Spreadsheet for Canadian investors
Tax-Loss Harvesting and Superficial Loss Tracker
Sell at a loss, then find out you triggered the superficial loss rule? This workbook checks every sale against the 61-day window, shows how much of the loss is denied and where the denied amount goes, and gives the first day it is safe to buy the same security back.
- Instant download
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Pay securely with Stripe
One-time payment through Stripe, no subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee: see the refund policy and terms of sale. It records and calculates; it is not tax advice, so check the result with your accountant.
What it does
- Works out the gain or loss on each sale at your average cost, with fees
- Tests each loss against the superficial loss rule, using your buys in every account that counts: yours, your spouse's, a controlled corporation, your TFSA and RRSP
- Shows partial denials (the rule applies to the smaller of the units sold, bought and still owned)
- Adds a denied loss to the cost of the replacement units when they are in your non-registered account, and tells you when it is lost for good (TFSA, RRSP, spouse, corporation)
- Shows the earliest safe date to buy back, and highlights it while it is still in the future
- Adds up the year: net capital gain or loss, the taxable part, and an estimate at your tax rate
How you use it
- 1
Setup
Enter the tax year and, if you like, your marginal tax rate.
- 2
Opening holdings
Add what you already own first: one Buy row per security, with units and average cost.
- 3
Trades
Enter every buy and sell by settlement date, in every account that counts for the rule.
- 4
Read each sale
Next to it: gain or loss, any denied loss, and the first safe date to buy the security back.
- 5
Summary
The year added up for your accountant: net capital gain or loss, the taxable part and an estimate.
Tax-Loss Harvesting and Superficial Loss Tracker
$19 CAD one-time. Instant download. 30-day money-back guarantee.
What the sample year shows
The free sample (a PDF) has 14 trades in several accounts. It sells five positions and finds three superficial losses:
| Situation | Result in the sample |
|---|---|
| Averaged down 16 days before selling | Loss denied in full; the $250 is added to the cost of the units you still hold |
| Spouse buys 100 of 400 units within the window | A quarter of the loss ($1,000) is denied; it does not come back to you |
| Bought back in the TFSA eight days later | Loss denied in full ($1,200) and lost for good |
| Nothing bought back | Loss of $900 allowed in full; safe to buy back after day 30 |
Sample figures only. The year ends with a net capital loss after the denied amounts.
Tax-Loss Harvesting and Superficial Loss Tracker
$19 CAD one-time. Instant download. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Who it is for
It fits if you
- Sell investments at a loss in a non-registered account
- Hold the same ETF or stock in more than one account, such as a TFSA, an RRSP or your spouse's account
- Harvest losses near year-end and want to check each trade first
It is not built for
- US-dollar trades or other foreign currency (Canadian dollars only)
- Stock splits, return of capital and reinvested distributions, which need a manual cost adjustment
- Tracking a spouse's or a company's cost; it uses their purchases to test the rule but does not track their cost
Using it at year-end
A loss counts for the tax year in which the sale settles, and the 30-day window runs on settlement dates, so a trade late in December can land in the next year. Check each sale in the tracker before you place it. The free year-end checklist has the 2026 trading calendar, and the 30-day rule in 2 minutes explains the rule.
Questions
What is the superficial loss rule?
A capital loss is denied when you, or a person affiliated with you, buy identical property in the 61 days from 30 days before to 30 days after the sale and still own it at the end of that period. Read the superficial loss guide for the rule in full.
Does it replace the free calculator?
No. The free tax-loss harvesting calculator estimates the saving from one trade. The tracker keeps the whole year, across accounts, and tests each sale.
What does it not cover?
Canadian dollars and average-cost positions only. It does not handle stock splits, return of capital, reinvested distributions or foreign currency, so adjust your cost for those yourself or ask your accountant. Whether two different funds are identical property is for your accountant.
Do you see my trades?
No. The workbook runs on your own device. We never receive the figures you type.
Which apps does it work in?
Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets. It is an instant download after payment.
Does it tell me what to buy instead?
No. It tests the trades you enter, and "identical property" means the same ticker. Whether two index funds count as identical is a question for your accountant. The harvesting guide explains the identical-property test.
Does it handle carrying losses back?
It adds up your net capital gain or loss for the year. Carrying a loss back to earlier years is done on a separate CRA form, which the guide explains.
Has an accountant reviewed it?
Not yet. It follows the superficial loss rules in the Income Tax Act, and its results were checked against an independent calculation. It is a record-keeping tool, not tax advice, so ask your accountant how to treat the results.
Check a loss before you sell
- Instant download
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Pay securely with Stripe