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Level 3
posted Apr 7, 2022 1:43:10 PM

Installment Sale with no payment in first year

Sold a piece of commercial property (not a main home) with a closing date in 2021 but received no payments in 2021.  The installment Sale proceeds start in 2022.  There was no business associated with the commercial property.  Do I report any of the sale information in the 2021 tax year or do I wait until the tax year when beginning to receive the installment sales income/payments?

0 3 643
3 Replies
Expert Alumni
Apr 8, 2022 8:12:59 AM

If there is no taxable income in the year of the installment sale, you may wait to report the sale next year. You can test this by entering the Sale of Business Property in TurboTax. You should see a message that you have no income to report. Note that with an installment sale, your gain is reported each year based on the amount of principal payments you receive.

Level 13
Apr 8, 2022 10:06:30 AM

I am of a differing opinion.

I think you should report the sale in the year it occurred regardless of whether any installment sale proceeds were received.

Additionally, your fact are limited.  If the property you sold was subject to depreciation, recapture is recognized in the year of sale regardless of whether you receive cash or not.

 

Level 3
Apr 8, 2022 11:23:41 AM

Although the property is considered commercial (it has a storage building on it) it was never used for business purposes, nor treated as a business asset...just an additional piece of property to store a personal RV and "stuff".