外匯(FX)入門

Overview: 

IB提供的交易場所和交易平臺既適用於專注外匯交易的交易者也適用於因多幣種股票和/或衍生品交易需要偶爾進行外匯交易的交易者。下方文章概述了在TWS平臺上下達外匯定單的基本要點以及報價管理和頭寸報告相關信息。

Background: 

外匯(FX)交易涉及同時買入一種貨幣並賣出另一種貨幣,兩種貨幣組合在一起通常被稱為交叉貨幣對。在下方例子中,EUR.USD交叉貨幣對中的前一種貨幣(EUR)為交易者想買入或賣出的交易貨幣,後一種貨幣(USD)則為結算貨幣

 

跳轉至指定主題;

 

外匯報價

貨幣對即外匯市場上一種貨幣單位相對於另一種貨幣單位的相對價值的報價。用以作為參考的貨幣被稱為報價貨幣,而參考該貨幣給出報價的貨幣則被稱為基礎貨幣。在TWS中,每個貨幣對有一個交易代碼。您可以使用外匯交易者(FXTrader)調換報價方向。交易者買入或賣出基礎貨幣的同時在賣出或買入報價貨幣。例如,EUR/USD貨幣對的代碼為:

EUR.USD

其中:

  • EUR為基礎貨幣
  • USD為報價貨幣

上方貨幣對的價格表示需要多少單位的USD(報價貨幣)能交易一個單位的EUR(基礎貨幣)。也就是說,1 EUR是在按USD報價。

EUR.USD的單表示買入EUR並賣出同等金額的USD,具體取決於交易價格。

 

創建報價行

 
在TWS添加外匯報價行具體步驟如下:
1.  輸入交易貨幣(如EUR),然後按回車鍵(enter)。
2.  選擇產品類型——外匯   

3.  選擇結算貨幣(如USD),然後選擇外匯交易場所。

 

 

注:

IDEALFX對於超過其最低數量要求(通常為25,000美元)的定單可直接接入銀行間外匯報價。傳遞到IDEALFX但未達到其最低數量要求的定單基本會被自動傳遞到小額定單交易場所進行外匯轉換。點擊此處瞭解IDEALFX的最低數量要求和最高數量限制相關信息。 

外匯交易商會按特定方向對外匯貨幣對進行報價。因此,交易者需通過調整輸入的貨幣代碼來查找想要的貨幣對。例如,如果輸入貨幣代碼CAD,交易者會發現合約選擇窗口中沒有結算貨幣USD。這是因為,該貨幣對是按USD.CAD報價的,只能先輸入底層代碼USD,然後再選擇貨幣對。


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下單

 

具體取決於顯示的欄標頭,貨幣對將顯示如下:
合約(Contract)描述(Description)欄將按交易貨幣.結算貨幣的形式顯示貨幣對(如EUR.USD)。底層代碼(Underlying)欄則只顯示交易貨幣。

點擊此處瞭解如何更改更改顯示的數據欄標頭。


 

1.  要輸入定單,左鍵點擊買價(下賣單)或賣價(下買單).

2.  指定想要買入或賣出的交易貨幣的數量。定單的數量基礎貨幣(即貨幣對中的前一種貨幣)顯示。

盈透證券在外匯交易上沒有代表固定金額基礎貨幣的合約的概念,您的交易尺寸便是所需交易的基礎貨幣金額。

例如,100,000單位EUR.USD的買單會買入100,000單位EUR,並根據顯示的匯率賣出等值USD。

3.  指定想使用的定單類型、匯率(價格),然後傳遞定單。

注:下達的定單必須是完整的貨幣單位,除上述交易場所最低數量要求外,沒有最低合約或手數要求。

常見問題:如何使用外匯交易者(FX Trader)下單?

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點值

點(pip)是貨幣對變化的衡量單位,對於大多數貨幣對來說其代表最小變化,但有時也允許存在非整點的變化。

例如,在EUR.USD中,1個點是0.0001,而在USD.JPY中,1個點事0.01。

要計算報價貨幣1個點的點值,可採用以下公式:

(名義金額) x (1個點)

例如:

  • 代碼 = EUR.USD
  • 金額 = 100,000 EUR
  • 1個點 = 0.0001

1個點點值 = 100’000 x 0.0001= 10 USD

  • 代碼 = USD.JPY
  • 金額 = 100’000 USD
  • 1個點 = 0.01

1個點點值 = 100’000 x (0.01)= JPY 1000

要計算基礎貨幣1個點的點值,可採用以下公式:

(名義金額) x (1個點/匯率)

例如:

  • 代碼 = EUR.USD
  • 金額 = 100’000 EUR
  • 1個點 = 0.0001
  • 匯率 = 1.3884

1個點點值 = 100’000 x (0.0001/1.3884)= 7.20 EUR

  • 代碼 = USD.JPY
  • 金額 = 100’000 USD
  • 1個點 = 0.01
  • 匯率 = 101.63

1個點點值 = 100’000 x (0.01/101.63)= 9.84 USD

 

頭寸(交易後)報告

 

外匯頭寸信息是在IB進行交易的一個重要方面,在真實賬戶中開始交易之前需對其進行充分瞭解。IB的交易軟件在兩個不同的地方反映了外匯頭寸,二者均可在賬戶窗口查看。

 

1. 市場價值

賬戶窗口的市場價值部分反映的是實時貨幣頭寸,按貨幣(而非貨幣對)顯示。 

賬戶窗口的市場價值部分是唯一一個可供交易者查看實時外匯頭寸信息的地方。持有多種貨幣頭寸的交易者不一定要使用開倉時用的貨幣對來平倉。例如,買了EUR.USD(買EUR賣USD)還買了USD.JPY(買USD賣JPY)的交易者也可以通過交易EUR.JPY(賣EUR買JPY)來平倉頭寸。

注:

市場價值部分可展開/收起。交易者應點擊淨清算價值欄上方的符號確保顯示出綠色“減號”。如果是綠色“加號“,某些頭寸可能被隱藏。

 

交易者可以從市場價值部分發起平倉交易:右鍵點擊想要平倉的貨幣,選擇”平倉貨幣餘額“或”平倉所有非基礎貨幣餘額“。

 

 2. 外匯投資組合

賬戶窗口的外匯投資組合部分展示的是虛擬頭寸,以貨幣對的形式顯示頭寸信息,這與市場價值部分按貨幣顯示不同。這種特定的顯示形式是為了考慮機構外匯交易者的常用慣例,零售或非頻繁外匯交易者基本上可以無視該部分信息。外匯投資組合的頭寸數量並不反映所有外匯活動,但是,交易者可以對此部分顯示的頭寸數量和平均成本進行修改。這一無需執行交易便可隨意調整頭寸和平均成本信息的功能對於除交易非基礎貨幣產品外還參與其它貨幣交易的交易者可能會有幫助。其可讓交易者手動將自動貨幣轉換(交易非基礎貨幣產品時會自動發生)與單純的外匯交易活動分隔開來。 

外匯投資組合部分的外匯頭寸和盈虧信息均來自所有其它交易窗口顯示的信息。這在確定真實的實時頭寸信息時可能會造成一定困惑。為減少或消除此類困惑,交易者可以選擇以下操作:

 

a. 收起外匯投資組合部分

點擊外匯投資組合(FX Portfolio)文字左邊的箭頭可收起外匯投資組合部分。收起該部分後,虛擬頭寸信息便不再在各交易頁面顯示。(注:這並不會讓市場價值信息顯示出來,其只會阻止外匯投資組合信息顯示。)

 

 

b. 調整頭寸或平均價格

右鍵點擊賬戶窗口的外匯投資組合部分,交易者可以選擇調整頭寸或平均價格。交易者平倉掉所有非基礎貨幣頭寸並確定市場價值部分反映了被平倉的所有非基礎貨幣頭寸後,便可將頭寸和平均價格區域重置為0。此操作會重置外匯投資組合部分的頭寸數量,可讓交易者在交易界面看到更加準確的頭寸和盈虧信息。(注:這是手動操作,每次貨幣頭寸平倉後都需進行一次)。交易者應隨時對市場價值部分的頭寸信息進行確認,確保傳遞的定單達到開倉或平倉頭寸想要的結果)

 

我們鼓勵交易者在真實賬戶中開始交易前,先在模擬交易或演示賬戶中熟悉一下外匯交易。如關於以上信息仍有任何疑問,請聯繫IB。

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其它常見問題:

 

 

 

 

How to update the US Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on your account

Background: 

If you have been informed or believe that your account profile contains an incorrect US SSN/ITIN, you may simply log into your Account Management to update this information. Depending on your taxpayer status, you can update your US SSN/ITIN by modifying one of the following documents:

1) IRS Form W9 (if you are a US tax resident and/or US citizen holding a US SSN/ITIN)

2) IRS Form W-8BEN (if you are a Non-US tax resident holding a US SSN/ITIN)

Please note, if your SSN/ITIN has already been verified with the IRS you will be unable to update the information. If however the IRS has not yet verified the ID, you will have the ability to update through Account Management. 

 

How to Modify Your W9/W8

1) To submit this information change request, first login to Account Management

2) Click on the Settings section followed by Account Settings

 

3) Find the Profile(s) section. Locate the User you wish to update and click on the Info button (the "i" icon) to the left of the User's name

 

4) Scroll down to the bottom where you will see the words Tax Forms. Next to it will be a link with the current tax form we have for the account. Click on this tax form to open it

 

5) Review the form. If your US SSN/ITIN is incorrect, click on the UPDATE button at the bottom of the page

 

6) Make the requisite changes and click the CONTINUE button to submit your request.

 

7) If supporting documentation is required to approve your information change request, you will receive a message.  Otherwise, your information change request should be approved within 24-48 hours.

IRA: Required Minimum Distributions

IRA owners may be required to to withdraw funds beginning at age 73, and every year thereafter.  Determining your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is significant while retaining an IRA, considering both your life expectancy and the IRA's fair market value.

The required amount for each eligible person is based on the December 31 IRA account value of the previous year and the IRA owners date of birth.  Your spouse's date of birth may also be a factor if your spouse is at least 10 years younger than you.  Interactive Brokers LLC provides several information resources to understand and calculate your RMD, including access to the online FINRA RMD Calculator.


January RMD Notification

Beginning RMD Distributions

Requesting Your RMD Withdrawal

Calculating Your RMD 

January RMD Notification

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires the IRA plan custodian to notify IRA owners about the RMD requirements by January 31 each year.  If you turn 73 this year, you are required to begin taking RMDs before April 1 of the following year.

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Beginning RMD Distributions

Eligible IRA owners must begin receiving withdrawals by December 31 of the year they reach age 73.  The first RMD withdrawal, however, may be delayed until April 1 of the following year.  

If you elect to delay the withdrawal, then please observe the following considerations:  

(1) Two RMD withdrawals will be required the following year, the undistributed initial RMD and the new RMD. 

(2) The new RMD will be slightly larger due to the December 31 market value's inclusion of the undistributed initial RMD.

Subsequent RMD withdrawals from your IRA must be distributed by December 31 to avoid a penalty tax.

Note:  Roth IRAs are exempt from the RMD rules during the IRA owner's lifetime.

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Requesting Your RMD Withdrawal

You may request a withdrawal of funds through the Transfer & Pay and then Transfer Funds menu options within Client Portal.  The IRS deadline for taking RMDs is December 31 each year.  Keep in mind that the year end withdrawal cut off for processing withdrawals from your Interactive Brokers account may occur before December 31.

Please note that you can elect to transfer your funds to your bank account or to an Interactive Brokers non-IRA account. To transfer funds to an Interactive Brokers non-IRA account, log into Client Portal, select Transfer & Pay, Transfer Funds then select Transfer Funds Between Accounts.

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Calculating Your RMD

Your RMD is determined by dividing the account balance on December 31 of last year by your life expectancy factor.  Your life expectancy factor is taken from the Life Expectancy Tables contained in IRS Publication 590.  Your IRA beneficiary election may play an important role in determining your RMD, as well.

You must calculate your RMD separately for each qualifying IRA custodied at Interactive Brokers and any other financial institution.  The RMD, however, may be satisfied from any single one or combination of your IRAs. The IRA Required Minimum Distribution Worksheets may provide additional assistance with the calculation of your RMD.  

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Disclaimer:  IB does not provide tax advice. These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any international, federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor. We recommend that you consult a qualified tax adviser or refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

IRA: Retirement Account Resource Center

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article has been customized for use by self-directed Individual Retirement Account (IRA) owners for information purposes only.  Persons are encouraged to consult a qualified tax professional with the investments and elections within the IRA.   IB does not provide tax advice.  For detailed information regarding IRAs, you may consult the IRS Publication 590-A about IRA contributions and the IRS Publication 590-B about IRA distributions.

This resource center provides a central reference point for information concerning the various IRA account types offered by IB. 

Important Notice - Select IRA Tax Reporting for key information with transaction and tax reporting in your IRA.

 

Account Management IRA Reference

Account Management IRA Tab

Beneficiary Options

Charitable Distributions

Conversions to a Roth IRA

Direct Rollovers - How & When

Frequently Asked Questions

Recharacterizations from a Roth IRA

Required Minimum Distributions

Rollover Rules & Conditions

Understanding Tax Forms

 

 

 IRS Circular 230 Notice: These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor.

IRA: Rollover Rules & Conditions

 

This information is for general educational purposes only.  Individuals should consult with their financial adviser or legal counsel to determine how rollover regulations affect their unique situations.

Generally, an IRA rollover is a tax-free distribution to you of cash or other assets from one retirement plan that you contribute to another retirement plan.  The contribution to the second retirement plan is called a rollover contribution.

This article outlines the types of IRA rollover transactions, rules and conditions, IB's Rollover Certification form, and rollover transaction details.  Select from list below for details:

Rules & Conditions

Rollover Certification

Eligible Rollover Transactions

Ineligible Transactions

  

Rules & Conditions

Prior to completing an IRA Rollover transaction, we recommend that you review the rules and conditions surrounding eligibility.  Interactive Brokers can accept as a tax-free transaction an eligible rollover distribution as defined under the Internal Revenue Code.  Included in this article is information about eligible transactions, as well as the Interactive Brokers  IRA Rollover Certification form.

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IRA Rollover Certification

Before accepting an IRA rollover transaction into an Interactive Brokers LLC IRA, we require that you review your eligibility for the rollover and certify your understanding of the rollover rules and conditions.  The IRA Rollover Form includes the IRA Rollover Certification

The Transfer Funds page within the Client Portal lets you notify IB of an IRA Rollover deposit of funds into your account. From the Transfer & Pay menu select Transfer Funds and then Make a Deposit.  Select one of the saved deposit instructions and follow the prompts on the screen or create a new deposit instruction by selecting the Currency of the deposit from the drop-down menu. Click Connect or Get Instructions for the method you will use to transfer funds. And finally follow the remaining instructions provided to initiate the transfer with your bank.

 

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Rollover Transactions

Two types of IRA rollover transactions exist with different guidelines and delivery methods:

  1. Direct Rollover - a transfer of assets from an employer-sponsored retirement plan directly to an eligible IRA.  If you choose to receive the distribution first, then you may roll over the funds to the IRA within 60 days.
  2. Indirect Rollover - a distribution from an IRA paid to you, followed by a rollover into another IRA within 60 days.  The IRS allows an indirect rollover of each IRA's funds once during a twelve-month period.

(Note:  A distributions directly from one IRA trustee to another IRA trustee is a Trustee-to-Trustee transfer.  It is not affected by the twelve-month waiting period.)

For additional information about rollovers, visit Understanding Rollovers.  See also IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) for more specific guidelines on moving retirement plan assets.

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Eligible Rollover Transactions

Almost any distribution from a qualified plan can be rolled over to an IRA.  Your retirement account may be eligible for one of the following eligible rollover transactions.

Traditional IRA or SIMPLE IRA to Traditional IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • During the preceding 12 months, no other distributions from the distributing IRA were rolled over
  • The assets involved in the transaction have not been rolled over in the past 12 months
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)
  • For SIMPLE IRAs, after two years from the first contribution

Roth IRA to Roth IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • During the preceding 12 months, no other distributions from the distributing IRA were rolled over
  • The assets involved in the transaction have not been rolled over in the past 12 months

Rollover or Direct Rollover from Qualified Plan into a Traditional IRA

  • Eligible participant (participant, spouse beneficiary, or former spouse due to divorce)
  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the participant from the previous plan
  • Funds received from an eligible qualified retirement plan
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)
  • Consists of funds, property, or proceeds from the sale of property distributed from the qualified plan
  • All of the funds are eligible to be rolled over

Roth IRA to Roth IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)

Ineligible Rollover Transactions

Some funds distributed from a retirement plan are not eligible for rollover into an IRA.  The following transactions are not eligible rollover transactions.

  • Any portion of a distribution from a retirement plan not rolled over
  • Required Minimum Distributions
  • Distribution of excess contributions and related earnings
  • Retirement plan loan treated as a distribution
  • Hardship distributions
  • Distributions part of substantially equal payments (73-t)
  • Dividends on employer securities
  • Non-spousal death benefit distributions
  • The cost of life insurance coverage

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Disclaimer:  IB does not provide tax advice. These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any international, federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor. We recommend that you consult a qualified tax adviser or refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

IRA: Charitable Donations from IRAs

Overview: 
IRA owners 72 or older may request an IRA distribution to be paid directly to an IRS “qualified charity” and may satisfy a required minimum distribution (RMD) with the withdrawal. Unlike the RMD paid directly to the IRA owner, the QCD is excluded from your taxable income.   
 

Charitable Distributions

What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?

How to determine if a charity can receive the QCD

Where can an IRA owner find additional information on QCDs?

Withdrawal Processing

When can I submit my withdrawal?

Can IBKR customers submit a QCD withdrawal online?

What amount may be withdrawn? Why?

Where are the funds disbursed?

Does the distribution count towards the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) amount?

Eligible IRA Accounts

Is the Charitable Distribution allowed from all IRAs held at IBKR?

Are the QCDs allowed from other IRA and retirement plans not held at IBKR?

QCD Tax Reporting

How is the QCD reported to the IRS?

Can any taxes be withheld from the distribution?

Do federal taxes have to be paid on the distribution?

Does a state or municipal tax have to be paid on the distribution?

 

 

Charitable Distributions

What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?

An otherwise taxable distribution from an eligible IRA owned by an individual 72 or older paid to an IRS qualified charity.  

How to determine if a charity can receive the QCD?

The IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check allows users to "Search for Charities" among a list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.

Where can an IRA owner find additional information on QCDs?

Visit Charitable Donations for IRAs for additional information on qualified charitable distributions. See also IRS Publication 590-b.

 

Withdrawal Processing

 
Account holders may submit a third party withdrawal from your IRA to a charity at any time via Client Portal. Any request designated as third party is subject to legal and compliance review. Therefore, we recommend that you allow enough time to meet the year end IRA withdrawal deadline.
 
As the circumstances associated with each request tend to be unique, IBKR cannot provide any assurance as to how long the review process will take or even whether the request will be approved at the conclusion of the review. 
 

Can IBKR customers submit a QCD withdrawal online?

Yes.  Account holders submit third party withdrawal requests via Client Portal.

 

What amount may be withdrawn? Why?

IBKR will process the withdrawal for any amount, as long as the account has sufficient available funds. Why? Although the QCD donations to the charity must not exceed $100,000 per year to retain QCD status, charitable gifts may exceed this limit.

Where are the funds disbursed?

Funds are made payable to the IRS qualified charity and mailed direct to the charity. Only funds disbursed to the charity can be designated from your IRA as a QCD. 

Does the distribution count towards the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) amount?

Yes

 

Eligible IRA Accounts

Is the Charitable Distribution allowed from all IRAs held at IBKR?

No, see the list below.  IRA owners should contact a qualified tax advisor about how to preserve QCD tax benefits. Not all distributions are created equal. A tax advisor will be able to assess an IRA owner’s best choice.

Traditional IRA > YES
Rollover IRA > YES
Roth IRA > YES
Inherited IRA > YES, if the beneficiary is at least age 70 1/2
SEP IRA > NO
Education IRA > NO

Are the Charitable Distributions allowed from other IRA and retirement plans not held at IBKR?

No, not directly.  Retirement plans, employer sponsored SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs (account classifications not held at IBKR) are not eligible for a QCD election. IRA owners may be eligible to rollover assets from these plans into a traditional, rollover, or Roth IRA to request a charitable distribution. IRA owners should contact a qualified tax advisor or their retirement plan administrator.


QCD Tax Reporting

How is the QCD reported to the IRS?

IBKR will report the charitable distributions on Form 1099-R when issued. See Reports and Dates for 1099 availability dates.

Can any taxes be withheld from the distribution?

No.

Do federal taxes have to be paid on the distribution?

Generally, federal taxes are not paid with QCDs. But distributions in excess of the IRS limit may be subject to income tax. IBKR recommends that customers contact a qualified tax advisor.

Does a state or municipal tax have to be paid on the distribution?
Contact your tax advisor or local tax authority on state and municipal requirements for the distributed amount.

 

Disclaimer: IBKR does not provide tax advice. These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any international, federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor. We recommend that you consult a qualified tax advisor or refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

 

ACATS Transfer Guide (US brokerage account transfers)

ACATS Transfer Guide

Introduction

ACATS Transfer Benefits

Navigating The Process

Incoming Or Outgoing

Initiating Your Transfer

What To Expect

Who To Contact For Help

 

Introduction

Understanding the basic facts about transferring accounts between US brokerage firms can be help to avoid delays.  Through this article and other Knowledge Database resources, Interactive Brokers seeks to assist with your incoming and outgoing ACATS requests.

US brokerage firms utilize a standardized system to transfer customer accounts from one firm to another.  Known as the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service or ACATS, the process allows assets to move seamlessly between  brokerage firms in a unified time frame.   ACATS transfers are facilitated by a third party, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), to assist participating members with timely asset transfers.

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ACATS Transfer Benefits

The majority of assets may be transferred between US brokerage firms and some banks through ACATS.  This standardized system includes stocks, US corporate bonds, listed options, unit investment trusts, mutual funds, and cash.  Information on assets eligible for transfer is provided at "Assets Eligible..."  Though impacted by multiple factors and time constraints, the accepted or rejected transfers finalize within 10 business days in most cases.

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Navigating The Process

4 simple steps of the ACATS process will help you understand the flow and minimize delays.  Familiarizing yourself with the transfer process helps to ensure a successful transition.

1.  Incoming or Outgoing

2.  Initiating Your Transfer

3.  What to Expect

4.  Who to Contact For Help 

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 1. Incoming or Outgoing

 

Incoming ACATS Transfers

The financial institution that is receiving your assets and account transfer is known as the "receiving firm."  Investors always work with and through the "receiving firm" to move full or partial account assets into a new broker. 

Contact the "receiving firm" (Interactive Brokers) to review the firm's trading policies and requirements.  You should verify that your assets are eligible for trading at the "receiving firm" before initiating the transfer request.   Not all ACATS transferable assets are acceptable for trading at every brokerage firm.

Outgoing ACATS Transfers

All outgoing ACATS transfers, full or partial, must be approved by the "delivering firm."  Investors, however, should work with and through the "receiving firm" in order to begin the the transfer process or to status the progress of the request.      

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2. Initiating Your Transfer

Investors must always begin the ACATS transfer with the "receiving firm."  An ACATS transfer form or Transfer Initiation Form (TIF) must be submitted.  The "receiving firm" takes your reqeust and communicates with the "delivering firm" via ACATS.  The process begins with this request for transfer of the account. 

For your Interactive Brokers Account, the transfer is usually submitted online.  Video instruction on submitting the transfer is provided at "How to deposit funds via a full ACATS/ATON Transfer."  or through Step-by-step instructions.

Note: Outgoing account transfers from your IB account should be directed to the other broker.  Your request will be submitted to IB from the other broker through the ACATS electronically.

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3. What to Expect

Your Account

Brokers ensure the safety and security of transfer requests by only authorizing requests between open accounts that meet the following criteria:

  • Same Account Title
  • Same Tax ID Number
  • Same Account Type

Transfer Approval

Ultimately responsible for validating the transfer,  the "delivering firm" may accept  information from the "receiving firm" correcting data originally entered.  Approved or validated requests result in the delivery of positions to the "receiving firm" for their acceptance.   Assets may not be accepted by the "receiving firm" for the following:

  • Non-marginable or Margin (credit) violation
  • Not Tradable
  • DTC Chill

Note: The most common reasons for ACATS rejections are outlined by clicking here.

Processing Time-frame

The processing time for each transfer request is fixed.  In general, approved transfers complete within 4 to 8 business days.  Almost all transfers complete within 10 business days.  Each firm is required to perform certain steps at specific intervals in the process.  Feel free to review the Full ACATS transfer process flow.

 

Fees

While Interactive Brokers does not charge a fee to transfer your account via ACATS, some brokers do apply a fee for full and partial transfers. Prior to initiating your transfer, you should contact the "delivering firm" to verify any charge.

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4.  Who To Contact For Help

Interactive Brokers Customer Service stands poised to assist with your incoming ACATS transfer reqeust.  Click here for Customer Service contact resources.

Note:  Outgoing or ACATS transfers sending accounts to another broker should be directed to the "receiving firm."  Their Account Transfer Group will work with Interactive Brokers directly to complete your outgoing request.

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Year End Statement & Report Comparison

Overview: 

The Interactive Brokers Year End Reports provide an activity review for US persons and US entities.  The various account statements provide the transaction details as the basis for each report.   Each of the standard reports spans the time period from January 1 through December 31.

Some reports, such as the Gain/Loss Summary Worksheet, may consolidate transactions and calculations.  For the sake of conserving volume, trade activity may be combined.  The account statements include all activity.  For your convenience and to assist with your reconcilation, customized statements permit activity displays suitable for your personal needs (see the tab "Customized Templates" for details).

All US tax reports include the total figures as required under the US tax laws.

Non-US Persons and Entities

Income paid from US sources to non-US  persons and entities may find this comparison helpful.  IB is required to withhold US taxes at a rate of 30% on payments of US source stock dividends and substitute payments in lieu. Both the withholding and the income is reported on the US tax Form 1042-S. 

For additional information about how IB handles non-US persons and entities, select this Tax Information and Reporting link  and choose the tab Non-US Persons and Entities.

Year End Reports (For Trading) Comparison shown below identifies the most common transaction types which appear on the year end reports.  Not all activity is included on each report.

Comparison of trades shown on the year end reports
Year End Reports Stock Bond Equity & Index Option Single Stock Futures Futures Forex
Form 1099 Sell Sell - - Gain/Loss -
Form 1042-S - - - - - -
Annual Statement Buy/Sell Gain/Loss Buy/Sell Gain/Loss Buy/Sell Gain/Loss

Buy/Sell Gain/Loss

Buy/Sell Gain/Loss

Buy/Sell Gain/Loss
Gain/Loss  Worksheet
Cost/Sell Gain/Loss Cost/Sell Gain/Loss Cost/Sell1 Gain/Loss1 Cost/Sell Gain/Loss - -
1256 Worksheet
- - Gain/Loss5 - Gain/Loss -

NOTES:  (1) Only cash settled; (2) Gain/Loss Worksheet was first published by IB with tax year 2007.  Worksheets for prior years are not available.  IB did provide gain and loss data on the Annual Statements; (3) The 1256 Worksheet was first published by IB with tax year 2008; (4)  Option transactions are not 1099 or 1042-S reportable transactions.  In accordance with the IRS guidelines, IB excludes the activity from the tax reports; (5)  Only broad-sed index options appear on the 1256 Worksheet

 

Year End Reports (For Income) Comparison shown below identifies the most common types of income which appear on the year end reports.  Not all income is reportable on a 1099 or Dividend Summary.

Comparison of income shown on the year end reports
Year End Reports Dividends Credit Interest Debit Interest Accruals Pay In Lieu Credit Pay In Lieu Debits Fees
Form 1099 Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Form 1042-S  Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Annual Statement Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dividend Summary Yes No No No Yes Yes No
Gain/Loss Worksheet No No No No No No No
1256 Worksheet No No No No No No No

NOTES:   (1) US Tax Form 1042-S is provided to non-US persons/entities, along with the Dividend Summary.  The Tax Form reports interest, dividends, substitute payments in lieu, and US tax withholding from US securities; (2) For US persons/entities, the Dividend Summary may list dividends as potentially eligible for treatment as “Qualified” based on the holding period.  IB does not report this on the 1099-DIV or to the Internal Revenue Service; (3) Debit transactions are not 1099 or 1042-S reportable transactions.  In accordance with the IRS guidelines, IB excludes the activity from the tax reports; (4) Exchange, market data, and activity fees


 

 

Tax Reporting: When to expect Forms 1099-R and 5498

Forms 1099-R and 5498 are available by January 31 and May 31, respectively.

IRS Circular 230 Notice: The information contained in this FAQ is provided for information purposes only, is not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations and does not resolve any tax issues in your favor. Refer to IRS Publication 590, Individual Retirement Accounts for additional information on IRAs in general and consult your tax advisor about your individual tax situation.

Can I contribute to an IRA if I already have a retirement plan through my employer?

Yes. You can contribute to a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA regardless of whether or not you have an employer-sponsored plan. While participation in a retirement plan does not change how much you can contribute to an IRA, it can affect whether or not you are eligible to deduct your Traditional IRA contributions on your tax return.

IRS Circular 230 Notice: The information contained in this FAQ is provided for information purposes only, is not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations and does not resolve any tax issues in your favor. Refer to IRS Publication 590, Individual Retirement Accounts for additional information on IRAs in general and consult your tax advisor about your individual tax situation.

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