United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

the recovery of capital doctrine protects a portion of investment receipts from being taxed, namely the amount that was initially invested. This is because the investor is receiving his or her own money which is being returned to him or her. For example, if a person purchased stock in a company totalling $10,000 and then sold it a few years later for $15,000, only $5,000 would be eligible for taxation. The initial $10,000 is protected under the recovery of capital doctrine.

References

United States tax law {{Law-stub