Monday, January 30, 2006

Home Selling Exclusions: A Great Benefit for Homeowners

by Benny L. Kass

If you have recently sold your house at a significant profit, and if you have not been keeping up with the tax laws, you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are married, if you meet the legal requirements described below, you can exclude up to $500,000 of the profit you have made. If you are not married, or file a separate tax return, the exclusion is reduced down to $250,000 of profit.

For many years, there were two tax concepts which helped save homeowners from paying a lot of capital gains tax: the "roll-over" and the "once in a lifetime." However, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, signed by President Clinton on August 5, 1997, abolished both of these concepts. The roll-over and the once-in-a-lifetime exemption for homeowners over 55 years of age are real estate and tax history.

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