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Entering RSU sales in FreeTaxUSA

FreeTaxUSA supports manual basis adjustments. walk through W-2 and brokerage entries carefully.

Rates and rules change. Check the tax year and last-reviewed date on each page, then confirm against IRS or state guidance before you file.

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FreeTaxUSA generally supports manual entry of stock sales with a cost-basis adjustment. Enter your first, then add each sale and set the correct basis from your records if the form shows $0. Labels vary by year, but the basis adjustment is the key step.

Why this happens

Manual entry means you control the basis, which avoids importing a misleading $0.

The income is already in your wages, so the sale should reflect only the price change after .

Stock sales flow to Form 8949 and Schedule D regardless of the software used.

What to check

  • That the with income is entered.
  • Each sale's proceeds and the basis you enter.
  • Your records or supplemental statement for basis.
  • Holding period for short- vs long-term classification.
  • That total gain matches the price change since , not the full proceeds.

Common mistake

Entering the sale with $0 basis because that is what the shows. If income already appeared on your , leaving basis at $0 overstates the gain.

Example scenario (hypothetical)

Illustration only, not your tax situation.

Example: Lee enters a $5,200 sale: The shows $0 basis, but Lee's records show the shares vested at $5,000. Lee enters $5,000 as basis, and the reported gain becomes about $200.

When to get help from a tax pro

  • You are unsure which basis figure to use.
  • You sold partial lots across dates.
  • Your and broker totals do not reconcile.
  • You have wash sales or losses to coordinate.

Related pages

For learning, not filing

Grants, employers, and states all differ. Use your own documents and a qualified tax professional before you make decisions from this guide.