Tax Planning

LTCG vs STCG — How I Saved 1.2 Lakhs by Tax-Loss Harvesting

4 min read · April 2026 · White Stallion AI

I sold TATASTEEL for a ₹3.2 lakh profit in March. Short-term capital gain — taxed at 15%. That's ₹48,000 in taxes. But my portfolio also had BANDHANBNK sitting at a ₹1.8 lakh loss.

Tax-loss harvesting

The Tax tab in White Stallion AI identified this opportunity automatically. By booking the BANDHANBNK loss before March 31, I could offset it against my TATASTEEL gains. Net taxable STCG: ₹1.4 lakh instead of ₹3.2 lakh. Tax saved: ₹27,000.

Across my full portfolio, the app identified ₹8 lakhs in potential tax-loss harvesting opportunities, saving approximately ₹1.2 lakhs in capital gains tax.

What the Tax tab shows

For every holding, the app classifies gains as LTCG (held > 12 months for equity, > 36 months for debt) or STCG. It calculates tax liability at the appropriate rates: LTCG at 12.5% above ₹1.25 lakh exemption, STCG at 20%. It flags loss-making positions that can be sold for tax harvesting, showing the exact tax benefit.

Important: You can buy back the sold stock after 1 day (there's no 30-day wash sale rule in India like the US). So you don't actually lose your position — you just book the loss for tax purposes and re-enter.

The Tax tab turns tax planning from an annual panic into a year-round strategy built into your portfolio view.

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