stock cost-basis, long/short gain with covered calls?

Let's say you have a long term stock holding (several years) with a sizeable gain, you wish to sell the stock in 2011 but instead of directly selling the stock, you instead sell covered call options (every few months) at a target price (higher than the current price). Some of these options expire, but the last period's options are exercised so the stock is sold. Do the proceeds of the final exercised covered-call(s) get subtracted from the original stock cost basis (or equiv. added to the long-term gain) and are all the other expired options just treated as separate independent short term gains?

Here's an example that will hopefully clarify: E.g.

1/1/2009: buy 100 shrs IBM for $5000 ($50/shr)

1/15/2011: sell March 2011 covered call at strike $100 receive $400 total in option premium (IBM is trading at $95)

3/15/2011: above March 2011 call expires (not exercised IBM still at 95). 4/1/2011: sell May 2011 covered call at strike $100 recieve $500 in premium 5/15/2011: May 2011 call is exercised (closed), IBM stock is sold/ called at $100, for $10000 total

Is the tax reporting ?: a. Long term gain: $10000 - $5000 + $500 (May 2011 exercised call) Short term gain: $400 ( March 2011 expired call) or b. Long term gain: $10000 - $5000 Short term gain: $400 + $500 or c. something different?

Reply to
Thunderbird
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Let me introduce you to the Table on Page 60 of IRS Pub 550

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SInce you got exercised, you as call holder get to add the call premium to sales price. The call takes on the holding period of the underlying stock. You need only one line to report this combined sale of stock including option premium.

Reply to
Arthur Kamlet

Art gave you the details. The direct answer to your question is "a".

Ira Smilovitz Leonia, NJ

Reply to
ira smilovitz

Actually answer a) says the holding period of the exercised option is not LT as is the underlying security. But the holding period of an exercised option is the same as the underlying security, hence my longer answer.

Reply to
Arthur Kamlet

Are we reading the same thing? "A" has only the expired option as short-term gain. It has the exercised option as part of the long-term gain. Or am I missing the point you are trying to make?

Ira Smilovitz Leonia, NJ

Reply to
ira smilovitz

Me reading too fast, I thought the option being reported was the exercised option.

Reply to
Arthur Kamlet

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