Wealthsimple activity exports and ACB

Wealthsimple offers activity records, holdings reports, and realized gain/loss reports. They answer different questions. To build an adjusted cost base ledger, start with the events that created and changed the holding, then use the other reports to check quantities and reconcile the result.

myCostBase’s Wealthsimple mapping is production-supported and recognizes two activity-export header variants. Always review the preview against your actual file. The product can organize supported transaction history, but it cannot infer missing purchases at another brokerage or turn a holdings snapshot into a complete cost record.

Request a custom activity statement

Wealthsimple’s current help instructions use Profile, Documents, and Generate document. Choose Custom activity statement, select the period and accounts, and download the CSV. Keep the original file unchanged before preparing a working copy for review.

Choose securities accounts relevant to the ledger you are building. A file can contain account identifiers and types, so verify the destination account and taxpayer carefully. Registered-plan holdings do not belong in the ordinary taxable ACB pool merely because they share a symbol with a taxable holding.

The separate realized gain/loss report is a useful comparison, but it is not the activity file expected by this mapping. The holdings report describes positions as of a date. Neither replaces the chronological purchase and adjustment history needed to support a pooled cost calculation.

Recognize the supported header variants

One supported activity format includes transaction_date, settlement_date, account_id, account_type, activity_type, activity_sub_type, direction, symbol, name, currency, quantity, unit_price, commission, and net_cash_amount. A newer variant uses effective_at in place of transaction_date.

The mapping normally uses settlement_date for the ledger date, with transaction_date or effective_at available as fallbacks when needed. Compare the preview with the confirmation, especially for year-end trades or superficial-loss windows. Keep both source dates rather than deleting the one you are not using in a particular view.

The parser identifies a trailing “As of” line as an export footer. That line is not a malformed investment transaction. Preserve it in the original archive; do not add it manually as a ledger row because a spreadsheet displays it below the activity.

Review activity types and descriptions

The mapping uses activity_type, activity_sub_type, and direction to interpret supported events. These fields carry more meaning together than a positive or negative cash amount alone. Review trades, option activity, and internal security transfers against the source descriptions.

Cash-only rows such as deposits, withdrawals, interest, ordinary cash dividends, fees, and tax withholding do not automatically create acquisition cost. At the same time, an unsupported corporate action is not proof that no ACB adjustment is required. Keep the issue visible until you have established the correct treatment.

A distribution’s final tax character may come from the issuer or tax package after the cash event. Use that evidence for return-of-capital and reinvested-distribution adjustments. Do not label every dividend as ROC or assume a reinvested purchase completes every year-end adjustment.

Worked example across Wealthsimple and another broker

Assume you buy 100 identical ETF units at Wealthsimple for $25 each with no commission. You also own 100 units purchased at another taxable brokerage for $30 each with a $10 commission. There are no other adjustments in this example.

The total pool has 200 units and $5,510 ACB, or $27.55 per unit. You sell 80 units at Wealthsimple for $2,800 with no selling commission. The allocated ACB is $2,204 and the capital gain is $596.

If you looked only at the Wealthsimple purchase, you would allocate $2,000 and calculate an $800 gain. The $204 difference comes from the missing outside acquisition, not from a different number of units sold. The remaining 120 units retain $3,306 ACB in the complete pool.

Use the T5008 reconciliation checker to compare the slip with your supported sale calculation. The broker book value article explains why a broker’s records can be useful without necessarily describing the complete taxable pool.

Check transfers without resetting the cost

A transfer into Wealthsimple may display a value supplied by another institution or a value associated with the transfer. Establish what that figure represents before using it as opening ACB. For an in-kind transfer with unchanged beneficial ownership, preserve the acquisition history and supported cost.

If you import both the original purchases and an opening balance representing those same shares, the ledger can double the holding. Set a clear cutoff between detailed history and a supported opening balance. Reconcile the quantity before adding later trades.

For account-to-account movements, confirm both account types and the owner. A taxable-to-taxable custody move differs from a contribution into a registered plan. The in-kind transfer guide provides a worksheet approach for keeping those facts separate.

Common mistakes during CSV preparation

Avoid converting dates or account identifiers into spreadsheet formats that lose information. Keep a plain original CSV and inspect the saved working copy before upload. A date displayed correctly in a spreadsheet can still be saved in a different format from the source.

Avoid combining unrelated accounts under one taxpayer or treating all account types as taxable. Avoid importing overlapping activity periods without reviewing duplicate transactions. Avoid changing unknown event types to Buy or Sell simply to clear a warning.

Check commissions separately from net cash. Compare one purchase and one sale to their confirmations before processing a long history. That small check can expose an amount-convention problem that would otherwise affect every row.

Keep a complete year-end package

After importing, reconcile closing quantities to statements and review missing distribution adjustments. Compare the disposition worksheet with the T5008 and retain explanations for material differences. Wealthsimple describes its realized gain/loss report as a reference report rather than an official tax document; use the appropriate slips and underlying records for the return.

Archive the original activity file, selected date range, account mapping, preview issues, manual corrections, and the resulting ledger. Keep issuer tax-character documents alongside the ETF adjustments they support. If a file does not match the recognized formats, use the preview and contact support rather than guessing a mapping.

The supported-brokers page explains current import coverage and plan limits. Manual entry remains available when a source event needs separate review or a CSV cannot express the supported adjustment clearly.