It provides incentive to keep your money in the market.
No it doesn’t. The vast majority of my stock has LTCG treatment. When I sell, I sell that stock because of the preferential tax treatment and let my non-qualified stock bake longer. You either have the wealth to be in the market and can play the game or you don’t and you’re not in the market. I’ve lived both lives.
The point of long term capital gains tax is so people don’t just yank money out all the time. It provides incentive to keep your money in the market.
That said, making the ltcg tax just 2% less than your income tax seems better than a flat 13% or whatever it is.
No it doesn’t. The vast majority of my stock has LTCG treatment. When I sell, I sell that stock because of the preferential tax treatment and let my non-qualified stock bake longer. You either have the wealth to be in the market and can play the game or you don’t and you’re not in the market. I’ve lived both lives.