The arithmetic of Form 6781: a Section 1256 result is 60% long term and 40% short term whatever the holding period. Type the year's aggregate, or the three boxes from a 1099-B, and see the split.
| Amount | Where it goes | |
|---|---|---|
| 40% short term | $4,938.27 | Form 6781, Part I, the short-term line; then Schedule D |
| 60% long term | $7,407.40 | Form 6781, Part I, the long-term line; then Schedule D |
The split does not depend on how long anything was held: a Section 1256 contract opened and closed in the same afternoon is still 60% long term. A net loss is split the same way. Whether an election changes any of this is a question for the form's instructions and a preparer, not for this page.
Nonequity options, which Publication 550 says include "broad-based stock index options" (SPX, SPXW, XSP, NDX, RUT, VIX and their weeklies, for which the exchanges say "may qualify"), regulated futures contracts and options on them. Options on SPY, QQQ and IWM are NOT Section 1256, however broad the index those funds track: they are options on a fund, and they go on Form 8949 with real holding periods and wash sale rules. FillStub classifies every contract in an export this way and says why, per row; the sourced table is its own page.
A worksheet, not advice, and nothing is filed. The one number no broker export contains is the year-end mark on a position still open on 31 December; the paid product asks for it by name rather than printing a total that looks complete.