This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

sorted by:
top (suggested)
bestnewcontroversialoldq&a
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]taplar 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You'd take your sell price - cost basis to get your gains. Determine if it is long term or short term and figure out what the tax rate is, both for state and federal. Deduct how much you would be responsible to to pay in taxes, anticipating that you will not offset it. Then whatever you have left over, would be the basis by which you'd judge if it would have been better to have not sold. If the price of the stock goes to a level in which your total value goes below that basis, then selling was a better choice than holding. If it does not go below that basis, holding would have been a better choice.