republic-os/legal/us/code/title-26/chapter-1/section-1236.md

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LegalText	26 U.S.C. § 1236	Dealers in securities	us	united_states_code	code_section	26	INTERNAL REVENUE CODE	1	NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES	1236	26 U.S.C. § 1236	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc26@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t26/s1236	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-26/usc26.xml	5d2a0e3e38b38183f2da8fc87ac6ee4abefc0d94620f56f3de33491f39e510dc	a261f094809116f42a96648a3d5eee80fa010379d67412551c21dd5c900b27f4	3c31235b75ba79fef55c872556eeb11fd8887f921c1c17d44f63a3c85732ae96	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

26 U.S.C. § 1236 - Dealers in securities

Text

(a) Capital gains Gain by a dealer in securities from the sale or exchange of any security shall in no event be considered as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset unless—

(1) the security was, before the close of the day on which it was acquired (or such earlier time as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations), clearly identified in the dealer’s records as a security held for investment; and

(2) the security was not, at any time after the close of such day (or such earlier time), held by such dealer primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of his trade or business.

(b) Ordinary losses Loss by a dealer in securities from the sale or exchange of any security shall, except as otherwise provided in section 582(c), (relating to bond, etc., losses of banks), in no event be considered as ordinary loss if at any time the security was clearly identified in the dealer’s records as a security held for investment.

(c) Definition of security For purposes of this section, the term “security” means any share of stock in any corporation, certificate of stock or interest in any corporation, note, bond, debenture, or evidence of indebtedness, or any evidence of an interest in or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing.

(d) Special rule for floor specialists (1) In general In the case of a floor specialist (but only with respect to acquisitions, in connection with his duties on an exchange, of stock in which the specialist is registered with the exchange), subsection (a) shall be applied—

(A) by inserting “the 7th business day following” before “the day” the first place it appears in paragraph (1) and by inserting “7th business” before “day” in paragraph (2), and

(B) by striking the parenthetical phrase in paragraph (1).

(2) Floor specialist The term “floor specialist” means a person who is—

(A) a member of a national securities exchange,

(B) is registered as a specialist with the exchange, and

(C) meets the requirements for specialists established by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(e) Special rule for options For purposes of subsection (a), any security acquired by a dealer pursuant to an option held by such dealer may be treated as held for investment only if the dealer, before the close of the day on which the option was acquired, clearly identified the option on his records as held for investment. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “option” includes the right to subscribe to or purchase any security.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 330; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1901(b)(3)(E), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1793; Pub. L. 97–34, title V, § 506, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 332; Pub. L. 97–448, title I, § 105(d)(1), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2387; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title I, § 107(b), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 630; Pub. L. 113–295, div. A, title II, § 221(a)(83), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4049.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2014—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–295 struck out “after November 19, 1951,” after “time”. 1984—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98–369, § 107(b)(1), substituted “the security was, before the close of the day on which it was acquired (or such earlier time as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations), clearly identified in the dealer’s records as a security held for investment; and” for “the security was, before the close of the day on which it was acquired (before the close of the following day in the case of an acquisition before January 1, 1982), clearly identified in the dealer’s records as a security held for investment or if acquired before October 20, 1951, was so identified before November 20, 1951; and”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 98–369, § 107(b)(2), inserted “(or such earlier time)” after “such day”. 1983—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–448 added subsec. (e). 1981—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–34, § 506(a), substituted “before the close of the day on which it was acquired (before the close of the following day in the case of an acquisition before January 1, 1982)” for “before the expiration of the 30th day after the date of its acquisition” in par. (1) and “close of such day” for “expiration of such 30th day” in par. (2). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–34, § 506(b), added subsec. (d). 1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–455 substituted “ordinary loss” for “loss from the sale or exchange of property which is not a capital asset”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2014 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 113–295 effective Dec. 19, 2014, subject to a savings provision, see section 221(b) of Pub. L. 113–295, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–369 applicable to positions entered into after July 18, 1984, in taxable years ending after that date, see section 107(e) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 1092 of this title.

Effective Date of 1983 AmendmentPub. L. 97–448, title I, § 105(d)(2), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2387, provided that: “The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall apply to securities acquired after September 22, 1982, in taxable years ending after such date.”

Effective Date of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–34 applicable to property acquired by the taxpayer after Aug. 13, 1981, in taxable years ending after such date, and applicable when so elected with respect to property held on June 23, 1981, see section 508 of Pub. L. 97–34, set out as an Effective Date note under section 1092 of this title.

Effective Date of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–455 applicable with respect to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1976, see section 1901(d) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.