<prompt> Human: A quick question... I have been buying and selling stocks for a few years now. I have made a profit doing this but I have never withdrawn the money from the stock account into my bank account and have always reinvested the money. Should I have been paying taxes on it this whole time or do I do that once I withdraw it to my regular bank account for use? Thanks  <response>: It doesnt matter if you kept the money in the account or not, if you sold stock for more then you bought it for, you need to pay tax. Also, if you received any dividends, those are taxed as well. If you use scottrade or any of the other major self directed brokerages, that info is transmitted to the irs automatically. You better confess before they catch you and maybe theyll go easy on you. 