approval is required. There must be sufficient distributable reserves.

Can I sell a stock and buy another immediately without paying taxes?

Buying additional stock shares with the proceeds from a stock sale will not eliminate or reduce capital gains taxes. However, if you reinvest the gain into a QOF (Qualified Opportunity Fund), you can defer the payment of capital gains taxes while you are invested in an eligible fund.

Can I sell a stock today and buy it back tomorrow?

You can buy the same stock back at any time, and this has no bearing on the sale you have made for profit. Rules only dictate that you pay taxes on any profit you make from assets.

Do you pay tax when you sell shares?

When you come to sell or give away shares, you may have to pay capital gains tax, if they've risen in value since you bought or were given them. However, as with dividend tax, you have an annual capital gains tax allowance. It is only when your gains exceed this allowance that CGT is charged.

What is the 30 day rule?

The 30-day savings rule is a simple strategy to cut down on overspending. It works like this: When you're tempted to make an impulse purchase, you commit to waiting 30 days before going through with it. Of course, at the end of those 30 days, you may decide that you do, in fact, want to make the purchase.

Can you sell a stock and then rebuy it?

What is the wash sale rule? On its surface, the wash sale rule isn't very complicated. It simply states that you can't sell shares of stock or other securities for a loss and then buy substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the sale (i.e., for a 61-day period, since you count the day of the sale).

What is the 10 am rule in stocks?

You use the 10 A.M. rule, and wait until after 10 A.M. to buy your stocks and options. If the stocks and options make a new high for the day after 10 A.M., then, and only then, should you trade the stocks and options. Of course, you will use stops to protect yourself, like you would on any trade.

Is it illegal to sell a stock and buy it back?

Wash sales are not illegal but have negative tax implications: Losses from such sales cannot be used to offset gains in the same tax year.

What is the golden rule of stock?

2.1 First Golden Rule: 'Buy what's worth owning forever'

This rule tells you that when you are selecting which stock to buy, you should think as if you will co-own the company forever.

What is the 40% rule in stocks?

What is the Rule of 40? The Rule of 40 states that, at scale, the combined value of revenue growth rate and profit margin should exceed 40% for healthy SaaS companies. The Rule of 40 – popularized by Brad Feld – states that an SaaS company's revenue growth rate plus profit margin should be equal to or exceed 40%.

What is the 20% rule in stocks?

The “20% rule,” as it is commonly known, requires Nasdaq and NYSE-listed companies in certain situations to receive shareholder approval before they can issue 20% or more of their outstanding common stock or voting power in a private offering, such as a PIPE (private investment in public equity).

How long after selling a stock can you buy it back?

Note that the wash sale period extends from 30 days before the sale to 30 days after the sale – and neither of those 30-day periods includes the sale date, so you can't buy that “substantially identical” security within a 61-day window. For example, let's say you sell ABC stock on July 15.

How to avoid paying capital gains tax on stocks?

7 ways to avoid capital gains tax on stocks for any investor
  1. Donate stock to charity.
  2. Hold stock shares for more than one year.
  3. Invest in retirement accounts.
  4. Pass it on in your estate plans.
  5. Sell stocks when you're in a lower tax bracket.
  6. Offset your capital gains with losses (aka tax-loss harvesting).

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.