If I had to sell my house to relocate for a new job, can I exclude my capital gains? Share: If you meet the conditions for a capital gains tax exemption, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain on the sale of your main home. Certain joint returns can exclude up to $500,000 of gain.
There's a federal exclusion on the sale of primary residences (Section 121) of $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers, so you may not have any capital gains tax liability if you sell your primary residence for a profit before you move.
In most cases, your home has an exemption
You can do this if you meet all three conditions: You owned the home for a total of at least two years. You used the home as your primary residence for a total of at least two years in the last five-years before the sale.
A few options to legally avoid paying capital gains tax on investment property include buying your property with a retirement account, converting the property from an investment property to a primary residence, utilizing tax harvesting, and using Section 1031 of the IRS code for deferring taxes.
Here's how it works: Taxpayers can claim a full capital gains tax exemption for their principal place of residence (PPOR). They also can claim this exemption for up to six years if they move out of their PPOR and then rent it out. There are some qualifying conditions for leaving your principal place of residence.
The so-called 'Mayfair loophole' is part of the capital gains system and was agreed by the last Labour Government. It allows private equity firms to treat their profits as capital gains when there is capital at risk.
Unfortunately, there's no age limit to paying capital gains tax. However, you can manage and even reduce your tax burden with the right strategies and information. Here are the basics about capital gains tax rules and rates as well as some tax-saving tactics.
If it's your primary residence
You can sell your primary residence and avoid paying capital gains taxes on the first $250,000 of your profits if your tax-filing status is single, and up to $500,000 if married and filing jointly. The exemption is only available once every two years.
Qualifying Criteria
The capital gains exclusion applies to your principal residence, and while you may only have one of those at a time, you may have more than one during your lifetime. There is no longer a one-time exemption—that was the old rule, but it changed in 1997.
However, there's a way to avoid paying capital gains tax on your second home. You may avoid capital gains tax if you live in it as your primary residence for at least two of the five years before you sell. Considering the average home price in America today, a lower tax rate can amount to impressive savings.
You can deduct the expenses of moving your household goods and personal effects, including expenses for hauling a trailer, packing, crating, in-transit storage, and insurance. You cannot deduct expenses for moving furniture or other goods you bought on the way from your old home to your new home.
Long-term capital gains tax rates for the 2025 tax year
For the 2025 tax year, individual filers won't pay any capital gains tax if their total taxable income is $48,350 or less.
Like so many aspects of our lives, changing jobs comes with tax benefits and consequences. The most obvious implication will be a possible change in your tax rate if your job change is advantageous enough to shoot you into a higher bracket. However, there are plenty of other tax effects that may be less obvious.
Bottom Line. The IRS allows no specific tax exemptions for senior citizens, either when it comes to income or capital gains. The closest you can come is contributing to a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) with after-tax dollars, allowing you to make qualified withdrawals on a tax-free basis.
However, thanks to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, most homeowners are exempt from needing to pay it.1 If you're single, you will pay no capital gains tax on the first $250,000 of profit (excess over cost basis). Married couples enjoy a $500,000 exemption.2 However, there are some restrictions.
To qualify for the principal residence exclusion, you must have owned and lived in the property as your primary residence for two out of the five years immediately preceding the sale. Some exceptions apply for those who become disabled, die, or must relocate for reasons of health or work, among other situations.
Capital gains and deductible capital losses are reported on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses, and then transferred to line 13 of Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Capital gains and losses are classified as long-term or short term.
However, you do not have to pay CGT on any shares that you transfer (i.e. sell or gift) to a spouse or civil partner unless you are separated and did not live together at any point during the tax year in which the transfer took place.
Selling a house in a trust before death means the grantor is responsible for paying capital gains tax. Alternatively, the trust or beneficiary could owe the tax under an irrevocable or testamentary trust, depending on how the trust is set up.
Long-term capital gains of up to ₹1 lakh are exempted from tax. However, please note that as per the latest Union Budget, this limit of ₹1 lakh has been increased to ₹1.25 lakh, which will be effective from FY 24-25.
For an asset to qualify for the CGT discount you must own it for at least 12 months before the 'CGT event' happens. The CGT event is the point at which you make a capital gain or loss.
If you've owned and occupied your property for at least 2 of the last 5 years, you can avoid paying capital gains taxes on the first $250,000 for single-filers and $500,000 for married people filing jointly. Visit the IRS website to review additional rules that may help you qualify for the capital gains tax exemption.