Vacation homes can be a source of great pleasure during their ownership; the reality of how they are treated for tax purposes happens once you decide to sell the property. You may have determined that the cottage at the beach or condo slope side at the mountain is your “investment” property, however, the truth is, […]
Archive | Second Homes
Thinking About Selling Your Vacation Home? The Time To Start Planning is NOW!
There are two types of real estate that can be sold with advantageous tax treatment, your primary residence and your business/investment property. Favorable treatment exists for the sale of a personal residence if the property has been the primary residence of the taxpayer for two of the preceding five years. Section 121 of the Internal […]
Selling Your Second Home without Paying Capital Gains Tax Takes Planning
It is possible to convert property from one type to another without tax consequences. Your primary residence can become your rental/investment property and your investment/rental property can become your primary residence.
New Section 121 Rules Begin to Bite
By: George E. Foss III As the days and weeks pass, the effectiveness (from IRS’ perspective) of the new provisions slipped into Section 121 grow and grow. It used to be true that you could move into one of your rental properties, live there for two more years as your primary residence, and then sell […]
SELL YOUR SECOND HOME WITHOUT PAYING TAX
Concerned second home owners are looking for ways to minimize tax exposure when selling their second/vacation homes. Many have owned these properties for years and are facing serious tax implications. It may be wise to convert second homes to investment property, then complete a 1031 exchange to defer all capital gains taxes.
Real Property Can Be Exchanged (Sometimes)
It’s important to understand that there are three distinctively different types of real estate, some can be exchanged, some are prohibited from tax deferred exchange treatment. The three types are personal use, business/investment use and dealer property. Favorable treatment exists for the sale of a personal residence if the property has been the primary residence […]
Tax Deferred Life Style Change
Section 1031 can be used effectively to plan for major lifestyle changes. Use Section 1031 early, and use it often!
The Section 1031 Police
We are often asked how Section 1031 transactions are monitored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and whether a 1031 police force exists to monitor taxpayer actions. The truth is that in nearly three decades of practice, we have never been informed of the existence of this authority. However, we regularly point out to clients […]
Changes to Section 121 for Exchangors
Taxpayers who own a second home and want to defer the capital gain on sale have used one of two strategies to achieve tax relief. The property can be converted to rental property for a minimum of two years prior to sale and structured as a Section 1031 Exchange using a Qualified Intermediary with the […]