Home Sweet Tax-Free Home
Most homeowners today are familiar with the tax breaks that come with home ownership, such as mortgage interest and property tax deductions. But many don’t know about perhaps best tax break available – one that occurs when you sell your home even if you don’t buy another home.
Typically when you sell or exchange an asset, any gains are subject to federal income tax. However, when you sell or exchange your home, the IRS provides an exclusion that may eliminate the federal tax liability you have on the profits.
Here’s how it works. The rules allow a single filer to sell his or her home, realize up to $250,000 in gains, and have no tax liability. For married couples that file a joint tax return, the amount doubles to $500,000.
To qualify for the exclusion, you must have owned and occupied the home as your primary residence for at least two out of the five years before the sale or exchange. The two-year requirement may be eased to one year for individuals who are forced to reside in a nursing home or other licensed-care facility. And a reduced exclusion is available if you sold your home due to a job change, divorce or multiple births resulting from the same pregnancy.
In addition, the full exclusion may be claimed once every two years. For example, a married couple that claims the full $500,000 exclusion on the sale of their current residence could again receive the full $500,000 exclusion after owning a new home for only two years. Further, the law allows one spouse to use the exclusion, but does not prevent the other spouse from utilizing his or her portion. For example, if Sally marries an individual who used his exclusion last year, Sallie may still exclude her full $250,000 of gain on the sale of
their home.
An important side note: While the exclusion enables you to exclude a sizable amount of accumulated deferred capital gains, the increase in the value of your home may exceed the exclusion amount – a real possibility in today’s housing market. If so, you still face a capital gains tax.
you’ve been thinking about selling your home, knowing these rules may make your decision easier. Of course, before selling any asset with embedded capital gains, we should carefully examine all of the advantages and disadvantages in light of your personal situation, as well as consult with me or your tax advisor. For more information on this topic, feel free to contact me today.
|