Effective November 6, 2009 a new tax credit is available for both repeat and first-time home buyers. The National Association of Home Builders’s website provides specific details.
One can qualify for a tax credit up to 10% of the purchase price of a new home (maximum credit $6500) if one has lived in one residence for five consecutive years of the last eight years.
Income limits apply. For single filers the credits phase out between $125,000 and $145,000 of modified adjusted gross income. For married couples, the phase out is between $225,000 and $245,000.
Other limits apply. The credit cannot be taken if the home is purchased from a spouse or the spouse’s lineal relatives. The person claiming the credit must use the home as a principal residence.
The new law is unclear as to whether one must sell one’s previous home to qualify for the credit.
For additional information about the new tax credits and how they affect your estate plan, contact a law office that concentrates in estate planning.