Legal Definitions - holding period

Definition: Holding period refers to the length of time that a capital asset must be held before it can be sold or exchanged to determine whether the gain or loss from the transaction is considered long-term or short-term for tax purposes.

Example: If an individual purchases a stock on January 1st and sells it on June 1st of the same year, the holding period for that stock would be less than one year, making any gain or loss considered short-term. However, if the individual holds the stock until January 2nd of the following year before selling it, the holding period would be more than one year, making any gain or loss considered long-term.

The holding period is important because it determines the tax rate that will be applied to any gains or losses from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. Long-term gains are typically taxed at a lower rate than short-term gains, so it can be beneficial to hold onto an asset for at least a year before selling it.