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How to handle the sale of rental property with multiple improvements

I have a rental property that was purchased in 2006 with major improvements done in 2007, 2012, 2013 & 2014, each with their own line item on the depreciation schedule. There also two line items of refinancing fees.

How do I enter the sale in Turbo Tax? Do I have to prorate the sale price against each line item?

The property was sold in June of 2022.

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1 Reply
Carl
Level 15

How to handle the sale of rental property with multiple improvements

Do I have to prorate the sale price against each line item?

Yes. The below guidance should help. Note that if you sold at a gain, then you must show a gain on each asset listed. Doesn't matter if the gain is $1 on some assets and $100,000 on another. A gain is a gain, is a gain, is a....

This is the only way the TurboTax program will "correctly" recapture depreciation so that it's taxed at the ordinary income tax rate, and not the capital gains tax rate.

You do not report your amortized loan fees as a sale. The remaining amount to be deducted is fully deductible in the year you sell the property. Therefore, I've also included instructions on how you deal with the amortized fees.

Reporting the Sale of Rental Property

If you qualify for the "lived in 2 of last 5 years" capital gains exclusion, then when prompted you WILL indicate that this sale DOES INCLUDE the sale of your main home. For AD MIL personnel who don't qualify because of PCS orders, select this option anyway, because you "MIGHT" qualify for at last a partial exclusion.

Start working through Rental & Royalty Income (SCH E) "AS IF" you did not sell the property. One of the screens near the start will have a selection on it for "I sold or otherwise disposed of this property in  2021". Select it. After you select the "I sold or otherwise disposed of this property in 2021" you continue working it through "as if" you still own it. When you come to the summary screen you will enter all of your rental income and expenses, even if it's zero. Then you MUST work through the "Sale of Property/Depreciation" section. You must work through each individual asset one at a time to report its disposition (in your case, all your rental assets were sold).

Understand that if more than the property itself is listed in your assets list, then you need to allocate your sales price across all of your assets.  You will only allocate the structure sales price; you will NOT allocate the land sales price, since the land is not a depreciable asset.  Then if you sold this rental at a gain, you must show a gain on all assets, even if that gain is $1 on some assets. Likewise, if you sold at a loss then you must show a loss on all assets, even if that loss is $1 on some assets.

Basically, when working through an asset you select the option for "I stopped using this asset in 2021" and go from there. Note that you MUST do this for EACH AND EVERY asset listed.

When you finish working through everything listed in the assets section, if you ever at any time you owned this rental you claimed vehicle expenses, then you must also work through the vehicle section and show the disposition of the vehicle. Most likely, your vehicle disposition will be "removed for personal use", as I seriously doubt you sold your vehicle as a part of this rental sale.

DEDUCT FINANCING FEES OF OLD LOAN WHEN REFINANCING OR SELLING

In the Assets/Depreciation section for that rental property, elect to edit/update the entry for your points.

- On the "Review Information" screen click Continue.

- On the "Did you stop using this asset 2021?" screen, click YES.

- On the "Disposition Information" screen, in the disposition date box enter the date you closed on the new loan or sale. Then click Continue.

 - On the "Special Handling Required?" screen, click YES.

- On the "Depreciation Deduction Amount" screen, select Transfer These Fees For Me To Other Expenses. Then click Continue.

You'll see the remaining fees of the old loan to be deducted in the Rental Expenses section, very last screen of that section. The entry will start with "Unrealized Refinancing Fees...." or something similar.

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