Cost basis

[m2m]

Hello tax experts!

First - apologies for this late call for help.  Unable to get assistance from broker; hope you can.

Stock acquired in 2005; sold in 2012; lost records in apartment move. Apparently there are services that can research, a little pricey. To show best effort, is it at least ok to use Yahoo's historical data, i.e:
    Stock bought 01/10/05 at $50.00,  yahoo-recorded close price
    Sold on 01/10/12:  Yahoo shows $65.00 as the "Close price adjusted for dividends and splits".
    If dividends and distributions were re-invested, would $15.00 + $50.00 be a reasonable total cost basis?

Thank you!

[mwcpa]

You should order a copy of the statement from the broker who executed the trade.  Before you can estimated you need to exhaust all possible ways to recreate the actual cost.  

For an extension payment calculation you are being reasonable, but for a filed return, maybe not.  Are we talking 10 shares or 10,000 shares?

[m2m]

Thank you so much MW!  It was 800 shares. The current broker was not the one who executed the trade.  Can't even remember - it's this 'sometimes-heimer's'.  Original account was moved from one broker to another due to company mergers/changes.
Thanks again ... and have a great day!

[mmhmm]

Apr 10, 2013 7:09:08 GMT -5 m2m said:

Thank you so much MW!  It was 800 shares. The current broker was not the one who executed the trade.  Can't even remember - it's this 'sometimes-heimer's'.  Original account was moved from one broker to another due to company mergers/changes.
Thanks again ... and have a great day!

We call that halfheimer's, hon.