Suppose you paid $500,000 for an asset. You hold the asset for five years. The interest rate that you get for the asset is 5%. Assume the tax rate on capital gains is 20%.

a. b. c.

If capital gains are taxed only when the asset is realized, how much will you have earned on the asset?

Suppose that capital gains are taxed annually instead of at realization. How much will you have earned on the asset?

How big is the difference in the two taxing schemes?