Title 26, Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-110

§1211 Limitation on Capital Losses

Title 26 › Subtitle A — Income Taxes › CHAPTER 1 — NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES › Subchapter P — Capital Gains and Losses › PART II — TREATMENT OF CAPITAL LOSSES › § 1211

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Corporations can only use losses from selling capital assets to offset gains from those same kinds of sales or exchanges. They cannot count those capital losses against other income. People and other non‑corporate taxpayers can also use capital losses to cancel capital gains. If their losses are bigger than their gains, they can deduct the smaller of $3,000 ($1,500 if married filing separately) or the amount by which the losses exceed the gains.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §1211

Internal Revenue Code, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Corporations
In the case of a corporation, losses from sales or exchanges of capital assets shall be allowed only to the extent of gains from such sales or exchanges.
(b)Other taxpayers
In the case of a taxpayer other than a corporation, losses from sales or exchanges of capital assets shall be allowed only to the extent of the gains from such sales or exchanges, plus (if such losses exceed such gains) the lower of— (1)
(2)the excess of such losses over such gains.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–514 amended subsec. (b) generally, substituting present provisions for provisions which had declared in: par. (1), general rule for limitation on capital losses for taxpayer other than corporation; in par. (2), meaning of term “applicable amount”; and in par. (3), rule relating to computation of taxable income. 1977—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 95–30 inserted “reduced (but not below zero) by the zero bracket amount” after “taxable year”. 1976—Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 94–455, § 1401(a), substituted “the applicable amount” for “$1,000”. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 94–455, § 1401(b), substituted provision relating to “applicable amount” for prior provision limiting amount of capital losses for married individuals and reading “In the case of a husband or wife who files a separate return, the amount specified in paragraph (1)(B) shall be $500 in lieu of $1,000.” Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 94–455, § 501(b)(6), struck out last sentence “If the taxpayer elects to pay the optional tax imposed by section 3, ‘taxable income’ as used in this subsection shall read as ‘adjusted gross income’.” 1969—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–172 provided for only 50 percent of an individual’s long-term capital losses to be offset against his ordinary income up to the $1,000 limit although short-term capital losses continue to be fully deductible within the $1,000 limit and the deduction of capital losses against ordinary income for married persons filing separate returns to be limited to $500 for each spouse rather than the $1,000 formerly allowed.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–514 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1986, see section 301(c) of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 62 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–30 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1976, see section 106(a) of Pub. L. 95–30, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by section 501(b)(6) of Pub. L. 94–455 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1975, see section 508 of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 3 of this title. Pub. L. 94–455, title XIV, § 1401(c), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1731, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1976.”

Effective Date

of 1969 Amendment Pub. L. 91–172, title V, § 513(d), Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 643, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 1212 and 1222 of this title] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1969.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 1211

Title 26, Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110