Capital gains result when you sell capital assets at a greater price than what you bought them for. If you don't sell your assets, you don't have to pay any tax. So, if you're thinking of selling some stocks, always remember that you have the option to hold onto them until a later date. By waiting to sell, there's a possibility that you may be able to get a better price for the stocks in the future. However, it's also possible that the price of the stocks may decline over time.
 Every year, you are allowed to give $14,000 in tax-excluded gifts per individual recipient. If you give valuable stock to a trusted family member like a parent, child, or sibling, they can sell it for you and consequently pay as little as 0% in capital gains taxes (as long as their income puts them in a low tax bracket).Obviously, you'll only want to use people that you absolutely trust. Giving someone stock or assets as a gift gives them legal possession of them, so, if there's any doubt in your mind about whether someone will give you your money back, choose someone else.
 In some situations, selling a stock for a short-term loss can actually save you money in the long term by reducing the amount of money you pay in capital gains taxes overall. This is called "harvesting" your loss. For instance, if someone invests $10,000 in one company's stocks and the stock soon falls to $9,000, they may decide to sell, taking the $1,000 loss. Then, they will re-invest this money into a different stock. However, they can still use this $1,000 to offset other gains on their tax return. If the second stock does well, it's possible to have a greater return rate on your initial investment than you would have had by simply buying one stock and waiting for it to recover.Note, however, that the IRS has enacted certain financial rules that can make this process difficult. For instance, your initial loss is disallowed if you use the money from the sale to purchase a very similar asset within 30 days., If you are elderly and have no immediate need for the capital you have accumulated, you may want to consider leaving it to a loved one in your will. When inherited capital is sold, the fair market value at the time of your death is used as the basis for any capital gains . Thus, the only gains that are taxable are the increases in value after the date of death. These gains can often be minimal, especially if the assets are sold soon after death.
 As noted above, the base federal rates for income taxes are the same for every American and vary based on your taxable income. However, many states include their own capital gains taxes on top of the base federal tax. To minimize the amount of money that you have to pay in taxes, moving to a state with a lower state-level capital gains tax (or none at all) can be a smart long-term option. Though the process of moving to a different state can require a serious investment of time and money, it may make sense for people who stand to make a great deal of money from capital gains over the course of their life.


Seven states have no additional taxes on top of the federal rate: Alaska, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. California has the highest rate of any state, with a top rate of about 37%.
Hold on to your stocks.
Make gifts to family members.
“Harvest” losing stocks.
Leave capital to others in your will.
Move to a tax-friendly state.
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