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Cost basis of lots after a return of capital

D Bunker

I am working on the cost basis of Windstream, which was in dividend reinvestment. Many of the dividends were reclassified as a return of capital (or non dividend distribution). I cannot display the cost basis of individual lots after those ROCs. Even a hypothetical sale shows lot purchase prices not cost basis. I would like to export to Excel: lot purchase dates, lot shares held and lot cost basis. How can that be done? Thanks.

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Accepted answers

Jim_Harman

Right.

I tried this on an Investing > Portfolio view with a lot of tax lots and what I see is that after a ROC, as expected the total cost basis has been reduced by the amount of the ROC and the basis of each lot has been reduced proportionately.

To make a report with this information, simply follow the instructions in my first post, starting with "Hit Ctrl-P"

You can also use the report found at Report > Investing > Portfolio Value and Cost Basis, but it does not show the individual tax lots.

All comments

Jim_Harman

Try this:

Go to Investing > Portfolio, pick an unused view, and click on Customize to set up a view with the accounts, securities, and columns you want
Click the gear at the top right and make sure "Show closed lots" is not selected
Set the As of date for the date you want
Group by Accounts
Click on Expand All at teh bottom to display the tax lots for each security
Hit Ctrl-P (File > Print portfolio is currently broken)
Select Export to and .PRN (this will create a comma separated file that can be opened directly in Excel)
Click Export
In the File name dialog, give the file a .CSV extension

You should be able to open the exported file in Excel.

D Bunker

Jim,
Thanks, but I don't understand "pick an unused view". With my usual views, I can't find "show closed lots".

Jim_Harman

I was just suggesting that you might not want to change the options for a portfolio view that you normally use for other purposes. You can select different views by clicking the dropdown next to "Show:"

At the right side of the same line that begins with "Show:" there is a gear icon with the word "Options" next to it. If you click on that, you will see a choice for "Show closed lots". That should NOT be selected because Quicken shows useless information if you have multiple closed lots.

D Bunker

I found "show closed lots", but the output still shows the original purchase price for each lot. The cost basis for each lot is still not displayed. I can probably "distribute" the ROCs (displayed for each transaction, affecting the total, not the preceding lots), but there are 16 of them. I have struggled to do this in Excel, but wanted to check my work.

Jim_Harman

When you say the cost basis is not displayed,do you mean it is not showing the adjusted cost basis after the ROC, it is still showing the original cost basis, or is nothing displayed?

If nothing is displayed, makes sure "Use average cost" is not selected in the Security details and make sure there are no Placeholders by going to Edit >Preferences >Investing transactions and making suer "Show hidden transactions" is checked.

D Bunker

The only cost related column is Quote/Price which is displaying the original purchase price for each lot. "Show hidden transactions" and (do not) "Use average cost" properly selected. After each entry for dividend reinvestment, there is the appropriate ROC and that negative dollar value appears to be correct. I thought that Quicken would generate a remove shares and add shares for each lot and each ROC (same number of shares, with adjusted price), but that did not happen. I guess that I could try again with a backup or use a different name for WIN. It is not "the end of the world" if I have the correct total cost basis as this stock is likely to be sold in toto, but that may not always be the case.

Jim_Harman

Let's go over this in detail. I assume you are running a recent version of Quicken.

Click the Investing tab and then Portfolio.
Click on Customize
On the Columns tab, select Shares under Avaialble cloumns and click Add
Do the same with Cost Basis.
Click on OK to return to the view.
Next to Group by, select Accounts.
Click on Expand All at the bottom left.

Do you now see each of the tax lots with the purchase price, number of shares, and cost basis? If not, what do you see?

D Bunker

Eureka! I can definitely display the cost basis. There are many more possible columns than I ever dreamed (and lots I don't understand . . .). So, I added cost basis and expanded that stock. Perfect! You have been a life saver.
It is not immediately obvious how to make a report with that information. The column choices on my security report do not include cost basis. If you can walk me through that, I would be delighted. Thanks.

Jim_Harman

D Bunker

Ctrl-P reproduces the screen display as desired. You have been a great help. Thanks for your patience & perseverance and your expertise..