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How do I record a short sale?


  1. Open the account you want to use.
  2. Click Enter Transactions.
  3. In the Enter Transaction list, select Short Sale.
  4. Use this dialog to record a short sale.
    • Transaction date
    • Security name
    • Account
    • Number of shares, Price received per share, and Commission
    • Record proceeds
  5. Click Enter/New to enter another transaction, or Enter/Done to finish.

Notes

Due to the complex rules regarding short sales, and the amount of information needed to determine the holding period for short sales, Quicken is designed to use these general rules when assigning holding periods: gains on short sales assume a short-term holding period; losses on short sales assume a long-term holding period. Consult with your tax advisor to determine what holding period you should use when filing taxes for a Short Sale gain or loss.

In the Shares column of the Portfolio, the group of shares being sold short will appear as a negative number until you cover the short sale.

Recording a transaction in Quicken does not execute a real-world trade, transfer, or other transaction. Contact your broker to execute trades or transfers, and then manually record the transactions in Quicken—better yet, download them directly from your participating financial institution.

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