TRADERS
GREEN TRADER TAX GUIDES FOR 2013

PROMOTIONAL PRICING: Extended through April 30, 2013
20% off all packages and Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide, which we just published.

Use Green’s 2013 Trader Tax Guide to receive every trader tax break you’re entitled to this 2012 tax-filing season, and for planning in 2013. It includes our latest thoughts, tax strategies, pitfalls, tweaks, warnings and benefits. (Table of Contents & Executive Summary.)

Whether you self-prepare your tax returns using consumer tax preparation software, or engage a CPA firm, this guide — along with our companion trader tax examples guides — can help you through the process. Many of our tax preparation clients use this guide to take advantage of our offerings. We've published our updated trader tax guides every year since 1997 and they remain the gold standard in trader tax. (See our endorsements.)

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Here's a list of our trader tax guides & premium content: We suggest our packages below.
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• Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide. Includes everything we think active traders need to know for preparing 2012 income tax returns and tax planning for 2013. We guarantee this guide will save you lots of tax money and/or help you avoid pitfalls and errors in your tax filings. A local tax storefront, consumer tax preparation program or even a local CPA doesn't know this law inside and out. (Available in e-book and paperback.)
  
• 2013 GTT Guide: 2012 Tax Return Examples for Securities Traders (Individual and Entities). If you are self-preparing your tax returns or using a tax preparer who is not a trader tax expert, our tax return examples guides are a must-have item! (e-book)
  
• 2013 GTT Guide: 2012 Tax Return Examples for Section 1256 Contracts, Futures & Forex Traders (Individual and Entities). (e-book). We added a PFG theft loss example.
  
• GTT Guide: Accounting for Trading Gains and Losses. If you're lost on accounting and can't use TradeLog, our accounting solutions may be your last resort. (e-book)
  
• The Tax Guide for Traders. The e-book version of Robert Green's hardcover book published by McGraw-Hill in 2004. While it's still useful, the current year's guides have all the latest changes in the law, our newest strategies and latest warnings and pitfalls. (e-book)
  
• 2013 GreenTraderTax Premium Webinar Membership (online access to all recordings). See a list of Webinar recordings and read this testimonial.

For the best values, consider our packages.
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• Platinum Package: All of the above 2013 GreenTraderTax guides in e-book form, plus the paperback version of Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide, plus The Tax Guide for Traders in e-book form, plus 2013 GreenTraderTax Premium Webinar Membership. Our best seller!
• Gold Package: All of the above 2013 GreenTraderTax guides in e-book form. (Not the paperback and not the premium Webinar recordings)
• Silver Package: All of the above 2013 GreenTraderTax guides in e-book form, minus The Tax Guide for Traders ebook, which many customers already have.
• Bronze Package: Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide and The Tax Guide for Traders e-book versions.
• Each guide is available a la carte below too.

Paperback version: New this year, we offer a magazine-style, high-gloss paperback version of Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide.

Web access to ebooks and Webinars. Logins work until Jan. 31, 2014, giving you plenty of time to prepare your 2012 tax returns and conduct your 2013 year-end tax planning. Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide displays nicely in an e-reader like iBooks.

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20% off promotional pricing on packages and Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide.

Guides and packages

2013 Platinum Package $95.96 2013 Gold Package $79.96 2013 Silver Package $63.96 2013 Bronze Package $43.96 Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide - e-book only $31.96 Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide - paperback & e-book (Includes shipping and handling in U.S. For international shipments, there is an extra charge) $39.96 2013 GTT Guide: 2012 Tax Return Examples for Securities Traders (Individual and Entities) - e-book $49.95 2013 GTT Guide: 2012 Tax Return Examples for Section 1256 Contracts, Futures & Forex Traders (Individual and Entities) - e-book $49.95 GTT Guide: Accounting For Trading Gains And Losses - e-book $39.95 2013 GreenTraderTax Premium Webinar Membership (online access to all recordings) $49.95

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Endorsements & Advance Praise:

• Feb. 28, 2013. "Robert Green and his associates have their fingers firmly on the pulse of tax law and how it affects professional and frequent traders. I frequently lean on Robert to help explain the nuances of the tax code to my "Electronic Investor" readers in Barron's. Given the ongoing changes to the tax codes, it's great to have Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide available to explain how the changes affect your particular tax situation, and how to manage your tax bill effectively." Theresa W. Carey, Contributing Editor, Barron's, "The Electronic Investor"
  
  
• Feb. 20, 2013. "Running a brokerage firm that caters to active traders, each year we hear concerns from our clients about their local accountant's inability to properly handle tax returns involving voluminous securities transactions. It is gratifying to know that we can refer our clients to Robert Green, a leader and expert in active trader tax accounting. Over the years, Robert has handled tax education and actual tax preparations for hundreds of our clients, and through the process, saved them a great deal of money and aggravation. Trader tax reporting is becoming more complicated every year due to new regulations. It would behoove anyone who considers themselves an active trader to read Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide." Michael Sedek -Chief Customer Officer, Lightspeed Trading LLC
  
  
• Feb. 15, 2013. "Trader Tax Status, Section 1256 contracts, Section 475 MTM — it's all so confusing. And although there are lots of tax breaks available to traders, most don't take advantage which costs them thousands! Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide is well structured and explains the tax breaks available to you. Robert Green puts a lot of time and money in researching the ever-changing tax laws and lays out his findings in 14 chapters. Learn how you can deduct home office and education expenses, how to deduct losses, how to form entities, retirement plans for traders and much more. This guide costs you less than $50, but it could save you thousands. Your local accountant doesn't know about these specifics! It doesn't matter whether you are new to trading or have been trading for a while. It doesn't matter whether you are making money trading or you had a rough year. THIS GUIDE will show you how to maximize tax benefits on your 2012 tax filing and get even more tax breaks for 2013." Markus Heitkoetter, CEO of Rockwell Trading. (We just did an excellent Webinar for Rockwell Trading showcasing Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide. Click here to watch it.)
  
  
• Feb. 15, 2013. "Bob's advice has saved me tens of thousands of dollars and he has guided several of my friends safely thorough an audit. I trust no one else more on the subject of trader taxes." Rob Booker, Host, The Trader's Podcast (Listen to Rob interview me on The Traders Podcast (Episode 57) about IRS audits for traders. We have a full chapter on IRS audits in Green's 2013 Trader Tax Guide.)
  
  
• Feb. 15, 2013. "I've known of Bob Green for years, and started working with him and his team to help me with my own taxes. I'm impressed with Bob's contributions to industry, he led the way when it came to helping active traders like myself figure out the wash-sale tax law implications, and so much more, with his webinars, industry appearances and publications like his 2013 Trader Tax Guide. I highly recommend Bob Green and his CPAs at GreenCompany.com for all active day and swing traders. It really helps to work with someone like Bob who specializes in trader taxes; something that was beyond my regular CPA's knowledge. Bob and his staff are friendly, professional, responsive and accurate." Ken Calhoun, President - DaytradingUniversity.com.
  
  
• Feb. 15, 2013. "Robert Green is the preeminent trader tax expert in the country. Anyone who trades part time or full time should tap Robert's vast experience by reading this book. Without his specialized knowledge, you could be setting yourself up to make costly mistakes. Don't guess on the tax rules — let Robert be your guide." Tim Bourquin, TraderInterviews.com
  
  
• Feb. 15, 2013. "Robert has become a go-to industry expert for forex traders, helping them navigate what can appear to be an intimidating and insurmountable task during tax time. His advice and wealth of knowledge has laid vital groundwork for forex trading tax guidance, without which many traders would be lost." Jason Andrus, Vice President, Social Media and Brand Management, FXCM
  
  
• Feb. 16, 2013. "Robert Green is the 'go-to' guy for trader taxes. It has always been a pleasure working with him." Dan Blystone, Founder TradersLog.com
  
  
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See all the great reviews on Amazon.

The Tax Guide for Traders Book Review from

AUG. 31, 2004

Are You a Pro?
The Tax Guide for Traders can help you figure out if you qualify as a professional trader

Frequent traders spend all kinds of time and energy figuring out how to make money on lots of little trades. If enough time is not devoted to figuring out the complex taxes involved, they could blow much of their profit. Robert A. Green, a Manhattan accountant who has built a practice specializing in trader tax law, has put all he has learned into a new book, The Tax Guide for Traders, published by The McGraw-Hill Companies (which also owns BusinessWeek Online).

Green gives the kind of advice that accountants less familiar with the world of trading might not offer. For example, he encourages all traders to see if they'll qualify for professional trader tax status, even if they don't end up taking all of the benefits. "Gaining trader tax status is beneficial in all circumstances," he writes.

KEY QUESTIONS. The tricky thing about gaining trader status, Green explains, is that most of the rules were written before online trading really took off. They reflect a black-and-white view of professionals vs. amateurs that doesn't necessarily hold anymore.

Because of the ambiguity, Green suggest traders ask themselves a number of questions before defining their status: Do they seek to take advantage of daily moves in the market? Is their activity substantial? Do they only hold stocks for a short time?

The benefits of professional status include the ability to write off a greater number of trading-related expenses and a reduction in paperwork, Green points out.

The rest of the book contains technical information on commodities, audits, extension, and other issues that might be of greater interest to accountants than to traders. However, the discussion of who qualifies as a trader will make the book worthwhile for those who aren't accountants.

The Tax Guide for Traders
The McGraw-Hill Companies
October, 2004
$55 (retail price)

Amazon.com Editorial Reviews (as of 10/8/04)
The Tax Guide for Traders, by Robert A. Green

Synopsis
Active traders and investors have special needs to consider when it comes to taxes. A wrong decision on trader status, missing an extension for mark-to-market, or allocating net operating losses to the wrong year can end up costing a trader thousands of dollars and headaches with the IRS. A trader wading into the thicket of trader tax law without guidance is more than likely to regret it.

The Tax Guide to Traders from tax expert Robert Green fills this niche nicely, supplying active traders with a complete guide to all the major tax issues facing them. The writing is accessible and very readable (Jeff Ponczak of Active Trader magazine will edit the manuscript before submission). It is not dull accounting type reading, but rather very hands-on, practical material that covers issues traders face every day. The Tax Guide for Traders discusses every key aspect of the tax situation as traders face them.

Topics covered include: How to set up various trading businesses depending on individual requirements: sole proprietor traders, active investors, proprietary traders, hedge fund traders, entity traders, part-time traders; Key differences between state tax law and federal law (including information on the recently passed tax bill); Trader tax status, year-end tax planning, extensions, and filing strategies; Examples of specific tax forms for specific types of traders; How to account for gains and losses with thousands of trades; The importance of "mark-to-market"; What to do in case of an IRS audit; The difference in tax treatment for commodities, securities, and currencies; Deductions, self-employment taxes, expenses, and retirement plans.

The author advocates keeping tax issues as simple as possible. He is an experienced tax expert with insights into how the IRS operates (red flags, important case law, etc.) and offers excellent advice on how to avoid trouble before it starts.

About the Author
Robert A. Green, C.P.A. is the CEO of GreenTraderTax.com, which specializes in tax information and services for traders, investors, and the financial industry.

Product Description:
Taxes play an integral role in trading success, yet no book today clearly and adequately explains the tax issues that are unique to active traders and investors. The Tax Guide for Traders provides traders with practical material on how to minimize the impact taxes have on their hard-won profits.

Written in a hands-on style that appeals to traders as opposed to accountants, it discusses the best ways to set up a trading business, key tax forms and how to use them, tax treatment for specific types of securities, what to do in case of an audit, and much more.

Book Review (January 2005 issue)
by: Elizabeth Thompson

The Tax Guide for Traders

By: Robert A. Green, CPA
Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2005

Before we know it, the tax season will be upon us. Our W-2s will be handed out at the office or mailed to our homes. For many, this season can be more unbearable than a bitter Midwestern winter, and the IRS, with its ever-changing tax code, does little to warm us up to the whole dreaded process of filing taxes.

For active traders, in particular, tax season can present a daunting task. There is so much more to consider than just total taxable income or standard exemptions. For example, are traders taxed in the same way as investors; does an individual trader file the same as a proprietary trader; what expenses can be deducted; does a securities trader file the same way as a futures trader?

Fortunately, for the 2004 tax year, traders have a new desk reference: The Tax Guide for Traders by Robert A. Green, CPA. Green answers these questions and many others in his new book, and while it is not laid out like reference book – there are no tabs sticking out of the side to help you thumb through it, for example – its use as reference is most certainly the top function of this text. After all, this is a book on taxes, not a late-night page turner. Nor will every trader have to read every page of this book, but it is, nonetheless, a book every active trader should have. Green explains the IRS filing and accounting procedures for securities traders, commodities traders and currency traders, also mindful of newer products such as certain index futures and single stock futures.

Of course, Green covers the basics first, specifically how a trader determines if he is legally considered a trader for tax purposes. For example, to be considered a trader in the eyes of the IRS, one must trade substantially on a regular basis and seek to take advantage of daily price movements, as opposed to long-term investing. He then expounds on these broad definitions to help readers determine their status. In addition to these guidelines, Green reviews the required status for day traders, proprietary traders, part-time traders and even non-U.S. resident traders, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to explaining tax law for every type of trader. And there are many.

After helping readers to determine whether they actually are traders, probably the most interesting and beneficial chapter may be “Entities for Traders.” In this chapter Green explains how traders may form an entity in order to capitalize on tax law – this, no doubt, is what every trader wants to know. As Green says, “A business trader is by default, a sole proprietor. Although this status is good enough to unlock numerous tax breaks, forming an entity can in some cases be the preferred route for traders.” He goes on to explain several entities in detail, such as the husband-and-wife partnership or the single-member LLC. In addition, Green lays out the financial benefits of creating such entities with thorough examples in which he compares the taxes under a sole proprietorship and an entity. The tax savings add up to thousands of dollars, reason enough for traders to further explore and understand the tax code.

Like this chapter, all others have been written with great attention to detail. And again, while every trader may not benefit from every bit of information in this book, Green’s attention to detail is crucial for traders looking to seize opportunities afforded them in the tax code, particularly because not every accountant is well-versed in trader accounting rules.

This book gives traders tax knowledge they need, arming them with information to 1) learn how to file their own returns properly, if they have the wherewithal; or 2) ask the right questions of their accountant when they make the awful trek to his/her office in the dead of winter. While it may not warm traders up to the idea of doing taxes, this book certainly would be an indispensable text on any trader’s bookshelf.