When you inherit property, you generally receive an initial basis in property equal to the property's FMV. The FMV is established on the date of death or on an alternate evaluation date six months after death. This is often referred to as a "stepped-up" basis since the basis is typically stepped up to FMV.
In practice, most inherited assets after death are steps up, not steps down. This is because financial assets passed on to heirs are often long-term holdings, while financial assets and real estate tend to have favorable long-term rates of return.
A common question, and one where many taxpayers often make mistakes, is whether it is better to receive a home as a gift or as an inheritance. Generally, from a tax perspective, it is more advantageous to inherit a home rather than receive it as a gift before the owner's death.
In most situations, the basis of an asset is its cost to you. The cost is the amount you pay for it in cash, debt obligations, and other property or services. Cost includes sales tax and other expenses connected with the purchase.
Inherited properties can come with financial responsibilities such as existing mortgages, unpaid property taxes, maintenance costs, and insurance requirements. Be aware of hidden costs, including emergency repairs, property management fees, and legal expenses.
Your share of sales proceeds (generally reported on Form 1099-S Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions) from the sale of an inherited home should be reported on Schedule D (Form 1040) Capital Gains and Losses in the Investment Income section of TaxAct.
When a house is transferred via inheritance, the value of the house is stepped up to its fair market value at the time it was transferred, according to the IRS. This means that a home purchased many years ago is valued at current market value for capital gains.
Many people worry about the estate tax affecting the inheritance they pass along to their children, but it's not a reality most people will face. In 2025, the first $13,990,000 of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes, up from $13,610,000 in 2024. Estate taxes are based on the size of the estate.
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.
Double basis rule: If the fair market value (FMV) of the gifted property on the date of the gift is lower than the donor's adjusted basis, the recipient's basis is the donor's adjusted basis.
If you received a gift or inheritance, do not include it in your income. However, if the gift or inheritance later produces income, you will need to pay tax on that income.
How Does the IRS Verify Cost Basis in Real Estate? In real estate transactions, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can verify the cost basis by looking at the closing statement of when the property was purchased, or any other legal documents associated with the property, such as tax statements.
Net capital losses (the amount that total capital losses exceed total capital gains) can only be deducted up to a maximum of $3,000 in a tax year.
Upon selling an inherited asset, if the inherited property produces a gain, you must report it as income on your federal income tax return as a beneficiary.
The basis of property inherited from a decedent is generally one of the following: The fair market value (FMV) of the property on the date of the decedent's death (whether or not the executor of the estate files an estate tax return (Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return)).
When you sell your home, federal tax law requires lenders or real estate agents to file a Form 1099-S, Proceeds from Real Estate Transactions, with the IRS and send you a copy if you do not meet IRS requirements for excluding the taxable gain from the sale on your income tax return.
If you inherit a house, changing the deed is one of the first things you'll want to do. It's an important step that ensures your name is on the deed and proves your legal entitlement to the property moving forward. Here's a step by step guide that breaks down this process.
It depends on your personal circumstances. If you want to live in the home or use it as a rental property, keeping it obviously makes sense. If you don't want to do either — or if it needs significant work that you don't want to commit to — selling it will make more sense.
So long as you have never occupied it personally, this is generally allowed. The amount of your loss that you will be able to deduct, however, will be limited to the difference between the price you sell it for and the fair market value of the home when you inherited it.
Additionally, you must report the sale of the home if you can't exclude all of your capital gain from income. Use Schedule D (Form 1040), Capital Gains and Losses and Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets when required to report the home sale.
Cost basis is essentially the amount that your property is worth from the standpoint of taxation. Upon the sale of a piece of real estate (for example, your single-family home) profit or loss is calculated by taking the property's sales price and subtracting it from your cost basis on the date of sale.
What happens if basis is not established for an asset which is sold? The basis will be: Adjusted to reflect the fair market value at the time of the sale. Assigned a value of one-half of the sale price.