Lesson 1 of Income Tax Planning: Property Taxation Flashcards
Categorizing Assets for Income Tax Purposes
For income tax purposes, property can be categorized several ways.
(1) How the Property is Held:
- For Personal Use?
- For Investment or Production of Income?
- Trade or Business Purposes?
(2) Whether the Property is what type of asset?
- A Capital Asset
- An Ordinary Income Asset
- A Section 1231 asset.
What are Capital Assets?
- Most PERSONAL use assets and most INVESTMENT assets are capital assets.
- Depreciable property used in a trade or business is generally a Section 1231 asset, NOT a capital asset.
- Assets that are NOT capital assets or Section 1231 assets are ordinary income assets.
What are NOT Capital Assets
Section 1221(a) of the IRC defines what is NOT a capital asset, including:
- Inventory,
- Depreciable property used in a trade or business,
- Copyrights and creative works (if held by the creator of such works),
- Accounts and notes receivable
EXAM TIP: ACID
Exam Question
Which of the following is a capital asset?
a) A copyright on a textbook owned by the author.
b) A painting owned by an art collector.
c) Office furniture used in a business.
d) A note receivable.
Answer: B
A painting owned by an art collector is a capital asset. In contrast, a painting owned by the artist or a copyright owned by the author is an ordinary income asset. Office furniture used in a business is depreciable property used in a trade or business, so it would be Section 1231 property rather than a capital asset. A notes receivable is specifically excluded from being a capital asset under Section 1221.
Exam Tips
Remember, all assets are capital assets except ACID
-Accounts/notes receivable,
-Copyrights and creative works,
-Inventory
-Depreciable property used in a trade or business
Ordinary Income Assets
Ordinary Income assets are those assets that, when sold, result in ordinary income to the owner of the asset.
Some of the assets listed in Section 1221 (a) that are not capital assets are actually ordinary income assets including:
-Inventory
-Accounts Receivable
-Creations in the hands of the creator
-Copyrights in the hands of the creator
Section 1231 Assets
Section 1231 assets are assets USED in a trade or business.
In addition to being used in a trade or business:
Section 1231 assets are either (1) Depreciable property or (2) real property
1231 Assets are LT Depreciable Assets: Broken Down
- 1245 Assets (NOT real estate)
- 1259 Real Estate
Section 1231 Assets DO NOT INCLUDE:
-Inventory,
-Property held by the taxpayer primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of his trade or business, or
-Copyright or creative works
Section 1231 Specifically INCLUDES certain property such as:
Timber,
Coal
Iron Ore
Certain Livestock, and
Unharvested Crops (under certain conditions).
Determining The Basis
Purpose & Use of Basis
Cost Basis
Adjustments to Basis
Adjusted Taxable Basis -
Special Basis Rules
Tax Rates
A lower cost basis means you’ll recognize a bigger gain, and a higher cost basis means you’ll recognize a loss or simply a smaller gain.
Purpose & Use Basis
Property can be acquired by purchase, gift, inheritance, or exchange. The method of acquisition affects the adjusted taxable basis of the property.
The purpose of basis is to allow taxpayers to recover the value of the assets (e.g., cash) used to purchase or acquire property.
Under the recovery of capital doctrine, basis is usually returned to a taxpayer tax free, either as the result of a sale or as the result of depreciation deductions.
Basis is necessary to:
-determine the amount of gain or loss on a sale or other disposition of property
-determine the amount that may be recovered tax free through depreciation deductions
-determine the deduction for obsolescence and sometimes for depletion
Cost of Basis
Property received in a sale or exchange generally has a cost basis.
The cost basis is the amount paid in cash, debt obligations, other property, or services.
Cost also includes amounts paid for the following items:
-Sales tax,
-Freight,
-Installation and testing,
-Excise taxes,
-Legal and accounting fees (when they must be capitalized),
-Revenue stamps,
-Recording fees, and
-Real estate taxes (if assumed for the seller).
Calculating Cost Basis
When property is acquired in a taxable exchange, the cost is the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the property given in exchange for what is received.
When property is acquired subject to a mortgage, the basis of the property is the FMV of the property.
When property is acquired as a dividend in kind or as compensation for services, the taxpayer’s basis in the property is the FMV of the property at the time of acquisition.
Exam Question
Pat buys a new machine costing $58,000. She pays freight of $6,000 to get the new machine to her factory. She has also paid an additional 5% of the purchase price for sales tax. She hired a local company to install the equipment and paid them $10,000. What is Pat’s basis in her new machine?
a) $64,000
b) $66,900
c) $74,000
d) $76,900
Answer: D
Pat’s basis in her new machine is equal to the total costs associated with obtaining the machine and installing it in her factory. Therefore, her basis is $76,900 ($58,000 + $6,000 + $2,900 + $10,00).
Adjustments to Basis
Before determining gain or loss on a sale, exchange, or other disposition of property, certain adjustments must be made to the basis of the property. The result of these adjustments to the basis is the adjusted basis.
Increase the Basis of an Asset
Capital improvements, such as an addition On your home, a new roof, paving your driveway, installing central air conditioning, or rewiring your home.
Assessments for local improvements, including water connections, sidewalks, and roads.
The cost of restoring damaged property after a casualty loss.
Legal fees, including the cost of defending and perfecting a title to the property.
Zonining Costs
Extend the life of Asset
-Not repairs/Maintenance.
Decrease the Basis of an Asset
Usually happens when a taxpayer takes advantages of a tax deduction or tax incentives related to that asset.
Exclusion from income of subsidies for energy conservation measures.
Casualty or theft loss deductions and insurance reimbursements (business only).
Deduction for clean-fuel vehicles and clean-fuel vehicle refueling property.
Section 179 deduction.
Credit for qualified electric vehicles.
Depreciation
Nontaxable corporate distributions.
Adjusted Taxable Basis - Property Acquired by Nontaxable Exchnange
When property is acquired in an exchange, the newly acquired property will have a carryover basis if the property is exchanged for property of equal value (no boot is paid).
In the event that property is exchanged for a more valuable asset, and thus boot is paid, the new asset will have a carryover basis (the cost basis of the exchanged property) plus any boot paid.
If the property is exchanged for a less valuable asset, and thus boot is received, the new asset will have a carryover basis reduced by any boot received that was greater than the gain.
Example
Mario is considering trading coin collections with his friend Arthur. Mario’s basis in his coin collection is $100 and the FMV of his coin collection is $200. Arthur’s coin collection is worth $350. Arthur will only agree to trade coin collections with Mario if Mario pays him $150 in adition to Mario’s coin collection. If Mario and Arthur trade coin collections, Mario’s basis in his new coin collection will be his carryover basis ($100) plus the boot that he paid ($150), Or $250.
Explanations of the Mario Example
Mario’s Basis = $100
Mario’s (FMV) =$200
Arthur’s (FMV) = $350
Mario’s Basis = Carryover Basis + Boot Paid
$100 + $150 = $250
The carryover basis is Mario’s original coin collection.
FMV
The Fair Market Value is represents the estimated worth of Mario’s collection in an open and unrestricted market.
Special Basic Rules
The basis for inherited property is discussed in the estate planning course; however, the holding period for capital gains is always long-term for inherited property.
Exam Question
Aunt Suzie recently died and left her niece, Jean, 1,000 shares of ABC stock. Suzie acquired the stock on December 12, 2022 for $25 per share. Suzie dies February 14, 2023. Assume that Jean sold the stock for $28 per share on February 28, 2023. What is the nature of her gain?
a) Short-term capital gain.
b) Long-term capital gain.
c) Part short-term capital gain, part long-term capital gain.
d) Ordinary income
Answer: B
Gain on all inherited assets is long-term capital gain.
Basis of Gifted Property
There are three rules related to the basis of gifted property:
The general rule and two exceptions.