This article will go into detail about how much capital gains tax you have to pay when selling your home. It is important to remember that while there is no universal rule, what matters is not only the sale price of your house, but also if and when you sold it, as well as how you calculated your sales costs.
If you are in possession of a primary residence then you can usually exclude this property from CGT calculations. However, if you own a second (or even third) dwelling, you may need to consider whether or not it was your main residence at the time of sale.
The rules around what constitutes a ‘principal’ residence vary state by state. So before calculating your potential tax liability make sure you understand these!
When determining the cost basis of an investment property, two things matter: depreciation and renovation deductions.
Depreciation refers to the deductible expenses associated with owning and using the property. These include things like mortgage interest, insurance, repairs and maintenance, water, electricity and garbage disposal fees.
Renovation deductions refer to the expenditures made during the renovations carried out on the property. Examples of possible renovation deductions include furniture, fixtures and equipment.
This article will focus exclusively on the former- what people often call ‘cost base’. We will be taking a closer look at some of the frequently misunderstood issues related to depreciating an investment rental property.
What does capital gains tax mean?
When you sell an investment, such as a house or car, you have what is called “capital gain”. This occurs when your profit exceeds the cost of buying it.
The government taxes this extra profit at different rates depending on how long ago you sold the asset. The higher the time since sale, the higher the income tax due.
This can be tricky to remember as there are two main types of capital gains tax – normal and zero percent.
A zero percent capital gains tax applies only to property that is owned by either individuals or trusts. It is paid once per year so no additional income tax is owed.
Individuals in high-tax countries already pay very low personal income tax, so they may not feel much difference. But people in lower-tax nations like Switzerland and Singapore could save quite a bit through tax optimisation.
Normal capital gains tax applies if you hold onto an asset longer than one year. For example, if you buy a house and live in it for two years then sell it, you will owe income tax on the profits.
In Australia, we have a 15% standard rate income tax regime, which means most people would pay 30%. So even though you might lose money on the sale, you would still need to declare all income sources.
Are all capital gains tax-able?
The other major type of long term investment that people can keep wealth in is real estate. This includes buying an apartment or house, land, or a condo board member position. While owning a home is wonderful, it can also mean very high income taxes if you are not careful!
There is no rule saying that all capital gain from investing in real estate has to be taxed as ordinary income. In fact, most experts agree that only half should be considered normal income and half should be treated differently.
These special types of capital gains include when you sell your house, open up a new business with the profits, or even demolish and rebuild a property.
By treating these different types of investments differently, we give more room to invest in profitable opportunities while keeping some money protected from being spent.
However, what is considered a “rehab” project versus opening a restaurant chain is slightly harder to define.
Is there a limit to how much capital gains tax I have to pay?
There is no hard and fast rule as to what is considered ‘significant’ when it comes to paying capital gains tax. What we can say about capital gain tax is that, like any other income, the higher your taxable income, the higher the amount of capital gains tax you will need to pay.
This means if you make a large profit from selling an investment property, you will likely be asked to declare this in your personal return. You should also know that anyone buying or renting a new home may find it more expensive to do so because they will have to cover the cost of their mortgage interest along with additional capital gains tax.
It is always advisable to speak to a professional before investing money to see whether or not there is enough protection against such losses.
How is my capital gains tax calculated?
When you sell an investment property, there are two main components of capital gain tax that you should be aware of. One is your personal income tax due, and the other is how much estate duty you owe depending on whether or not you retain ownership of the property.
The first one is simple – in theory at least! In practice, it can get a bit complicated though because what people refer to as ‘capital gain’ actually covers several different things.
For example, when you buy a house, any profit you make from it is considered a capital gain. This includes if you rent out part of it or find another owner who will live in it.
However, if you simply hold onto the house instead of renting it out or selling it, this isn’t counted as a capital gain but rather ordinary income which is taxed more heavily. It depends on what kind of investor you are really where this could save you money.
There is also what we call ‘phasing’ of CGT. This means that if you owned a rental property before April 6th 2016 then it may still qualify as an asset acquired after December 31st 2015. What this does is mean that you don’t have to pay CGT on the initial sale, but only once you later decide to bring the property back into the market as either a residential or commercial property.
This can add up very quickly so it is important to know about it.
How can I get rid of capital gains tax?
The main way to reduce your overall exposure to CGT is by selling or liquidating your property. This could be due to death of an owner, divorce, moving out, etc.
If you are in a position where you will not gain from carrying on with your current residence, then it makes sense to consider other opportunities. For example, if you have owned your house for over two years, there’s no logical reason to keep it.
You may want to sell it quickly before people start asking questions about any potential inheritance. It also puts pressure on friends and family members to ask about the property.
There are many ways to manage your estate without paying capital gains tax. By planning ahead, you can limit your liability.
What are some tips for investing to avoid capital gains tax?
One of the biggest costs associated with owning real estate is paying taxes on your profits when you sell or let it expire. The amount of tax you pay depends on three main factors: how long you own your property, what kind of property you have, and how much profit you make from selling or letting go of the house.
If you owned a one-bedroom apartment for five years then sold it, your capital gain would be taxed as low as $500 per year, which can add up very quickly if you’re in high income tax bracket.
On the other hand, people who made a large investment in a home that has now appreciated may get taxed at higher rates because they earn more money. As such, it’s important to understand how much capital gains tax applies to different types of properties before investing.
This article will discuss some simple ways to reduce your capital gains tax bill.
What are some tips for writing a real estate investment plan?
The second part of this article covers how to calculate your capital gains tax liability when investing in property. This includes determining whether you owe no income tax, small income tax or large income taxes due to the difference in selling your home and buying another one.
There are two main reasons why people incur extra capital gain tax when selling their homes. First, it is typically more expensive to sell than to stay put. Second, the longer you own an asset, the lower the taxable value. The higher the price, the larger the potential loss if you have to take it as a capital gain rather than ordinary income.
When calculating the cost basis of a rental property, there is an exception. If the house has sufficient living space as a bedroom or more, then it does not matter how much money was spent on renovations and other costs. Only the down payment and monthly mortgage payments contribute towards the total cost.
What is the best time to invest in real estate?
The best times to buy or sell real estate are always dependent upon your personal goals, as well as what type of person you are. If you want to build up a large capital base, then investing at any time can be helpful, since you will keep buying and selling opportunities constantly!
If you just need some extra money, you should look for low-cost sales or rentals that do not require too much effort. By renting out an apartment, for example, you can earn passive income every month!
On the other hand, if you love spending time in the field, looking into higher cost investments may be more suitable. Buying or selling a house is quite expensive, so you would have to be prepared to spend lots of money to make a profit.
