• Landlord Taxes

How Depreciation Recapture Works When Selling a Rental Property

January 2, 2025 7 min read

A Landlord's Guide To Depreciation Recapture

Depreciation is one of the most valuable tools for landlords, helping reduce taxable income by reflecting the decline in value of assets over time. But what happens when you decide to sell a property, and its value has appreciated instead of depreciated? That’s where depreciation recapture comes into play.

In this article, we’ll explain how depreciation recapture works and what it means for your taxes when you sell an investment property.

What Is Depreciation Recapture?

Depreciation deductions allow you to lower your taxes by deducting the wear and tear on your property over time. However, if the value of your property increases by the time you sell, the IRS wants to “recapture” the taxes you avoided through depreciation. This is called depreciation recapture, and it affects your taxable gains from the sale.

Depreciation reflects a decline in value, but real estate often appreciates due to market conditions. While depreciation reduces taxable income during the ownership period, the IRS treats this as a tax deferral. When you sell, the recapture rules ensure that taxes are paid on the portion of gains attributable to the depreciation you’ve taken.

How Depreciation Recapture Works

When you sell a rental real estate property, depreciation applies to the portion of your gain that stems from the depreciation you’ve claimed. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the process:

1. Determine your adjusted basis. The adjusted basis is the original purchase price of the property plus any capital improvements, minus the depreciation deductions you’ve taken.
2. Calculate the gain on sale. Subtract the adjusted basis from the property’s sale price to determine your total gain.
3. Identify the recapture portion. The depreciation deductions you’ve claimed are recaptured and taxed as ordinary income, up to a maximum rate of 25%. The remainder of the gain (if any) is taxed as capital gains, which typically have lower rates.

A Simple Example of Depreciation Recapture

Let’s say you purchased a rental property for $200,000 and took $50,000 in depreciation deductions over the years. If you sell the property for $300,000, your adjusted basis is:

$200,000 (purchase price) — $50,000 (depreciation) = $150,000 (adjusted basis)

Your total gain on the sale is:

$300,000 (sale price) — $150,000 (adjusted basis) = $150,000 (total gain)

Of that $150,000 gain:

• $50,000 (the depreciation you took) is taxed as ordinary income at a rate of up to 25%.
• The remaining $100,000 is taxed as long-term capital gains, typically at a lower rate.

Other Key Considerations for Depreciation Recapture

As is often the case when it comes to real estate taxes, things can get complex in practice. Keep the following considerations in mind as you learn about recapture:

• Recapture Applies Regardless of Market Trends: Even if your property’s value hasn’t increased significantly, depreciation recapture will still apply to the amount of annual depreciation expense you’ve claimed.
• Plan for Taxes: Depreciation recapture can create a significant tax liability when selling a property. Work with a tax professional to estimate and plan for these taxes.
• 1031 Exchanges Can Defer Taxes: If you reinvest the proceeds from the sale into a similar property using a 1031 exchange, you can defer both depreciation recapture and capital gains taxes.

Determining the Adjusted Cost Basis

When managing rental properties, understanding the adjusted cost basis is critical, especially when it’s time to sell. The adjusted cost basis reflects the property’s value after accounting for improvements, losses, and depreciation. This figure is essential for calculating your taxable profit, making it a cornerstone of property tax planning.

Let’s explore how the adjusted cost basis works, why it matters, and how depreciation impacts your tax obligations.

What is the Adjusted Cost Basis?

When you purchase a property, the cost basis is the starting value assigned to the asset for tax purposes. Over time, this cost basis changes to reflect the property’s true value as you make improvements, experience losses, or claim depreciation. The new value is called the adjusted cost basis, and it is the figure used by the IRS to calculate your taxable gain or loss when the property is sold.

Factors That Impact the Adjusted Cost Basis

Certain expenses that increase the property’s value can raise your cost basis.

Additions to the Cost Basis:

• Major improvements, such as installing a new HVAC system or adding a sunroom.
• Restorations, like repairing substantial structural damage.
• Utility service extensions, such as adding a new water line.

Subtractions from the Cost Basis

• Casualty losses not covered by insurance (e.g., storm damage).
• Depreciation deductions, which are the most significant and complex subtractions.

Why the Adjusted Cost Basis Matters

When you sell a property, the IRS doesn’t base your taxable profit on the purchase price alone. Instead, it uses the adjusted cost basis in the following formula:

Profit = Sales Price – Adjusted Cost Basis

Here’s why this is important:

• A higher adjusted basis reduces your profit, meaning you’ll pay less in taxes.
• A lower adjusted basis increases your profit, resulting in higher taxes.

Adjustments to the cost basis, particularly depreciation, significantly influence your taxable profit.

Special Circumstances for Property Sales Taxes

When selling an investment property, most transactions follow standard tax rules, including capital gains, taxes and depreciation recapture tax rate. However, certain exceptions, such as Like-Kind Exchanges and the Home Sale Exclusion, can alter how taxes are applied, offering significant benefits to property owners.

Like-Kind Exchanges

A Like-Kind Exchange, also known as a 1031 exchange (from Section 1031 of the tax code), allows property owners to defer paying taxes when swapping one investment property for another of similar kind within the United States.

Key Features of Like-Kind Exchanges

1. Tax Deferral: Instead of paying taxes on the sale of your original property, taxes are postponed until you sell the new property acquired in the exchange.
2. Cost Basis Carryover: The cost basis of your original property transfers to the new property. This means your deferred taxes remain attached to the transaction and will eventually be due when the new property is sold.
3. Complex Process: Like-kind exchanges are often intricate, especially when multiple parties are involved. In many cases, a Qualified Intermediary (QI) is necessary to facilitate the transaction.

Because of their complexity, it’s crucial to work with tax professionals to ensure compliance with IRS rules and to fully understand the financial implications.

Home Sale Exclusion

The Home Sale Exclusion is a tax benefit available to property owners who sell their principal residence. This provision can substantially reduce or even eliminate the taxes owed on profits from the sale of a home.

How It Works:

• Exclusion Amounts: You can exclude up to $250,000 of profit from your taxable income (or $500,000 if married and filing jointly).
• Qualifying as a Principal Residence: The property must have been your primary home for at least two out of the five years immediately preceding the sale.

Maximizing the Home Sale Exclusion as a Landlord

Landlords who once lived in their rental property can leverage this exclusion to avoid some or all depreciation recapture taxes. Here’s how:

1. Live in the Property: Reside in the home for at least two years to establish it as your principal residence.
2. Rent It Out: After the two years, rent the property for up to three years before selling.
3. Sell Within Five Years: As long as the sale occurs within five years of moving out, the exclusion applies to the first $250,000 or ($500,000) of profit.

This strategy enables landlords to convert rental properties into principal residences, reducing their tax obligations.

Recapture and Selling Your Rental Property

Depreciation is a powerful tax benefit for landlords, but it comes with the caveat of depreciation recapture when you sell your property. Understanding how it works can help you anticipate potential tax liabilities and make informed decisions about selling or reinvesting.

With careful planning and professional guidance, you can navigate depreciation recapture and continue to build wealth through your rental property investments.