Spain's Two-Month Rule: You Sold at a Loss and Bought Back. Can You Deduct It?
You sell some shares at a loss to offset gains elsewhere, and a week later (because you still believe in the company, or because of an automatic order) you buy again. It is one of the most common situations in any portfolio, and the question that comes with it is rarely «what does the rule say?» but «does it apply to what I hold?»
The short answer: it depends on what you sold, where it is listed and what you bought back. And one starting idea worth keeping: the rule does not take the loss away from you. It stops you from deducting it now; you get it back later. That is why this article is organised by what you hold, not by the order of the legal text.