Tax Laws for Second Homes In The US

Americans buying second homes can trade down to an inexpensive house and use the profit from the sale of primary property as a down payment on a second home. The rise in prices of homes in many areas has raised a huge demand for second homes which is considered an excellent investment opportunity since nowadays second home buyers are using the equity from the sale of a primary residence to purchase bigger homes.

Prior to 1997, expensive homes were brought to avoid being taxed on profits from sales, but due to changes in tax laws for second home buyers, a person through the proceeds from the sale of a residence can purchase a less expensive house.

Here are some tax laws for second homes. Reading this will be beneficial for aspiring second home buyers:

Property Taxes:

Property taxes can be deducted on your second home. The good news is that you can deduct property taxes paid on any number of houses you own which is not like the mortgage interest rule.

Mortgage interest:

Interest on mortgage is deductible if you are using your second home instead of renting it out as a business property. 100 percent interest can be written off if used the money to acquire or improve the property.

Renting the place out:

If you are renting your property, you are dealing with different tax rules. The tax laws depend on the breakdown between rental and personal use.

If you are renting your place for 14 days, no problems, even if you are charging $5000 a week; you can pocket the cash tax free. However, renting the place out for more than 14 days means reporting all rental income to the IRS. You can deduct the rental expenses. It sometimes becomes quite complex because you need to allocate costs between the time the property is used for personal purposes and the time it is rented.