Your Taxes: Your Investments

BOSTON (CBS) - Capital Gains: This is the money you make if there was a profit when you sell an asset!

The profit on investments that you hold for less than a year and then sell are considered short term gains. And the profit is taxed as ordinary income.

Investments that you hold longer than one year are taxed at a lower rate, a long term capital gains rate. If your gains come from stocks, bonds or mutual funds they will be taxed at either zero percent, 15% or 20%, depending on your marginal tax bracket.

And if you sell your collectibles such as oriental rugs, coins, crystal or antiques and made a profit your capital gains tax rate could be as high as 28%. If you sold your household stuff at a yard sale last summer you will not owe taxes on the stuff you sold.

In addition, high income taxpayers may have a 3.8% unearned income Medicare Contribution Tax applied to their capital gains and other net investment income.

Capital Losses: These are losses on your investments. You can use your losses against your gains. If you have a net loss you can use up to $3,000 against other income and you get to carry any excess loss forward which is a good thing.

Dividends: Corporations share their profit with their shareholders when they pay dividends from either current income or retained income.

The tax rate on dividends for most taxpayers will be 15% and for taxpayers in the lowest tax brackets it may be 0%. Earn over $413,200 as an individual or $464,850 if married and you will pay 20%.

Not all dividends qualify for the lower tax rate. Dividends paid by money market mutual funds or a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) generally do not qualify and will be taxed as ordinary income.

Distributions paid out by co-op banks, mutual savings banks, credit unions, savings and loan associations are often called dividends but are really interest.

One more thing:

Capital Gains & Dividend Tax Rates