Capital Gains Taxes For DC Home Sellers

From The IRS

Report most sales and other capital transactions and calculate capital gain or loss on Form 8949,  sales and other dispositions of capital assets, then summarize capital gains and deductible capital losses on Form 1040 Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.

If you have a net capital gain, a lower tax rate may apply to the gain than the tax rate that applies to your ordinary income.

The term “net capital gain” means the amount by which your net long-term capital gain for the year is more than your net short-term capital loss for the year.

The term “net long-term capital gain” means long-term capital gains reduced by long-term capital losses including any unused long-term capital loss carried over from previous years.

The tax rate on most net capital gain is no higher than 15% for most taxpayers. Some or all net capital gain may be taxed at 0% if you’re in the 10% or 15% ordinary income tax brackets. However, a 20% tax rate on net capital gain applies to the extent that a taxpayer’s taxable income exceeds the thresholds set for the 39.6% ordinary tax rate ($415,050 for single; $466,950 for married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er); $441,000 for head of household, and $233,475 for married filing separately).

If you have a taxable capital gain, you may be required to make estimated tax payments.

For additional information, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, Estimated Taxes, and Do You Have to Pay Estimated Tax?

If your capital losses exceed your capital gains, the amount of the excess loss that you can claim on line 13 of Form 1040 to lower your income is the lesser of $3,000, ($1,500 if married filing separately) or your total net loss shown on line 16 of the Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF).

If your net capital loss is more than this limit, you can carry the loss forward to later years. You may use the Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet found in Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses, or in the Form 1040, Schedule D Instructions, to figure the amount you can carry forward.

Taxpayers with significant investment income may be subject to the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), imposed by section 1411 of the Internal Revenue Code. The NIIT applies at a rate of 3.8% to certain net investment income of individuals, estates and trusts that have income above the statutory threshold amounts.

For information on Survivors, Executors, and Administrators, see Topic 559.

Additional information on capital gains and losses is available in Publication 550 and Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets.

If you sell your primary residence, refer to Topics 701 and 703, and [the afore-referenced] Publication 523, Selling Your Home.

From A District of Columbia CPA

Because capital gain taxes can involve complex calculations and knowledge of the rules of law pertaining to real estate taxation, seek advice from a tax professional expert in real estate taxation. This webpage by Kronzek, Fisher & Lopez, PLLC is a helpful resource for preliminary questions and planning. It lays out many of the scenarios common to the sale of real estate:

Capital Gains Calculator

District of Columbia 2024 Tax Rates

District of Columbia Tax Rate Schedule: For tax year 2024 | No Change Posted

Source: DC Tax Rate Table, published by the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. 

Published District of Columbia income tax forms at the end of each calendar year include 2024 legislative changes to the DC tax rate or tax brackets. The information provided on this web page is for illustration purposes only. Check DC.gov for updates

2024 Federal Tax Brackets

Source: Forbes

The 2024 tax year, and the return due in 2025, will continue with these seven federal tax brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. Your filing status and taxable income, including wages, will dictate the bracket you’re in:

IRS Highlights of changes in Revenue Procedure 2023-34

The tax year 2024 adjustments described below generally apply to income tax returns filed in 2025. The tax items for tax year 2024 of greatest interest to most taxpayers include the following dollar amounts:

• The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly for tax year 2024 rises to $29,200, an increase of $1,500 from tax year 2023. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $14,600 for 2024, an increase of $750 from 2023; and for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $21,900 for tax year 2024, an increase of $1,100 from the amount for tax year 2023.
• Marginal rates: For tax year 2024, the top tax rate remains 37% for individual single taxpayers with incomes greater than $609,350 ($731,200 for married couples filing jointly).The other rates are:35% for incomes over $243,725 ($487,450 for married couples filing jointly)
  32% for incomes over $191,950 ($383,900 for married couples filing jointly)
  24% for incomes over $100,525 ($201,050 for married couples filing jointly)
  22% for incomes over $47,150 ($94,300 for married couples filing jointly)
  12% for incomes over $11,600 ($23,200 for married couples filing jointly)The lowest rate is 10% for incomes of single individuals with incomes of $11,600 or less ($23,200 for married couples filing jointly).
• The Alternative Minimum Tax exemption amount for tax year 2024 is $85,700 and begins to phase out at $609,350 ($133,300 for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption begins to phase out at $1,218,700). For comparison, the 2023 exemption amount was $81,300 and began to phase out at $578,150 ($126,500 for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption began to phase out at $1,156,300).
• The tax year 2024 maximum Earned Income Tax Credit amount is $7,830 for qualifying taxpayers who have three or more qualifying children, an increase of from $7,430 for tax year 2023. The revenue procedure contains a table providing maximum EITC amount for other categories, income thresholds and phase-outs.
• For tax year 2024, the monthly limitation for the qualified transportation fringe benefit and the monthly limitation for qualified parking increases to $315, an increase of $15 from the limit for 2023.
• For the taxable years beginning in 2024, the dollar limitation for employee salary reductions for contributions to health flexible spending arrangements increases to $3,200. For cafeteria plans that permit the carryover of unused amounts, the maximum carryover amount is $640, an increase of $30 from taxable years beginning in 2023.
• For tax year 2024, participants who have self-only coverage in a Medical Savings Account, the plan must have an annual deductible that is not less than $2,800, an increase of $150 from tax year 2023, but not more than $4,150, an increase of $200 from tax year 2023. For self-only coverage, the maximum out-of-pocket expense amount is $5,550, an increase of $250 from 2023. For tax year 2024, for family coverage, the annual deductible is not less than $5,550, an increase of $200 from tax year 2023; however, the deductible cannot be more than $8,350, an increase of $450 versus the limit for tax year 2023. For family coverage, the out-of-pocket expense limit is $10,200 for tax year 2024, an increase of $550 from tax year 2023.
• For tax year 2024, the foreign earned income exclusion is $126,500, increased from $120,000 for tax year 2023.
• Estates of decedents who die during 2024 have a basic exclusion amount of $13,610,000, increased from $12,920,000 for estates of decedents who died in 2023.
• The annual exclusion for gifts increases to $18,000 for calendar year 2024, increased from $17,000 for calendar year 2023.
• The maximum credit allowed for adoptions for tax year 2024 is the amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $16,810, increased from $15,950 for 2023.

Items unaffected by indexing

By statute, certain items that were indexed for inflation in the past are currently not adjusted.

• The personal exemption for tax year 2024 remains at 0, as it was for 2023. This elimination of the personal exemption was a provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• For 2024, as in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018, there is no limitation on itemized deductions, as that limitation was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• The modified adjusted gross income amount used by taxpayers to determine the reduction in the Lifetime Learning Credit provided in § 25A(d)(2) is not adjusted for inflation for taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2020. The Lifetime Learning Credit is phased out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income in excess of $80,000 ($160,000 for joint returns).