Significant tax reform legislation was signed into law with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. This legislation replaced both the one-time $125,000 tax-free exclusion for homeowners aged 55 and older, and the "rollover" deferment of capital gains tax requiring the purchase of a replacement home of higher or equal cost within two years of the sale of your principal residence.

With this change, a married couple filing their taxes jointly pays capital gains taxes only on that portion of home sales profits that exceeds $500,000. Single taxpayers, heads of households, and married persons filing separately may exclude up to $250,000. The exclusion is available for all sales of homes that occurred on or after May 6, 1997. Homeowners can use this tax-free provision every two years.

You are allowed to keep these tax-free profits only if you have owned and used the home as your principal residence for two out of the five years prior to the sale of the property. Although the regulations do not require continuous occupancy, the IRS specifies that your principal residence must be the home you use for the majority of time during the year. Consult your tax advisor about your personal circumstance.

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June Seebohm
Keller Williams Realty, Hilton Head Island, SC
8 Lafayette Place
Hilton Head Island, SC. 29926
843-290-2929
843-682-8111
877-877-1957
Fax: 843-681-6579
Email: June@AlwaysJune.com

June offers you a degree of personalized service rarely found among Realtors. Through a unique combination of devotion, compassion and good, old-fashioned hard work June has established an excellent reputation among, not only her clients but her peers as well. June is originally from Northern Ireland and has moved many times in the UK and US so she understand very well the kind of stress involved in residential sales and purchase. It's often an intense time of transition for all involved. Also her personal knowledge of building new homes and renovating homes is invaluable. Her high-tech office and staff allow immediate response to phone calls, emails and faxes. She is always "on the other end" of her cell phone. Please call her any time.