Tax Read Time: 3 min

Tax Rules When Selling Your Home

How the gains from the sale of a primary residence are taxed has changed in recent years. If you have recently sold your home or are considering doing so, you may want to be aware of these new rules.

Home Sale

If you owned and lived in your home for two of the last five years before the sale, then up to $250,000 of profit may be exempt from federal income taxes. If you are married and file a joint return, then it doubles to $500,000.1

To qualify for this exemption, you cannot have excluded the gain on the sale of another home within two years of this sale. Please consult a professional with tax expertise regarding your individual situation.2

This profit would be excluded from your taxable income. In fact, the sale may not need to be reported unless you receive a Form 1099-S or do not meet the above requirements.

If you sold your home at a loss, unfortunately, you can't deduct the loss.

There Are Exceptions

Even if you do not meet the above requirements, you may qualify for this exclusion:

  • If you receive the house in a divorce settlement
  • If you are able to count short-term absences as time lived in the house
  • If a surviving spouse who has not remarried can count the time that the deceased spouse lived in the house.1

The five-year test period can also be suspended for up to ten years in cases where any spouse has served on "qualified official extended duty" as a member of the military, foreign service, or federal intelligence agencies.1

Even if you don't pass the five-year rule test, a reduced exclusion may be available if you have a change in employment or health, or because of unforeseen circumstances, such as divorce or multiple births from a single pregnancy. Please speak with a professional with tax expertise regarding your situation.

1. IRS.gov, 2022
2. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties.

The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG, LLC, is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright FMG Suite.

 

Related Content

Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

Learn about the role of inflation when considering your portfolio’s rate of return with this helpful article.

Lots of Variables with Fixed-Rate Mortgages

Lots of Variables with Fixed-Rate Mortgages

When selecting a fixed-rate mortgage, a borrower has to determine how many years to finance the loan.

The Utility of Sector Investing

The Utility of Sector Investing

Successful sector investing is dependent upon an accurate analysis about when to rotate in and out.

 

Have A Question About This Topic?







Thank you! Oops!

Investing with Your Heart

For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.

Yours, Mine, and Ours: Estate Strategies for Second Marriage

Second marriages are a trigger event to revisit any existing estate strategies.

Six Surprising Facts About Retirement Confidence

This attention-grabbing infographic covers retirement topics you may not have considered.

View all articles

Should I Buy or Lease an Auto?

This calculator compares the financial impact of leasing versus buying an automobile.

How Much Home Can I Afford?

With a few simple inputs you can estimate how much of a mortgage you may be able to obtain.

Saving for Retirement

This calculator can help you estimate how much you may need to save for retirement.

View all calculators

Long-Term-Care Protection Strategies

The chances of needing long-term care, its cost, and strategies for covering that cost.

5 Smart Investing Strategies

There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

Managing Your Lifestyle

Using smart management to get more of what you want and free up assets to invest.

View all presentations

The Power of Compound Interest

Learn how to harness the power of compound interest for your investments.

Finding the Balance

The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.

View all videos