LTCG tax: How to save long-term capital gains tax (2024)

FAQs

What is a simple trick for avoiding capital gains tax? ›

A few options to legally avoid paying capital gains tax on investment property include buying your property with a retirement account, converting the property from an investment property to a primary residence, utilizing tax harvesting, and using Section 1031 of the IRS code for deferring taxes.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP): Set up an SWP to automatically redeem your mutual fund units regularly. By keeping withdrawals below Rs. 1 lakh per year, you may avoid LTCG tax altogether. Selling at the right time: For gains: Consider selling some units before your total LTCG for the year reaches Rs. 1 lakh.

Do I Pay Capital Gains if I Reinvest the Proceeds From the Sale? While you'll still be obligated to pay capital gains after reinvesting proceeds from a sale, you can defer them. Reinvesting in a similar real estate investment property defers your earnings as well as your tax liabilities.

Capital gains tax rates

A capital gains rate of 0% applies if your taxable income is less than or equal to: $44,625 for single and married filing separately; $89,250 for married filing jointly and qualifying surviving spouse; and.

Here's how it works: Taxpayers can claim a full capital gains tax exemption for their principal place of residence (PPOR). They also can claim this exemption for up to six years if they move out of their PPOR and then rent it out. There are some qualifying conditions for leaving your principal place of residence.

Since there is no age exemption to capital gains taxes, it's crucial to understand the difference between short-term and long-term capital gains so you can manage your tax planning in retirement.

Short-term capital gains are taxed at the same rate as regular income, which is higher for most taxpayers. Long-term capital losses can be used to offset future long-term capital gains.

The calculation of LTCG tax depends on the type of asset and the applicable tax rate. For equity-oriented assets like unit of equity-oriented mutual funds and shares of listed companies, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 12.5% on gains exceeding Rs. 1,25,000. Gains up to Rs. 1,25,000 are exempt from tax.

What is the cut off for long-term capital gains tax? ›

For the 2024 tax year, individual filers won't pay any capital gains tax if their total taxable income is $47,025 or less. The rate jumps to 15 percent on capital gains, if their income is $47,026 to $518,900. Above that income level the rate climbs to 20 percent.

What if I reinvest the proceeds? Buying additional stock shares with the proceeds from a stock sale will not eliminate or reduce capital gains taxes. However, if you reinvest the gain into a QOF (Qualified Opportunity Fund), you can defer the payment of capital gains taxes while you are invested in an eligible fund.

By placing investments with higher growth potential in tax-advantaged accounts, like IRAs or 401(k)s, and lower growth potential investments in taxable accounts, you can potentially minimize your capital gains tax liability. Another important strategy is adopting a long-term perspective on investments.

You can claim exemption on LTCG if you utilize it to purchase a new residential property within one year before or two years after selling the equity asset. Alternatively, use the gains to construct a new house within three years. The exemption is capped at the cost of the new property.

You will avoid capital gains tax if your profit on the sale is less than $250,000 (for single filers) or $500,000 (if you're married and filing jointly), provided it has been your primary residence for at least two of the past five years.

Since there is no age exemption to capital gains taxes, it's crucial to understand the difference between short-term and long-term capital gains so you can manage your tax planning in retirement. Short-term capital gains: Profits from the sale of assets held for one year or less.

You can avoid capital gains tax when you sell your primary residence by buying another house and using the 121 home sale exclusion. In addition, the 1031 like-kind exchange allows investors to defer taxes when they reinvest the proceeds from the sale of an investment property into another investment property.