total estimated capital gains

[GrayHare]

Around this time of year many mutual fund companies publish estimated capital gains per share for each fund. I'd like the brokerages to multiply and sum those values for my holdings to arrive at an estimated CG total. Is that total hiding somewhere at broker sites? I can't find it at Fido, VG, or others. Of course I can calculate it by hand but I have enough different MFs that such calculation is tedious, besides it's something a computer can do easily.

 

[braumeister]

I think I would take this as a hint that maybe my portfolio was somewhat too complicated.

 

[audreyh1]

Around this time of year many mutual fund companies publish estimated capital gains per share for each fund. I'd like the brokerages to multiply and sum those values for my holdings to arrive at an estimated CG total. Is that total hiding somewhere at broker sites? I can't find it at Fido, VG, or others. Of course I can calculate it by hand but I have enough different MFs that such calculation is tedious, besides it's something a computer can do easily.

Nope. I do that myself manually every year using a spreadsheet. Then I have some idea of what my income and taxes will be for the year.

 

[Animorph]

I do it with a spread sheet also, manually entering the distribution data each year.

 

[pb4uski]

Nope. I do that myself manually every year using a spreadsheet. Then I have some idea of what my income and taxes will be for the year.

+1 Need to be careful with international funds to also add in an estimate of foreign taxes paid to what they say that they will pay you in dividends to get the dividend income and then also use the foreign taxes paid as a tax credit.

 

[audreyh1]

+1 Need to be careful with international funds to also add in an estimate of foreign taxes paid to what they say that they will pay you in dividends to get the dividend income and then also use the foreign taxes paid as a tax credit.

Well, don't find that out until later, just like I don't find out how many of the dividends are qualified until around Feb of the next year.

But I know from foreign tax credit from prior years so I can guess.

 

[pb4uski]

Agreed, that is why I said "an estimate"... to my knowledge there is no way to know the final number until you get the 1099.... but better an estimate then nothing at all.

I also estimate the % qualified too.

 

[scrabbler1]

Nope. I do that myself manually every year using a spreadsheet. Then I have some idea of what my income and taxes will be for the year.

Same here, then I plug the results into my income tax spreadsheet so I can figure out how much in estimated taxes I need to pay, especially state income taxes so I can pay that by 12/31 and take the deduction on the current year's (not next year's) return.

I do have to wait for the Qualified Dividends to be released on the 1099 but it isn't that tough to estimate them in the fund I own.

 

[LOL!]

Although I do the spreadsheet, I have learned that the numbers don't change much from year-to-year, so I can just use what I had on my tax return last year again for this year unless I am trying to calculate it very close.

3 more points:

1. I have simplified my taxable holdings since we no longer are making contributions to our taxable account. Tax-loss harvesting also means we will not have any net capital gains anyways, so we only have to look at dividends.

2. I use MSMoney to track things, so I can generate a report at anytime with dividend and cap gains info for any holding, any account, and any groups of holdings and/or accounts (such as taxable account only).

3. More than you want to know: My spouse gets a bonus in the last week of December which makes almost all tax estimation completely bogus anyways. Since 401(k) match is paid on the bonus, I have a bigger headache trying to make sure she has not already maxed out because her company does not do a "true-up." I'll even bet that no one in her company has EVER gotten the maximum possible match yet. This year I hope to do so, but it involves some hassle.

 

[COcheesehead]

I think I would take this as a hint that maybe my portfolio was somewhat too complicated.

C'mon, cut the guy some slack.

 

[GrayHare]

Although I do the spreadsheet, I have learned that the numbers don't change much from year-to-year, so I can just use what I had on my tax return last year again for this year unless I am trying to calculate it very close.

What are people seeing, how does this year compare to last? I've been guessing average CG distributions will be down in 2016 as compared to 2015, maybe 25% less?

 

[gerntz]

I base my estimates off what has been paid out already this year, compare that with last year, & then guesstimate the totals. Then I make IRA distributions & pay the taxers from that. All this - and more - is why I buy Turbo early & start plugging everything in to get the best handle I can on the right distributions amounts & taxes amounts to pay. I stay a bit conservative on income added from IRA distributions so we don't hit a Medicare premium jump limit. Firth year doing this & worked out OK so far.

 

[audreyh1]

What are people seeing, how does this year compare to last? I've been guessing average CG distributions will be down in 2016 as compared to 2015, maybe 25% less?

My CG distributions dropped quite a bit from last year. Maybe by 33% - at least. Much better anyway.

 

[marko]

Spreadsheet. I also track the most recent 10 years of dividends and CGs along with regular monthly dividends, compare them and slice/dice...and 12,351 other portfolio data points.

This year my dividends are spot on as they have been for years, but CGs are down 37% vs last year but still average over the past 10.

Google Sheets also has a function that automatically updates dividends and CGs after the fact

Yeah, I know...too much time at the marko household.

 

[Looking4Ward]

What are people seeing, how does this year compare to last? I've been guessing average CG distributions will be down in 2016 as compared to 2015, maybe 25% less?

Down almost exactly 25% for me this year. I'm just waiting to find out how much of this years dividends were qualified so I can figure out how much of my tIRA to convert to Roth.

 

[pb4uski]

I overconvert by a little and then recharacterize as I finalize my tax return in February.

 

[scrabbler1]

What are people seeing, how does this year compare to last? I've been guessing average CG distributions will be down in 2016 as compared to 2015, maybe 25% less?

The CG distributions in my bond funds are small and pretty much the same in 2016 as they were in 2015. In my main stock fund (non-IRA), the LTCG distribution is slated to be about 20% more in 2016 than it was in 2015.

 

[audreyh1]

My CG distributions dropped quite a bit from last year. Maybe by 33% - at least. Much better anyway.

I looked at my spreadsheet. Estimated distributions for the year are down 36% compared to last year.

 

[Amethyst]

I can't really compare yet, since the total will probably change by 31 December, and that's the amount I use for comparison. But it does not look as if it will be more than last year.

 

[marko]

Still a bit early but my cg coming in to date are about 6% more than preliminary announced

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I am so glad I do not deal with capital gains much anymore. This was not always the case. I used to love capital gains. Then thanks to others on this site, I discovered they were of no great advantage. I have CEF's , Roth Ira and 401k from old employer, so I don't worry much about capital gains these days. Dividends yes, capital gains no.

 

[Raymond01]

Marko, can you tell more about how this works?

Google Sheets also has a function that automatically updates dividends and CGs after the fact

 

[marko]

Marko, can you tell more about how this works?

Google Sheets also has a function that automatically updates dividends and CGs after the fact

I set up the Google finance functions in each column for price, dividends , CGs etc then add the amount of shares for each ticker Then it's just a matter of adding or multiplying.

I do find that Google finance is a bit off from the reality of the actual dividends and CGS but close enough for rough calculations

There is no function for anticipated distributions however so I go to my TRPRICE website for that and enter those numbers manually and then compare when actuals come in


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