Purchase Loans Advantages
Buying a new home is one of the smartest purchases you can ever make.
One of the reasons is that homeownership has many positive tax implications.
Because of changes to the tax code passed in 1997, these tax implications
are much more favorable for most homeowners today than in the past.
According to the law, married homeowners do not have to pay taxes on
up to $500,000 in capital gains realized on the sale of their homes. The
$500,000 provision applies to married homeowners filing joint returns and is
restricted to homes sold on or after May 7, 1997. To qualify, the home would
have to have been used as a principal residence for at least two of the
previous five years. Taxpayers who file individual returns may claim up to
$250,000.
According to the previous rules, the tax on any profit would be
deferred if the sellers of the home bought and occupied another home of
equal or greater purchase price within 24 months before or 24 months after
the sale of the old residence.
The previous law also allowed for a one-time capital gains exclusion.
Home sellers who were at least 55 years old could realize a tax-free gain of
up to $125,000 if the home had been used as a principal residence for at
least three of the previous five years.
Under the old law, home sellers could use their capital gains
exclusion only once after turning 50. Under the new law, people over 55 who
already have used their exclusion can take advantage of the new tax
provisions, assuming that they have occupied their new residence for at
least two of the previous five years.
First time homebuyers also benefited from a special provision of the
new tax law. One of the largest obstacles to homeownership usually is the
inability of potential first-time homebuyers to save enough money for the
down payment. In 1997, Congress passed a new provision allowing first-time
homebuyers to withdraw up to $10,000 from their IRA accounts if the money is
used for a down payment on a home. The penalty-free provision can be applied
to IRAs owned by the homebuyers, their parents, or their grandparents. Under
current law, early withdrawals from an IRA incur a 10 percent penalty.