The 2025 Capital Gains Rule Changes Every U.S. Investor Must Know
U.S. Capital Gains Tax 2025: ETF & Stock Rules, Brackets, and Key Risks TL;DR Summary (2025): Capital gains in 2025 remain split between short-term (ordinary income rates) and long-term (0%, 15%, 20%). ETFs retain strong tax efficiency, but wash-sale rules still apply to substitute tickers tracking similar indexes. Tax-loss harvesting remains effective when executed without triggering wash-sale violations. DRIPs, auto-investing, and fractional shares complicate cost-basis tracking, causing IRS mismatches. High-income investors gain the most from long-term planning, asset location strategy, and tax-advantaged accounts. Capital gains rules in the United States continue evolving in 2025, bringing updated inflation thresholds, tighter wash-sale enforcement, and increased IRS focus on cost-basis reporting. For ETF and stock investors, these changes influence how gains are taxed and how efficiently portfolios can grow over time. This guide covers the 2025 capital ga...