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ETF Tax Tutorial: Complete List Of ETFs That Issue A K-1

ETFs have become so popular in recent years in part because of the tax efficiencies that they offer relative to traditional mutual funds. Due to the nuances of the creation / redemption mechanism, ETFs are generally able to give investors more control over their tax situation–instead of pinning them with capital gains obligations due to the activities of other investors.

Unfortunately, however, the tax treatment of exchange-traded products cannot be summed up simply as being more efficient than mutual funds. There are various complexities across the different product structures that impact the effective tax liabilities that will be incurred on gains. And there are also some nuances that impact how taxes on various ETP positions must be reported that are of major importance to some financial advisors. Gains and losses on the majority of exchange-traded products are reported on Form 1099, just like individual stocks. A select few among a universe of 1,400+ funds, however, issue a K-1 to investors that outlines their individual share in the profits and losses of what is technically a limited partnership. As we enter tax season and investors scramble to ready their returns, we outline the complete list of ETFs that issue a K-1 for anyone looking to avoid a more complex tax filing, or simply to educate those on who may be unaware of how their investment is treated from a tax perspective.

As a general rule, gains and losses for a typical ETP are reported on Form 1099, but there are a number of ETPs that are structured as partnerships and as such, will issue a K-1. Exchange traded funds that utilize futures contracts, whether that be commodity, currency, or volatility, or any other product that is structured as a partnership will send out K-1s [see also The Ten Commandments of Commodity Investing].

What is a K-1?

There is a fair amount of confusion over what exactly a K-1 is and what receiving one of these statements means. A K-1 is a tax document used to report share of profits and losses from interests in limited partnerships. These documents become relevant because many exchange-traded products are technically structured as partnerships, meaning that investors are actually limited partners. Partnerships are typically not required to pay taxes directly, instead passing through those obligations to individual partners. They do that by sending a K-1 to partners each year detailing their interest in the operations of the partnership [see also Analyzing Five High Yielding Oil & Gas Pipeline Stocks].

Many investors wish to avoid K-1s primarily because of the inconvenience caused. Schedule K-1 tends to be one of the last documents provided to taxpayers, potentially delaying the timing of their filings. For advisors with hundreds of clients, the administrative burden associated with K-1s can be less-than-optimal. But it should also be noted that receipt of a K-1 generally means a taxable event–even if the related position has not been liquidated. In other words, securities that issue a K-1 may require investors to report and pay taxes on gains annually, even if the security has not been sold.

For some, K-1s are not a significant issue–simply a minor inconvenience. Others try to avoid these schedules at all costs, preferring to use exchange-traded products that can be reported on a Form 1099. Below, we break down the complete list of ETFs that issue a K-1 by their respective asset classes.

Commodity ETPs

Commodity ETPs make up the majority of the K-1 issuing space, as many of these products are structured as partnerships that utilize futures contracts to offer exposure. It should be noted that physically-backed ETPs such as GLD do not issue K-1s, nor do commodity ETNs. The following table is a list of all commodity ETPs that issue a K-1 [see also 12 High-Yielding Commodities For 2012].

AGQ

Ultra Silver

0.95%

BNO

United States Brent Oil Fund

0.75%

BOIL

Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas

0.95%

CANE

Sugar Fund

1.00%

CMD

UltraShort DJ-UBS Commodity

0.95%

CORN

Corn Fund

1.42%

CPER

United States Copper Index Fund

0.95%

CRUD

WTI Crude Oil Fund

1.54%

DBA

DB Agriculture Fund

0.75%

DBB

DB Base Metals Fund

0.75%

DBC

DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund

0.75%

DBE

DB Energy Fund

0.75%

DBO

DB Oil Fund

0.75%

DBP

DB Precious Metals Fund

0.75%

DBS

DB Silver Fund

0.50%

DGL

DB Gold Fund

0.50%

DNO

United States Short Oil Fund

0.60%

FOL

2x Oil Bull/S&P 500 Bear

0.75%

FSG

2x Gold Bull/S&P 500 Bear

0.75%

GCC

Continuous Commodity Index Fund

0.85%

GLL

UltraShort Gold

0.95%

GSG

GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Fund

0.75%

KOLD

UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas

0.95%

NAGS

Natural Gas Fund

1.50%

SCO

UltraShort DJ-UBS Crude Oil

0.95%

SOYB

Soybean Fund

1.00%

UCD

Ultra DJ-UBS Commodity

0.95%

UCO

Ultra DJ-UBS Crude Oil

0.95%

UGA

United States Gasoline Fund LP

0.60%

UGL

Ultra Gold

0.95%

UHN

United States Heating Oil Fund LP

0.60%

UNG

United States Natural Gas Fund LP

0.60%

UNL

United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund

0.75%

USCI

United States Commodity Index Fund

0.95%

USL

United States 12 Month Oil

0.60%

USO

United States Oil Fund

0.45%

WEAT

Wheat Fund

1.00%

ZSL

UltraShort Silver

0.95%

Currency ETPs

Currency products also have a strong representation in the K-1 space, as a number utilize futures contracts to fulfill their methodologies. Again, not all currency ETPs issue a K-1; the actively-managed currency ETFs from WisdomTree, ETNs from iPath, and grantor trusts from Rydex allow for avoidance of these documents. The following table is a list of all currency ETPs that issue a K-1.

EUO

UltraShort Euro

0.95%

DBV

DB G10 Currency Harvest

0.75%

UDN

DB USD Index Bearish

0.50%

ULE

Ultra Euro

0.95%

UUP

DB USD Index Bullish

0.50%

YCL

Ultra Yen

0.95%

YCS

UltraShort Yen

0.95%

Equity ETPs

Though there are just three in the following category, investors must still be aware that there are a few ETPs that offer exposure to stocks that produce K-1s. The following table is a list of all equity ETPs that issue a K-1 [see also 25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About ETFs].

FSA

2x T-Bond Bull/S&P 500 Bear

0.75%

FSE

2x S&P 500 Bull/T-Bond Bear

0.75%

FSU

2x S&P 500 Bull/USD Bear

0.75%

Alternative ETPs

The following five ETFs employ unique strategies that put them into the alternatives category. As a rule of thumb, you should always do careful research before investing in a fund with a complex strategy. The following table is a list of all alternative ETPs that issue a K-1:

ALT

Diversified Alternatives Trust

0.95%

SVXY

Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF

0.95%

UVXY

Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF

0.95%

VIXM

VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF

0.85%

VIXY

VIX Short-Term Futures ETF

0.85%

Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

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