Your investing questions, our clear answers.

Our response:

No, capital losses can’t be claimed for investments held within registered accounts like an RRSP, RRIF, or TFSA. Registered accounts hold special tax advantages in that they allow your investments to grow tax-free but conversely you cannot use capital losses on investments held within registered accounts to offset gains within or outside of registered accounts.

These previous questions may also help to provide additional insight that may help you take the next step:

• “Can you transfer tax-free from a RRIF to a TFSA?”
• “If I cash in my stocks and put the money in a TFSA, can I avoid paying capital gains?”
• “In a TFSA, can I buy and sell the same stock multiple times?”
• “Does a RRIF have a maximum withdrawal amount?”

To learn more about different savings plans including, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and other financial topics visit GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca.