
It’s tax season, so it’s to your advantage to know what taxes and deductions apply to you. This is especially true if you sell or plan to sell your property before Real Estate Capital Gains Tax on the property comes into effect. If you owned the property and sold it less than a year ago, you are subject to the short-term capital gains tax rate. Sources: 2
The short-term capital gains tax rate is steep so that the incentive to buy and keep the property is strong. If you owned a property and sold it within a year, you fall into the category of long-term capital gains tax. The long-term capital gains tax rate can range from 0 percent to 15 percent to 20 percent, depending on income. Sources: 2, 4
The sale of real estate and other types of assets has its own specific forms of capital gains, which are subject to their own rules, as explained below. If you sell a property that is not your main residence, including a second house that you have owned for at least a year, you pay a capital gains tax of 15 percent on the profits. These are not capital gains taxes, as explained below, and are treated as such. Sources: 4, 9
Read More: What is Real Estate Capital Gains Tax
Profits from the sale of a building held for less than a year are taxed at the regular rate. If you know you’re selling your home, you can exempt up to $250,000 from your capital gains tax. You can sell your home for $500,000 for a couple. Sources: 6, 9
Knowing More about Real Estate Capital Gains Tax
If you meet these three criteria, you may be exempt from capital gains tax when you sell the property. In general, you must pass the property test or the use test to qualify for exclusion under Clause 121. If you have capital gains from the sale of your primary residence, you can exclude from your income up to $250,000 and $500,000 from the profits if you file a joint tax return with your spouse. Sources: 0, 8
You can minimize your exposure by selling your second home as an investment property, but your investment property is not exempt from full capital gains tax. If you sell the house, including the family member you want to help, you will still have to pay full tax. Sources: 8
Depending on your marital status, there is a limit to the amount of capital gains tax on property sales that you can avoid paying. If you are single, profits from the sale of your home are exempt from taxable income up to $250,000. If you were married and filed jointly, none of the $500,000 capital gains tax is payable. Sources: 5, 7
If you sell a home for $800,000 to $500,000, your profits are excluded, and you must pay capital gains of $100,000 to $500,000 if your profits are at least that amount. Among the points that you can exclude from the normal exemption of your capital gains are: (1) you may be subject to foreign tax if the house or property you are selling is not your main residence or your principal residence; (2) you must have owned the property for less than two years before the sale; and (3) there are no ownership requirements if you have lived there for at least two years in that period. Sources: 5
Read More: Why Real Estate Is a Good Investment
Capital gains tax is divided into two broad groups: short-term and long-term based on how long you have held the asset. Short-term capital gains tax is the tax charged on gains from the sale of an asset you have held for less than a year. Sources: 4
Read More: What Real Estate Stocks to Buy
Short-term capital gains taxes are linked to your income and put you in a federal tax bracket so you pay them at the same rate as your ordinary income taxes. Long-term capital gains tax is a tax levied on assets held for more than a year. It is based on income before 2018, but also on tax brackets, Park explains. Sources: 1, 4
You don’t have to own your home for five years to apply for exemption from capital gains tax. However, you must have lived in the apartment for at least 2 years in the last 5 years to qualify it as your main residence. If you do not meet these requirements, you may be eligible for a partial tax exemption if you meet certain exceptions, such as if you have to move because of your job or if you have lived in another apartment for two years. Sources: 1, 8
If your cost base for the home you own with your spouse is $400,000 and you sell it for $900,000, the IRS will not touch a penny of your profits. Sources: 3
Read More: How to Protect Yourself From Real Estate Taxes
If the second home does not meet the IRS definition of primary residence, it is not eligible for the capital gains exemption. In short, any net capital gains you make from selling your home will be taxed at the appropriate rate, whether long-term or short-term. The minimum two-year ownership period used to define capital gains from principal residence is what you are owed when you sell, namely “long-term capital gains.”. Sources: 3
You pay capital gains tax on the difference between the value of the family home you sold for and what it was worth when your last parent died. When you sold on a purchase price basis, mom and dad had $1 million, not $100,000, and the house was worth $1 million when the last parents died. Sources: 1
Those who own their first home for less than a year are only subject to short-term capital gains tax. Anyone who has owned a home for at least one year is liable for the long-term capital gains tax rate. As you may remember, the capital gains tax rate is the same as your income tax rate.
Cited Sources
- https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701 0
- https://www.realtor.com/advice/finance/how-much-is-capitals-gains-tax-on-real-estate/ 1
- https://www.fortunebuilders.com/capital-gains-tax-explained/ 2
- https://www.fool.com/millionacres/taxes/capital-gains/complete-guide-capital-gains-tax-real-estate-sales/ 3
- https://www.bankrate.com/investing/long-term-capital-gains-tax/ 4
- https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/taxes/capital-gains-tax-on-real-estate-14911957 5
- https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/avoid-capital-gains-tax-selling-home-29901.html 6
- https://www.rockethomes.com/blog/home-selling/capital-gains-home-sale 7
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/capital-gains-home-sale 8
- https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/home-ownership/tax-law-for-selling-real-estate/L9PmDNkK5 9