4 Tax Deductions Every Home Seller Needs to Know About
LOUISIANA REALTORS • May 3, 2018
April is known for a lot of different things; spring time, showers, baseball, and taxes. While the latter is the least pleasant of those three, if you sold your house last year, or are planning to sell
it this year, you could have a few extra deductions to make, which could make tax season a little brighter. Here are four tax deductions that every home seller should be aware of.
Property Taxes
Any property taxes that you paid on the home you sold or will sell, are deductible up to the time that you sold it. This deduction is capped at $10,000.
Selling Costs
Any cost associated with the sale of your home is tax deductible. Everything from legal fees, escrow fees, commissions, advertising and more can be deducted.
Home Improvement and Repairs
Making improvements and repairs
to your home before it goes on the market, or as a contingency for sale, can all be deducted from your taxes. Whether it was a room remodel, painting the house, landscaping, a new roof, or something else; as long as these improvements were made within 90 days of closing, their associated costs can be deducted.
Moving Expenses
After selling your home, it stands to reason that you likely incurred some moving costs. If you sold your home and moved as a part of your job, the cost of hiring a moving company, renting a truck, and other associated costs can be deducted from your taxes.
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These are only a few of the deductions that can help to take the sting out of next tax season. Always consult a tax professional when filing to make sure that these, or any other deductions are appropriate for your situation.
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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