In this answer to this question, JoeTaxpayer writes:
To take the loss this year, he'd have to sell soon, and can't buy it back for 30 days. If, for whatever reason, the stock comes back a bit, he's going to buy in higher.
To be clear, the story changes for ETFs or mutual funds. You can buy a fund to replace one you're selling, capture the loss, and easily not run afoul of wash sale rules.
Can someone explain, briefly, the rules for selling stocks and how that differs from ETFs and mutual funds, in relation to that quote (tax write-off for the loss)?
From Joe's words, it sounds like you can't sell a stock and then buy any shares of that same stock within 30 days (and take a tax write-off for any loss). But when I read Joe's answer, it sounds like the rules may be different for ETFs and mutual funds. Yet according to this Q/A, it seems like the type of security makes no difference (stock vs. ETF vs. mutual fund).
Given that Joe is an expert on these things, and I'm not, I think I may be misunderstanding what he wrote.
Are wash sale rules different for stocks versus ETFs / Mutual Funds?