Who likes paying taxes? Let me see a show of hands.

OK. No one.

Still, taxes are part of investing, and sometimes the determination to avoid them can lead to a worse financial decision than simply writing the check.

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I know because I've done it.

Like many investors, I've held on to winners too long, in part because I feared paying a large capital gains tax bill. In 2021, I watched a roughly $1,500 investment in Adobe ( ADBE ) balloon to nearly $90,000.…