Understanding capital gains tax on real estate can be confusing, but not with FortuneBuilders' guide. Learn what capital gains tax is and how to avoid it
It’s tax season, and it’s to your advantage to know about the taxes and deductions that apply to you. The capital gains tax on real estate investment property is something you want to be familiar with if you own any real estate, whether it’s your home or another type of investment property. This is especially true if you recently sold, or plan to sell, your property, which is when capital gains tax goes into effect. While understanding capital gains tax on real estate may seem overwhelming at times, having a firm grasp of capital gains and respective tax requirements ensures that investors and property owners can properly benefit from their investments and be squared away with the IRS.
In this article, we will explore the real estate capital gains tax, short-term vs. long-term capital gain tax rate, as well as how to avoid capital gains tax as much as possible if you believe your a-sets will be subjected to it. With FortuneBuilders’ helpful guide, real estate investors and property owners can feel confident heading into the tax season.
The name says it all: capital gains tax on real estate simply refers to the tax levied on any gains made from a real estate sale. To clarify, capital gains are only realized when an a-set is sold for more than it is purchased. Therefore, you may not be taxed on capital gains if you sell a property for less than you bought it for.
Generally, it’s rare to sell an a-set for more than it was purchased for due to depreciation, but if an individual does sell their a-set for more than they acquired it, the a-set would then be classified as a capital gain. Capital gain can be applied for more than just real estate gains. It can also apply to a car, boat, or even rare piece of artwork that is sold for more than it was initially purchased.
Now that we understand what capital gains tax is, let’s explore how much capital gains taxes typically are so that taxpayers can properly anticipate any payments that will need to be made. The tax rate for these capital gains isn’t an umbrella percentage but is based on numerous factors that affect the percentage of taxable gain. Within the context of real estate, if you were to sell a property, the capital gains tax you would owe depends on three main factors: