Taxes on home sale

Taxes on home sale

Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 1 vote

Myself and the other owner have discussed selling the property instead of renting it out. We did live in the 2/2 for a year and a half as a primary residence but bought another home with the plan to rent our the 2/2 and 1/1. I understand that we do not meet the 2 of 5 rule for the 250k tax exemption. However because we have held this property for over a year it is my understanding that we would pay long term capital gains. My question is can the capital improvements be added to the cost basis in order to reduce the long term gain. Am I correct in my thinking? I have been told different things by different CPA's and at this point I'm concerned about my knowledge and the conflicting information. We would rather keep it as two rentals if we are going to owe a lot in capital gains as it wouldn't be worth it. Any input would be appreciated.

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  • Josh St LaurentBusiness Member
    Financial Advisor · Stateline, NV · Member since 2023 · 131 posts · 122 votes
    1y

    You are right@Laurie Geissler. Long term capital gains and no 250k exclusion. Capital improvements can be added to basis just make sure to have documentation. If you've been renting it you may have depreciation recapture as well. Finding a good CPA is going to be key not only for this decision but the many that are bound to come down the road.@Joshua Thompson would be who I would work with for anything real estate and tax related.

    Most people pay 15% for long term capital gains but you have other options like a 1031 exchange or continuing to rent it. Best of luck!

  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1y

    @Laurie Geissler, you are correct! The adjusted cost basis would be your purchase price, plus capital improvements, minus depreciation, like what @Josh St Laurent said. And you would pay long-term capital gains on the profit.

    If you did decide to rent out the property and sold later down the road, because you converted it to an investment property, you would be able to do a 1031 exchange and defer all of the tax and depreciation, to reinvest it into another property/properties.

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  • Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
    Accountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 913 votes
    1y

    When you sell a property, the taxable gain is figured by taking your purchase price, adding in any capital improvements, and then subtracting depreciation. Since this isn’t your primary residence, you don’t get the $250k exclusion, so you’ll likely pay long-term capital gains tax, which for most people is around 15%. One option, if you turn it into a rental first, is to do a 1031 exchange when you sell—this lets you defer both the capital gains and depreciation recapture by reinvesting into another property. Keeping solid documentation and working with a good CPA is key to making sure everything is handled correctly.

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  • Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
    Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Assuming no rental, this would be long term capital gains. I'd look to work with a cpa to see what your basis in the property is including capital improvements and then put together an estimated sales price. You're often netting less than you think with closing costs both on the purchase and sale 

  • Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
    Accountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 913 votes
    1y

    You’re right—there’s no $250k exclusion here, and any capital improvements can increase your basis if you keep records. If the property’s been rented, depreciation recapture may apply too. Having a solid CPA is key, not just for this decision but for future ones as well. Most people pay 15% on long-term capital gains, but options like a 1031 exchange or keeping it as a rental could help.

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  • Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member
    Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    There are exceptions where you can potentially still get capital gain exclusion if you sell the property before living and owning the property for 2 years.

    Have a conversation with an accountant to see if you quality for the exception.

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