Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

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runninginvestor
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Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by runninginvestor »

I logged on to my VG account to update one of my spreadsheets. I noticed VG has to option to export the cost basis now. It appears to just be for taxable accounts, and currently only for unrealized gains (with a note that gifted and realized will be available later).

This will be helpful going forward for me, hopefully for others that use sheets to track these things. Interestingly, the layout is almost exactly what I have in my sheet, which is nice.

Here are the headers:
Account
Symbol/CUSIP
Description
Acquired date
Cost basis method
Quantity
Cost per share
Total cost
Market value as of 09/15/2021 4:00 PM EDT
Short term gain loss as of 09/15/2021 4:00 PM EDT
Long term gain loss as of 09/15/2021 4:00 PM EDT
Total gain loss as of 09/15/2021 4:00 PM EDT
Covered/Non-covered
Percent gain loss
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retired@50
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by retired@50 »

runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:46 am ...It appears to just be for taxable accounts...
This makes sense ^^^^ since the notion of cost basis isn't relevant for IRAs*.

* Unless you happen to have non-deductible contributions inside your Trad. IRA. But I'm not certain this is the custodian's responsibility to track, it's probably more likely to be tracked in your tax software, but is ultimately up to each taxpayer to track.

Regards,
If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -George Orwell
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grabiner
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by grabiner »

retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:43 am
runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:46 am ...It appears to just be for taxable accounts...
This makes sense ^^^^ since the notion of cost basis isn't relevant for IRAs*.

* Unless you happen to have non-deductible contributions inside your Trad. IRA. But I'm not certain this is the custodian's responsibility to track, it's probably more likely to be tracked in your tax software, but is ultimately up to each taxpayer to track.
The custodian cannot track IRA basis, because it cannot know whether your contribution was deductible. The deductibility is not determined until you file Form 8606 with your income taxes.

A 401(k) custodian does track whether you have made after-tax contributions to the 401(k), because these are specified as such.
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rob
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by rob »

retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:43 am
runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:46 am ...It appears to just be for taxable accounts...
This makes sense ^^^^ since the notion of cost basis isn't relevant for IRAs*.

* Unless you happen to have non-deductible contributions inside your Trad. IRA. But I'm not certain this is the custodian's responsibility to track, it's probably more likely to be tracked in your tax software, but is ultimately up to each taxpayer to track.

Regards,
... or you happen to move outside the US. Why could it possibly hurt to track and download for all acct types?
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
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retired@50
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by retired@50 »

rob wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:14 pm
retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:43 am
runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:46 am ...It appears to just be for taxable accounts...
This makes sense ^^^^ since the notion of cost basis isn't relevant for IRAs*.

* Unless you happen to have non-deductible contributions inside your Trad. IRA. But I'm not certain this is the custodian's responsibility to track, it's probably more likely to be tracked in your tax software, but is ultimately up to each taxpayer to track.

Regards,
... or you happen to move outside the US. Why could it possibly hurt to track and download for all acct types?
I don't have the first clue about living outside the US, so I really couldn't say how cost basis in an IRA would be affected. Since this is the US Investor forum I wouldn't have imagined it was a concern.

As far as not tracking for all account types, it just seems like needless extra work as far as I can tell. Why bother when there is virtually no upside to having that information. Unless or until the US Congress or the SEC makes it a requirement, I wouldn't expect this to change.

Regards,
If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -George Orwell
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retired@50
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by retired@50 »

grabiner wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:08 pm
retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:43 am
runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:46 am ...It appears to just be for taxable accounts...
This makes sense ^^^^ since the notion of cost basis isn't relevant for IRAs*.

* Unless you happen to have non-deductible contributions inside your Trad. IRA. But I'm not certain this is the custodian's responsibility to track, it's probably more likely to be tracked in your tax software, but is ultimately up to each taxpayer to track.
The custodian cannot track IRA basis, because it cannot know whether your contribution was deductible. The deductibility is not determined until you file Form 8606 with your income taxes.

A 401(k) custodian does track whether you have made after-tax contributions to the 401(k), because these are specified as such.
Thanks for the clarification. I've never actually made a non-deductible pre-tax contribution to a 401k or an IRA, hence the "I'm not certain" phrasing.

Regards,
If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -George Orwell
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Monster99
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by Monster99 »

Clicked the page and selected my taxable and - ... the Excel sheet is empty (it should have lots of entries as I did monthly purchases of S&P 500 fund from 1995 to 2017 and have never sold it). May need to wait a bit and see if it works next week.... :?
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retired@50
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by retired@50 »

Monster99 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:57 pm Clicked the page and selected my taxable and - ... the Excel sheet is empty (it should have lots of entries as I did monthly purchases of S&P 500 fund from 1995 to 2017 and have never sold it). May need to wait a bit and see if it works next week.... :?
That's peculiar. I just tried it and was able to download a "csv" file filled with the expected information.

Regards,
If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -George Orwell
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grabiner
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by grabiner »

retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:19 pm
rob wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:14 pm ... or you happen to move outside the US. Why could it possibly hurt to track and download for all acct types?
I don't have the first clue about living outside the US, so I really couldn't say how cost basis in an IRA would be affected. Since this is the US Investor forum I wouldn't have imagined it was a concern.
If you move to a country which doesn't recognize IRAs, that country will tax your IRA as if it were an ordinary brokerage account, so you may owe taxes on capital gains.

A similar issue does apply within the US to HSAs, because CA and NJ do not recognize them. If you have an HSA and file CA or NJ taxes, you need to report the dividends (except on Treasury bonds) and capital gains (even on Treasury bonds in CA; NJ doesn't tax capital gains on Treasuries), so you need to keep track of your basis. This could matter if you move to CA or NJ, or even if you don't move to one of those states but earn some income there and file a non-resident tax return.
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stan1
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by stan1 »

I just tried to do this from the "download account information" page and it will only download data from the last 18 months into a .csv file. How are others getting a fuller data set (if you are)?

I have lot information for all covered shares and non-covered shares starting in 2005. The non-covered shares were converted from fund to ETF as average cost basis per Vanguard's policies on handling cost basis on non-covered shares.
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Monster99
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by Monster99 »

retired@50 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:08 pm
Monster99 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:57 pm Clicked the page and selected my taxable and - ... the Excel sheet is empty (it should have lots of entries as I did monthly purchases of S&P 500 fund from 1995 to 2017 and have never sold it). May need to wait a bit and see if it works next week.... :?
That's peculiar. I just tried it and was able to download a "csv" file filled with the expected information.

Regards,
Just tried this morning (9/18) and it worked - info appears to be correct. It was most likely my account was being updated last night as the Wellington dividend was being posted....
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by abuss368 »

Thank you for that update. I would like for Vanguard to continue to build out, update, and offer additional features to the website.

💪
Tony
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stan1
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by stan1 »

Monster99 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:37 am
retired@50 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:08 pm
Monster99 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:57 pm Clicked the page and selected my taxable and - ... the Excel sheet is empty (it should have lots of entries as I did monthly purchases of S&P 500 fund from 1995 to 2017 and have never sold it). May need to wait a bit and see if it works next week.... :?
That's peculiar. I just tried it and was able to download a "csv" file filled with the expected information.

Regards,
Just tried this morning (9/18) and it worked - info appears to be correct. It was most likely my account was being updated last night as the Wellington dividend was being posted....
Did it have cost basis data going back to 1995 for each separate lot that was purchased?
jebmke
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by jebmke »

stan1 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:01 pm I just tried to do this from the "download account information" page and it will only download data from the last 18 months into a .csv file. How are others getting a fuller data set (if you are)?

I have lot information for all covered shares and non-covered shares starting in 2005. The non-covered shares were converted from fund to ETF as average cost basis per Vanguard's policies on handling cost basis on non-covered shares.
use the cost basis page

It apparently isn't a feature that is available for mutual fund accounts.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
stan1
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by stan1 »

jebmke wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:33 am
stan1 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:01 pm I just tried to do this from the "download account information" page and it will only download data from the last 18 months into a .csv file. How are others getting a fuller data set (if you are)?

I have lot information for all covered shares and non-covered shares starting in 2005. The non-covered shares were converted from fund to ETF as average cost basis per Vanguard's policies on handling cost basis on non-covered shares.
use the cost basis page

It apparently isn't a feature that is available for mutual fund accounts.
Thanks, I found it, there are multiple cost basis pages. I can access from the main My Accounts Menu, Select Cost Basis, Click Cost Basis Export.

For me that report goes back to 2005 with lots broken out. Non-covered mutual fund shares bought before 2005 are lumped into one lot with average cost basis. Non-covered mutual fund shares bought between 2005 and 2011 are identified by lot with dates and Vanguard defaulting to average cost basis but displaying specific ID as the cost basis selected for the holding/account. Goes back to Vanguard not supporting anything except average cost basis prior to 1 Jan 2012 when the IRS regulations requiring them to support other cost basis methods took effect.

There are other cost basis pages that take you to the "download account information" page, which only goes back 18 months.
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Monster99
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by Monster99 »

stan1 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:23 am
Monster99 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:37 am
retired@50 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:08 pm
Monster99 wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:57 pm Clicked the page and selected my taxable and - ... the Excel sheet is empty (it should have lots of entries as I did monthly purchases of S&P 500 fund from 1995 to 2017 and have never sold it). May need to wait a bit and see if it works next week.... :?
Cost basis for non-covered
That's peculiar. I just tried it and was able to download a "csv" file filled with the expected information.

Regards,
Just tried this morning (9/18) and it worked - info appears to be correct. It was most likely my account was being updated last night as the Wellington dividend was being posted....
Did it have cost basis data going back to 1995 for each separate lot that was purchased?
Non covered shares were lumped together as average cost with covered shares by individual lots.
000
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by 000 »

IDK but kind of seems like they're making it easier for people to leave their brokerage.
stan1
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by stan1 »

000 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:25 pm IDK but kind of seems like they're making it easier for people to leave their brokerage.
Or more likely they were trying to be customer focused and responding to criticism that there was no way to export data from their site?

But yes I think they are fine with people who want a no fee, full service brokerage taking their accounts filled with low cost Vanguard ETFs elsewhere.
000
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by 000 »

stan1 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:31 pm Or more likely they were trying to be customer focused and responding to criticism that there was no way to export data from their site?
Removing secure messaging (perhaps has not happened yet), having hours long phone waits, and no online chat does not seem "customer focused".
stan1
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Re: Vanguard Export Cost Basis Available

Post by stan1 »

000 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:33 pm
stan1 wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:31 pm Or more likely they were trying to be customer focused and responding to criticism that there was no way to export data from their site?
Removing secure messaging (perhaps has not happened yet), having hours long phone waits, and no online chat does not seem "customer focused".
Those are cost cutting measures to reduce employee head count whereas downloading data into a .csv file is very low cost and may reduce a few customer contacts with the call center.
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