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2008 $7,500 tax credit vs.
2009 $8,000 tax credit
If you were a first-time buyer who
purchased a home after April 8, 2008 through the end of the
year, you might have realized that you could get a $7,500 tax
credit on your 2008 tax return. This is a nonrefundable tax
credit, which means that even if you don't pay $7,500 in taxes
you'll still get that much in the way of a refund, provided you
meet other qualifying details, according to Mark Luscombe,
principal analyst for the tax and accounting group at CCH.
However, the 2008 $7,500 tax credit must be paid back in $500
equal installments over 15 years, which means that this tax
credit effectively functions as a zero-interest loan. (Luscombe
said the fine print in the new law says that if the taxpayer
dies, the rest of the payback is forgiven. It's unclear whether
both homeowners have to die if the property is owned jointly --
or just one of the homeowners.)
If you chose to close on Dec. 31, 2008, rather than Jan. 2, 2009
(perhaps to be able to itemize the interest and points on your
2008 tax return), you may be kicking yourself. The recently
signed stimulus bill took the $7,500 tax credit and turned it
into an $8,000 tax credit -- one that doesn't need to be repaid,
Luscombe said.
But there are some wrinkles that require you to pay attention.
To qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, you must earn less than
$150,000 in adjusted gross income for couples filing jointly.
Also, you must stay in the house (assuming it's your primary
residence) for three years or there may be some payback
requirement, according to Luscombe. (He's unclear how the IRS
would be able to follow up, and some of the regulations and
filing requirements aren't fully explained at the moment.)
The $8,000 first-time-buyer credit is good only for homes
purchased by first-time buyers (or anyone who hasn't owned a
home in the last three years) from Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 1,
2009 -- so don't wait to close in December or you'll miss out.
Luscombe said you can elect to take the credit on your 2008
taxes. But if you bought your house in 2009, you'll be able to
get only a $7,500 tax credit. If you wait to claim the credit on
your 2009 tax return, Luscombe said you'll get the full $8,000.
"I'm not sure if Congress intended it to be written that way,
but that's the way they wrote (the law). It might make some
sense because of the way the IRS has its form," Luscombe added.
Going Green? Take a Tax Credit
The stimulus package eased requirements on energy tax credits.
The $500 lifetime tax credit for building improvements has been
increased to $1,500 for such improvements as the installation of
energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors and mechanical
systems.
In addition, you can take a 30 percent tax credit for every
dollar you spend on things like solar heaters, fuel cells and
heat pumps, Luscombe explained. The individual limits on
particular expenditures have mostly been eliminated.
Foreclosure and Short-Sale Forgiveness
For those who are going through foreclosure or a short sale,
where the house is selling for less than the amount owed on the
mortgage, the forgiven debt will not be taxed as income through
2012.
"Up to $2 million of mortgage debt on the principal residence
that has been forgiven can be excluded from income," Luscombe
explained. "Taxpayers do not have to put it on their tax form,"
even if the lender has sent an IRS Form 1099.
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