How to Pass Your Home to Your Children Tax-Free
Giving your house to your children can have tax consequences, but there are ways to accomplish it tax-free. The best method t...
Read moreMany people wonder if it is a good idea to give their home to their children. While it is possible to do this, giving away a house can have major tax consequences, among other results.
When you give anyone property valued at more than $14,000 in any one year, you have to file a gift tax form. Also, under current law (2016) you can gift a total of $5.43 million over your lifetime without incurring a gift tax. If your residence is worth less than $5.45 million, you likely won't have to pay any gift taxes, but you will still have to file a gift tax form.
Local Elder Law Attorneys in Ashburn, VA
Hammond and Associates, LLC, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate
Bethesda, MD
For Jeffrey Hammond, the practice of Elder Law is personal. Jeff’s many years of experience in law and in business did not prepare him for the crisis he faced in 2005 and 2006 when his father suffered a stroke and both of his parents suffered from dementia and other medical problems. At that time, Jeff began an i...
Attorney Samantha Simmons Fredieu is an associate at Hale Ball. Ms. Fredieu graduated magna cum laude from Vermont Law School where she was the symposium editor on the Vermont Law Review, a production editor on the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, and a member of the Moot Court Advisory Board. She has clerked for...
Ron M. Landsman has been practicing elder law since 1983, before it was known as elder law, originally with Landsman and Laster, Washington, D.C., then Landsman, Eakes and Laster, also in Arlington, VA, and since 1990 in his own practice in Montgomery County, Maryland. He has been among the most active members of the...
While you may not have to pay gift taxes on the gift, if your children sell the house right away, they may be facing steep taxes. The reason is that when you give away your property, the tax basis (or the original cost) of the property for the giver becomes the tax basis for the recipient. For example, suppose you bought the house years ago for $150,000 and it is now worth $350,000. If you give your house to your children, the tax basis will be $150,000. If the children sell the house, they will have to pay capital gains taxes on the difference between $150,000 and the selling price. The only way for your children to avoid the taxes is for them to live in the house for at least two years before selling it. In that case, they can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a couple) of their capital gains from taxes.
Inherited property does not face the same taxes as gifted property. If the children were to inherit the property, the property’s tax basis would be "stepped up," which means the basis would be the current value of the property. However, the home will remain in your estate, which may have estate tax consequences.
Beyond the tax consequences, gifting a house to children can affect your eligibility for Medicaid coverage of long-term care. There are other options for giving your house to your children, including putting it in a trust or selling it to them. Before you give away your home, consult your elder law attorney, who can advise you on the best method for passing on your home.
Giving your house to your children can have tax consequences, but there are ways to accomplish it tax-free. The best method t...
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