Donating Shares

How donating shares instead of dollars can lead to tax-free investing Dec 1, 2025 8:00:00 AM And how we make it easy. Key takeaways 2017 legislation weakened the federal income tax incentive for donating to charity. Donating and replacing taxable shares, however, can unlock a new avenue for tax savings. Pairing the strategy with tax-loss harvesting can lead to even more savings. Betterment gives you two easy ways to donate shares: directly to one of our partner charities, or through a donor-advised fund. Donating to charity isn't the big tax write-off it used to be. Not since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act watered down the charitable tax deduction. But altruistic investors such as yourself have another tax-saving option at your disposal: donating shares. In this article, we’ll walk you through: How donating (then replacing) shares resets their tax bill How adding tax-loss harvesting can plus-up the savings How we make it easy to donate shares How donating (then replacing) shares resets their tax bill Let's start with a couple prerequisites up front: You can only donate appreciated shares, meaning ones that have gained in value. We require that you've held them for at least a year to maximize the potential tax savings. You can only donate shares from a taxable investing account. That means tax-advantaged accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs—with one exception for those 70 ½ or older—are off the table. So if you'd like to start leveraging this tax strategy, you'll need to first open and fund a taxable investing account. Similar to the mechanics of tax-loss harvesting, donating shares lowers your taxes thanks to a little something called cost basis. Cost basis is the price you pay for a share. It's how the IRS calculates the profits (aka capital gains) on your investing, and by extension your taxes owed on that investing. By donating and (most importantly) replacing shares, you reset the price paid for that slice of your investing. This means a share that had increased in value by say, 20%, suddenly becomes, in the eyes of the IRS, a share that hasn't appreciated at all. It's as if all the profit to that point never happened. Don't worry; the capital gains are still very much there. And you're wealthier for it. But the taxes owed when you ultimately sell those investments will be lower than if you had never donated. How adding tax-loss harvesting can plus-up the savings Tax-loss harvesting (TLH) helps you defer taxes down the road, freeing up more cash to invest now. And it does this by letting you deduct taxes today in exchange for a higher tax bill in the future. You can think of it like handing Uncle Sam an IOU come tax time. But guess what happens when you donate a share that was originally part of a harvest? You erase its entire tax bill—IOU and all—up to that point. It's one of the few ways you can actually avoid paying taxes altogether on some of your investing. So it’s no wonder why this combo move has long been a favorite of the wealthy. Now, thanks to technology like ours, it's never been easier for everyday investors to do right while reaping the same rewards. How we make it easy to donate shares Before tech like ours helped lower barriers, donating shares required several steps, things like tracking down the charity’s brokerage information, figuring out which shares to give, and filling out the necessary forms. But with Betterment, it’s as easy as logging in on a desktop browser and making a few clicks. We show you exactly how much of your taxable investing is eligible to donate, and our TaxMax technology seeks out the most tax-efficient shares to sell and donate. We also give you two ways to give. Donate directly to more than a dozen partner charities. We don’t charge any processing fees, so your entire donation goes directly to them. Open a donor-advised fund (DAF) with our partners at Daffy and donate to that, then choose from up to 1.5 million nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations while your funds stay invested. You get the tax deduction up front and can then automate your giving or disperse funds as you go. DAFs have historically come with high minimums, high fees, and dated technology, but Daffy is doing its best to change that. DAFs compared Daffy Fidelity Schwab Vanguard Minimum to open $0 $0 $0 $25,000 Minimum annual cost $36 0.60% or $100 0.60% 0.60% or $250 Average investment fee 0.05% 0.54% 0.65% 0.06% Source: Daffy Give smarter. Save bigger. Feel better. By donating and replacing shares, you can give your taxable investing a fresh start. Pair it with tax-loss harvesting, and you could wipe out even more of your tax bill while keeping your money growing. And since Betterment takes care of the tricky parts, from choosing which shares to donate to handling the logistics, giving smarter has never been easier. It’s one simple move that helps your portfolio—and your favorite cause—thrive.

Four ways we help trim your tax bill Aug 15, 2025 9:00:00 AM And why these "invisible" wins matter more than you may think. As investors, we tend to focus most on what we can see. Things like portfolio makeup, and the returns generated by those investments. No less important, however, are the less obvious things, like the taxes you never paid in the first place because of technology that quietly runs in the background. You may only think about taxes once a year, but here at Betterment, every day is Tax Day. This sort of year-round tax optimization sounds boring, but believe us, it makes a difference. Taxes can steadily eat away at your returns over the years. So any advisor worth their salt should take taxes seriously and minimize them as much as possible. These “invisible” wins are hard to spot in the moment, so let’s shine a light on them now. Here are four sophisticated ways we buy, sell, and hold your shares, all in the name of trimming your tax bill. Choosing which assets go where – Our Tax Coordination feature helps shield high-growth assets in the most tax-efficient account types. Rebalancing wisely – We take advantage of any existing cash flows to help minimize capital gains taxes while rebalancing your portfolio. Choosing which taxable shares to sell (or donate) – Our TaxMin technology helps minimize short-term capital gains taxes. Harvesting losses – When your taxable investments dip below their initial purchase price, we jump on the opportunity to “harvest” the theoretical loss and potentially lower your future tax bill. 1. Choosing which assets go where From a tax perspective, you have three main account types at your disposal when saving for retirement: Tax-deferred (traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.), where taxes are paid later. Tax-exempt (Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.), where taxes are paid now. Taxable, where taxes are paid both now and later. Because of their different tax treatments, certain types of investments are a better fit for certain accounts. Interest from bonds, for example, is typically taxed at a higher rate than stocks, so it often makes sense to keep them away from taxable accounts. This sorting of asset types based on tax treatments, rather than divvying them up equally across accounts, is known as asset location. And our fully-automated, mathematically-rigorous spin on it is called Tax Coordination. When Tax Coordination is turned on, the net effect is more of your portfolio's growth is shielded in a Roth account, the pot of money you crucially don't pay taxes on when withdrawing funds. To learn more about our Tax Coordination feature and whether it’s right for you, take a peek at its disclosure. 2. Rebalancing wisely When the weights of asset classes in your portfolio drift too far from their targets, our technology automatically brings them back into balance. But there's more than one way to accomplish this portfolio rebalancing. You can simply sell some of the assets that are overweight, and buy the ones that are underweight (aka "sell/buy" rebalancing), but that can realize capital gains and result in more taxes owed. So we first take advantage of any available cash flows coming into or out of your portfolio. When you make a withdrawal, for example, we intentionally liquidate overweight assets while striving to minimize your tax hit as much as possible (more on that below). And when you deposit money or receive dividends, we use those funds to beef up underweight assets. 3. Choosing which taxable shares to sell (or donate) Say there's no way around it: you need to sell an asset. Maybe cash flows aren't enough to keep your portfolio completely balanced. Or you’re withdrawing funds for a major purchase. The question then becomes: which specific assets should be sold? The IRS and many brokers follow the simple script of "first in, first out," meaning your oldest assets are sold first. This approach is easier for your broker, and it can avoid more highly-taxed short-term capital gains. But it often misses the opportunity of selling assets at a loss, and harvesting those losses for potential tax benefits. So our algorithms take a more nuanced approach to selecting shares, and we call this technology TaxMin. TaxMin is calibrated to avoid frequent small rebalance transactions and seek tax-efficient outcomes, things like helping reduce wash sales and minimizing short-term capital gains. In the case of donating shares, we apply the same logic in reverse, or TaxMax as we call it. That's because when donating shares, it benefits you to choose the ones with the most gains, since any shares bought as a replacement will effectively have a reset tax bill. 4. Harvesting losses Life is full of ups and downs, and your investments are no different. At times, most notably during market downturns, the price of an asset may dip below what you paid for it. Tax loss harvesting takes advantage of these moments, selling taxable assets that fit this bill, then replacing them with similar ones so you stay invested. You can then use those harvested losses to shift taxes you owe now into the future. The strategy doesn’t make sense for everyone, but it can help some investors sprinkle tax advantages on a portion of their taxable investing. And our fully-automated spin on it takes a tax hack once reserved for the wealthy and makes it available to the masses. Happy harvesting. In conclusion, we care a lot about taxes Because it’s one of the most reliable ways to boost your returns. We can’t control the market, but tax laws? Those are set by the IRS and broadcast far and wide. And we can help you navigate them wisely. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t. So the next time you take a peek at your returns, ask yourself how much of that growth will still be there come tax time. If you’re a Betterment customer, you can rest assured we’re working tirelessly to minimize those tax drags. You may not realize it right away, and rightfully so. Live your life, and leave the tax toiling to us.

How To Plan Your Taxes When Investing Oct 31, 2024 7:00:00 AM Tax planning should happen year round. Here are some smart moves to consider that can help you save money now—and for years to come. Editor’s note: We’re about to dish on taxes and investing in length, but please keep in mind Betterment isn’t a tax advisor, nor should any information here be considered tax advice. Please consult a tax professional for advice on your specific situation. In 1 minute No one wants to pay more taxes than they have to. But as an investor, it’s not always clear how your choices change what you may ultimately owe to the IRS. Consider these strategies that can help reduce your taxes, giving you more to spend or invest as you see fit. Max out retirement accounts: The more you invest in your IRA and/or 401(k), the more tax benefits you receive. So contribute as much as you’re able to. Consider tax loss harvesting: When your investments lose value, you have the opportunity to reduce your tax bill. Selling depreciated assets lets you deduct the loss to offset other investment gains or decrease your taxable income. You can do this for up to $3,000 worth of losses every year, and additional losses can count toward future years. Rebalance your portfolio with cash flows: To avoid realizing gains before you may need to, try to rebalance your portfolio without selling any existing investments. Instead, use cash flows, including new deposits and dividends, to adjust your portfolio’s allocation. Consider a Roth conversion: You can convert all or some of traditional IRA into a Roth IRA at any income level and at any time. You’ll pay taxes upfront, but when you retire, your withdrawals are tax free. It’s worth noting that doing so is a permanent change, and it isn’t right for everyone. We recommend consulting a qualified tax advisor before making the decision. Invest your tax refund: Tax refunds can feel like pleasant surprises, but in reality they represent a missed opportunity. In practice, they mean you’ve been overpaying Uncle Sam throughout the year, and only now are you getting your money back. If you can, make up for this lost time by investing your refund right away. Donate to charity: Giving to causes you care about provides tax benefits. Donate in the form of appreciated investments instead of cash, and your tax-deductible donation can also help you avoid paying taxes on capital gains. In 5 minutes Taxes are complicated. It’s no wonder so many people dread tax season. But if you only think about them at the start of the year or when you look at your paycheck, you could be missing out. As an investor, you can save a lot more in taxes by being strategic with your investments throughout the year. In this guide, we’ll: Explain how you can save on taxes with strategic investing Examine specific tips for tax optimization Consider streamlining the process via automation Max out retirement accounts every year Retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s come with tax benefits. The more you contribute to them, the more of those benefits you enjoy. Depending on your financial situation, it may be worth maxing them out every year. The tax advantages of 401(k)s and IRAs come in two flavors: Roth and traditional. Contributions to Roth accounts are made with post-tax dollars, meaning Uncle Sam has already taken a cut. Contributions to traditional accounts, on the other hand, are usually made with pre-tax dollars. These two options effectively determine whether you pay taxes on this money now or later. So, which is better, Roth or Traditional? The answer depends on how much money you expect to live on during retirement. If you think you’ll be in a higher tax bracket when you retire (because you’ll be withdrawing more than you currently make each month), then paying taxes now with a Roth account can keep more in your pocket. But if you expect to be in the same or lower tax bracket when you retire, then pushing your tax bill down the road via a Traditional retirement account may be the better route. Use tax loss harvesting throughout the year Some of your assets will decrease in value. That’s part of investing. But tax loss harvesting is designed to allow you to use losses in your taxable (i.e. brokerage) investing accounts to your advantage. You gain a tax deduction by selling assets at a loss. That deduction can offset other investment gains or decrease your taxable income by up to $3,000 every year. And any losses you don’t use rollover to future years. Traditionally, you’d harvest these losses at the end of the year as you finalize your deductions. But then you could miss out on other losses throughout the year. Continuously monitoring your portfolio lets you harvest losses as they happen. This could be complicated to do on your own, but automated tools make it easy. At Betterment, we offer Tax Loss Harvesting at no extra cost. Once you determine if Tax Loss Harvesting is right for you (Betterment will ask you a few questions to help you determine this), all you have to do is enable it, and this feature looks for opportunities regularly, seeking to help increase your after-tax returns. Keep in mind, however, that everyone’s tax situation is different—and Tax Loss Harvesting may not be suitable for yours. In general, we don’t recommend it if: Your future tax bracket will be higher than your current tax bracket. You can currently realize capital gains at a 0% tax rate. You’re planning to withdraw a large portion of your taxable assets in the next 12 months. You risk causing wash sales due to having substantially identical investments elsewhere. Rebalance your portfolio with cash flows As the market ebbs and flows, your portfolio can drift from its target allocation. One way to rebalance your portfolio is by selling assets, but that can cost you in taxes. A more efficient method for rebalancing is to use cash flows like new deposits and dividends you’ve earned. This can help keep your allocation on target while keeping taxes to a minimum. Betterment can automate this process, automatically monitoring your portfolio for rebalancing opportunities, and efficiently rebalancing your portfolio throughout the year once your account has reached the balance threshold. Consider getting out of high-cost investments Sometimes switching to a lower-cost investment firm means having to sell investments, which can trigger taxes. But over time, high-fee investments could cost you more than you’d pay in taxes to move to a lower cost money manager. For example, if selling a fund will cost you $1,000 in taxes, but you will save $500 per year in fees, you can break even in just two years. If you plan to be invested for longer than that, switching can be a savvy investment move. Consider a Roth conversion The IRS limits who can contribute to a Roth IRA based on income. But there’s no income limit for converting your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. It’s not for everyone, and it does come with some potential pitfalls, but you have good reasons to consider it. A Roth conversion could: Lower the taxable portion of the conversion due to after-tax contributions made previously Lower your tax rates Put you in a lower tax bracket than normal due to retirement or low-income year Provide tax-free income in retirement or for a beneficiary Provide an opportunity to use an AMT (alternative minimum tax) credit carryover Provide an opportunity to use an NOL (net operating loss) carryover If you decide to convert your IRA, don’t wait until December—you’d miss out on 11 months of potential tax-free growth. Generally, the earlier you do your conversion the better. That said, Roth conversions are permanent, so be certain about your decision before making the change. It’s worth speaking with a qualified tax advisor to determine whether a Roth conversion is right for you. Invest your tax refund It might feel nice to receive a tax refund, but it usually means you’ve been overpaying your taxes throughout the year. That’s money you could have been investing! If you get a refund, consider investing it to make up for lost time. Depending on the size of your refund, you may want to resubmit your Form W-4 to your employer to adjust the amount of taxes withheld from each future paycheck. The IRS offers a Tax Withholding Estimator to help you get your refund closer to $0. Then you could increase your 401(k) contribution by that same amount. You won’t notice a difference in your paycheck, but it can really add up in your retirement account. Donate to charity It’s often said that it’s better to give than to receive. This is doubly true when charitable giving provides tax benefits in addition to the feeling of doing good. You can optimize your taxes while supporting your community or giving to causes you care about. To donate efficiently, consider giving away appreciated investments instead of cash. Then you avoid paying taxes on capital gains, and the gift is still tax deductible. You’ll have to itemize your deductions above the standard deduction, so you may want to consider “bunching” two to five years’ worth of charitable contributions. Betterment’s Charitable Giving can help streamline the donation process by automatically identifying the most appreciated long-term investments and partnering directly with highly-rated charities across a range of causes.