land for sale agents

Land for Sale in UK - Self Build Home Information Land for Sale UK - Self Build Self Build Land - Welcome! What kind of land buyer are you? In our recent market research, the conclusion was reached that the people visiting our site can be categorised into two main groups. We gave these groups the titles "Land Investors" and "Self Builders". In order to better cater for your particular needs we urge you to read on and decide which category you fall into. Land Investors "Land Investors" are people looking for a good return in the medium to long term. People looking to enter this market can do so for an investment of as little as £10,000 and could walk away with £100,000. The reason for this massive increase of value is dependant upon planning permission being acquired. Land investors buy a plot of land for around £10,000 without any planning permission, and should planning permission be gained the government states that it is normal to get development gains of 300%. The reason why not everyone invests this way is that planning permission is not guaranteed for any bit of land. The best chances of getting planning permission lie with open field plots next to existing housing developments in areas of high housing needs. As plots in such good locations like this are hard to come by we recommend you use an agent that specialises in these high potential plots, such as investment land for sale agents PropertySpy , as we are focused on the self builder market. Self Builders "Self Builders" are people looking for land that already has outline planning permission. The two reasons behind this are that either a particular individual wants to build a house for themselves to their specifications within two years, or they are interested in making a smaller profit in a short time period. A self builder will typically pay from £100,000 for a plot of land with outline planning permission. On top of the initial land investment, the cost of designing and building the house will fall to the self builder. It is important to see that if your motives behind self building are financial that profit is in no way guaranteed in fact a loss may even be made. If, for example, the cost of building overran, or the work took longer than expected, the cost would still fall to the self builder. It is not uncommon for a project to cost £280,000 but the property at the end of it to only be worth £240,000. The self builder looking to create the dream home to whom making a profit would just be incidental is really the perfect candidate for this site and so if you feel that this is you please read on. Those people looking for a profit are best land investing where you gain an asset which you do not need to risk vast amounts of capital on to see either a tiny percentage profit or indeed a loss. As a self build enthusiast with years of experience in sourcing land for self build, I decided it was time to write a small internet site to help fellow self build enthusiasts address the difficult problem of finding a residential plots of land for sale UK. Self builds have grown from 2,000 houses in 1978 to 15,000 in 1999. I believe that they could grow to 40,000 per year if so many were not put off at the first (and highest) hurdle – that of finding a building plots of land for sale. I do not claim to know everything about self build land UK – but I have many years experience. I hope that my advice will help you in buying that plot of land where you intend to build your dream house. Deciding to self build you home is an intimidating prospect. Hopefully this site will help you in finding that plot of land that you scan look to build your house on in the years ahead. The recent prestigious Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on the state of UK self build housing states "Finding and buying the right plot is generally regarded as the most important barrier faced by self-builders". Having advised and helped many people looking to identify land on which to self build homes I am often asked why do people consider self building their house? The simple answer is that for a small bit of planning on your behalf you can save so much money that you can afford to build your dream home! It is a fact that almost all self build homes are detached, and most have four bedrooms. For a bit of forward planning would you like to be able to afford a detached, 4-bedroom brand new house, built to your design and your specifications? With questions like this it is surprising that only 8.3% of new houses built in 1999 were self build houses in UK. In the other 91.7% of new houses we let the Developers make the profit from organising the house building. You have to say that the English are a generous people! Whilst there is now a good deal of support for the financing, planning and building of the self build house, there is still little help for the self builder in identifying and buying the right plot of land. The price of the plots of land for sale in UK is the largest single cost of the self-build and can vary wildly. Whilst the average South East price for a self build plot in early 2000 was over 100,000 it is still now possible to buy a self build plot in the South East for around 15,000 if you are prepared to wait a little longer for planning permission to be granted. Time and patience is something that all self builders must have in abundance! The Self Build idea is also evolving all the time. One of the latest ideas is for like-minded self builders to buy adjoining plots of land and then apply for planning permission en mass, often with the help of a communally funded professional planning consultant. This new idea has had most success in London and the South East where Land for sale is hardest to source because the overcrowding and the large profits on offer for House builders. < return to Top of page Useful Self Build Links Finding Self Build Land and Building Land for Sale Plot Browser - 01283 742 970 PropertySpy plc - 0845 123 6444 Want to sell your land? Click here to sell your land Self Build News Display All News Articles > Latest News Articles Investment land gains planning St Albans Greenbelt Development Increasing threat to green belt Green light for greenbelt pub Large-scale developments Luxury Housing Tees Off! Land near Luton Airport One million more homeowners Joseph Rowntree Foundation Self Build Report Future Housing Needs Report More Self Build Information Places to find Self Build Land Land Agents & Self Build Land The Self Build Market Why do people Self Build? The barriers to Self Build Greenbelt Land An overview of Self Build Housing Self Build Information Self Build Useful Links Home Douglas Montague Self Build Consultant

Sell House

House prices - setting the value Geta Free Home Valuation Now Setting the Price on Your Home Along with location and condition, the pricing of a house is a major component of the reasonswhy a house will--or will not--sell quickly. Although the pricing should not be dealt with lightly, some sellershave a tendency to put too much emphasis on the price and not enough on the condition, ending up with a house thatis overpriced for its current condition and the overall market. Even if you find an unaware buyer that appearswilling to pay the high price, when the buyer applies for a mortgage, the chances are good that the lender's appraisalwill force the price back down to market value. It's important to get it right the first time Care and time should be taken when establishing the original listingprice for several reasons: 1) If the houseis overpriced, it won't sell. If it doesn't sell and sits on the market the listing quickly becomes stale. 2) If you overpricethe house with the intention of reducing the price later just to "see what the market will bear", whenthe price of the house is lowered, it signals to buyers that it was (and still may be) overpriced. 3) If the houseis underpriced, it most likely will sell quickly--to the detriment of your net proceeds. Some factors that affect the price of a home 1) Location: Youcan't get away from this one. If your house is located in a desirable area that is in demand, you will be ableto get a higher price than you can for the same house in a less desirable area. 2) Condition: A house that has been better maintained and shows better will always sell for more than one that has had deferred(neglected) maintenance and needs work. 3 ) Desirable amenities: If a house has amenities that are currently popular in the marketplace, it will bring a higher price. Methods of setting the price CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) :A comparison of similar properties in the same general area that compares actual sold prices. A Real Estate Agentcan generate a CMA, or in many cases you can do it on your own. HomePrice.net gathers data on properties in the majority of U.S. states. Some of the informationyou'll see includes address, sale date, price and square footage for up to 30 comparable properties. Click herefor more information . HomeGain: If you're thinkingabout selling your home in the next 12 months, this FREE service is designed to help you get an estimate of yourhome's value. Knowing how much your home can be worth is one of the first steps in beginning to market the property. Clickhere for more information Electronic Appraiser Enter your property address and receive a home sales valuation report. Known to the Real Estate Appraisal industryas a Automated Valuation Model (AVM). Traditional Appraisal: A estimated valuation is placed specifically on your house by a professionalappraiser. An appraisal will take into account location, condition and sale prices of comparable properties inthe neighborhood. RELATED TOPICS CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) Appraisals Evaluation and Feedback HOME | Checklist | To-Do Lists | Set a Value | By Owner | With an Agent | Preparation | Showtime | Research | More Links

Denver Real Estate

Denver real estate; temporary housing Denver Relocation Package Relocation buyers need extra help, learning about the area, schools, drive times and finding the best neighborhood to suit your lifestyle isn't easy. I can assist you with a relocation package relevant to your needs. [ Click Here for More ] Search Denver MLS Personalize your search and have results delivered to your inbox daily. This HomeFinder service is the most popular of all. [ Click Here for More ] House Hunting What to expect, how long will it take and what to bring. [ Click Here for More ] Cost of Living Comparison Check out the cost of living in Denver vs. your city. [ Click Here for More ] Denver Growth Past, present and future good growth news, see for yourself. [ Click Here for More ] Denver Climate Bring an umbrella if you want, but most of us don't own one! [ Click Here for More ] Moving Check List Stress-free moves require planning, use this list. [ Click Here for More ] Relocating Your Pet Don't forget Tabby and Fido, they deserve attention too! [ Click Here for More ] Temporary Housing In the event it is not possible to purchase and make one move to your new home, temporary housing is available in the Denver metro area. Most of these facilities specialize in short term housing, offeringfurnished rooms, condominiums and apartments, complete with fully appointed kitchens for youcomfort and convenience. AvenueWest Specializes in privately owned customized furnished lofts, condos and homes to service your temporary housing needs.Through the years AvenueWest has worked with Executive Travelers, Relocating Families, Displaced Homeowners/InsuranceClaims, Theatre Performers and Professional Athletes to list just a few categories. Please call Geri Gulesian at 303.825.7628 ext 208 or toll free 877.944.8283 303-850-9486 A Summit Executive Inns Serving DTC, Lonetree, SE Denver, Highlands Ranch, Federal Center, Lakewood, Golden, Denver West 888-208-9103 toll free or 303-771-8955 Corporate Housing Solutions Offering uniquely furnished apartments and condominiums for temporary living, 30 day minimum required.Specializing in the Denver metro area. 720-493-5335 Kristal Kraft , ABR, CIPS, CRS Licensed real estate broker selling Colorado Since 1984 The Berkshire Group Realtors, Inc. 3801 E. Florida Ave, Suite 502, Denver, Colorado U.S.A. 80210 800-319-7738 toll free | 303-589-2022 direct | 720-554-7961 fax E-mail: Kristal Kraft, Realtor 1998-2005, © Reflective Motion Inc. | Privacy Policy | Site Credits | Disclaimer | Site Map ~2 ~3 ~4 Denver Relocation | Buy a Home In Denver | Sell a Home in Denver | Denver Map | Denver Neighborhood Profiles | Denver Sales Statistics | International Real Estate | A Bio | My Favorite Places | Real Estate Resources Denver Loft Homes | The Berkshire Group | Buy and Sell Denver | We Sell Denver | Denver Colorado Real Estate | Denver Blog

Buy House

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Home For Sale

Frequently Asked Questions - 10. Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home Home | Contact IRS | About IRS | Site Map | Español | Help Advanced Search Search Tips IRS Resources Compliance & Enforcement Contact My Local Office e-file Forms and Publications Frequently Asked Questions News Taxpayer Advocacy Where To File 10.1 Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home: Property (Basis, Sale of Home, etc.) What is the basis of property received as a gift? To figure the basis of property you get as a gift, you must know its adjusted basis to the donor just before it was given to you. You also must know its fair market value (FMV) at the time it was given to you. If the FMV of the property at the time of the gift is less than the donor's adjusted basis, your basis depends on whether you have a gain or loss when you dispose of the property. Your basis for figuring gain is the same as the donor's adjusted basis, plus or minus any required adjustments to basis while you held the property. Your basis for figuring a loss is the FMV of the property when you received the gift, plus or minus any required adjustments to basis while you held the property. See Adjusted Basis in Publication 551 , Basis of Assets . If you use the donor's adjusted basis for figuring a gain and get a loss, and then use the FMV for figuring a loss and get a gain, you have neither a gain or loss on the sale or disposition of the property. If the FMV is equal to or greater than the donor's adjusted basis, your basis is the donor's adjusted basis at the time you received the gift. Increase your basis by all or part of any gift tax paid, depending on the date of the gift. Also, for figuring gain or loss, you must increase or decrease your basis by any required adjustments to basis while you held the property. See Adjusted Basis in Publication 551, Basis of Assets. If you received a gift before 1977, increase your basis in the gift (the donor's adjusted basis) by any gift tax paid on it. However, do not increase your basis above the FMV of the gift at the time it was given to you. If you received a gift after 1976, increase your basis by the part of the gift tax paid on it that is due to the net increase in value of the gift. Figure the increase to basis by multiplying the gift tax paid by the following fraction. The numerator of the fraction is the net increase in value of the gift and the denominator is the amount of the gift. The net increase in value of the gift is the FMV of the gift less the donor's adjusted basis. The amount of the gift is its value for gift tax purposes, after reduction by any annual exclusion and any marital or charitable deduction that applies to the gift. For more information on the gift tax, please see Publication 950 , Introduction to Estate and Gift Taxes . For additional information on this subject see Gifts . References: Publication 551 , Basis of Assets Publication 950 , Introduction to Estate and Taxes I have investment property. Can you explain the term basis of assets? Basis is your investment in property for tax purposes. Before you can figure any gain or loss on a sale, exchange, or other disposition of property, or figure allowable depreciation, you must determine the adjusted basis. Adjusted basis is the result of increasing or decreasing your original basis according to certain events. Your original basis is usually your cost to acquire the asset. Increases to basis include but are not limited to: . Improvements having a useful life of more than a year . Assessments for local improvements . Sales tax . The cost of extending utilities lines to the property . Legal fees such as the cost of defending or perfecting title . Zoning costs Decreases to basis include but are not limited to: . Depreciation . Nontaxable corporate distributions . Casualty and theft losses . Easements . Rebates from the manufacturer or seller Additional information on basis can be found in Publication 551 , Basis of Assets, or Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets . References: Publication 551 , Basis of Assets Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets I sold my principal residence this year. What form do I need to file? If you meet the ownership and use tests, you will generally only need to report the sale of your home if your gain exceeds a certain dollar prescribed by law. To determine the amount of gain that can be excluded from income refer to Publication 523 Selling Your Home You may be entitled to exclude gain from income if during the 5-year period ending on the date of the sale, you must have: Owned the home for at least 2 years (the ownership test), and Lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 years (the use test). If you owned and lived in the property as your main home for less than 2 years, you may still be able to claim an exclusion in some cases. If you are required or choose to report a gain, it is reported on Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF) , Capital Gains and Losses . If you were on qualified extended duty in the U.S. Armed Services or the Foreign Service you may suspend the five-year test period for up to 10 years. You are on qualified extended duty when the extended duty lasts for more than 90 days or for an indefinite period AND: At a duty station that is at least 50 miles from the residence sold, or When residing under orders in government housing. This change applies to home sales after May 6, 1997. You may use this provision for only one property at a time and one sale every two years. For additional information on selling your home, refer to Publication 523 , Selling Your Home . References: Publication 523 , Selling Your Home Tax Topic 701 , Sale of your Home - after May 6, 1997 Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets If I sell my home and use the money I receive to pay off the mortgage, do I have to pay taxes on that money? It is not the money you receive for the sale of your home, but the amount of gain on the sale over your cost, or basis, that determines whether you will have to include any proceeds as taxable income on your return. You may be able to exclude any gain from income up to a maximum dollar limit. If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return. To determine the maximum dollar limit you can exclude or for additional information on selling your home, refer to Publication 523 , Selling Your Home . References: Publication 523 , Selling Your Home Tax Topic 701 , Sale of your Home - after May 6, 1997 Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets If I take the exclusion of capital gain tax on the sale of my old home this year, can I also take the exclusion again if I sell my new home in the future? With the exception of the 2-year waiting period, there is no limit on the number of times you can exclude the gain on the sale of your principle residence so long as you meet the ownership and use tests. References: Publication 523 , Selling Your Home Tax Topic 701 , Sale of Your Home - after May 6, 1997 Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets I lived in a home as my principal residence for the first 2 of the last 5 years. For the last 3 years, the home was a rental property before selling it. Can I still avoid the capital gains tax and, if so, how should I deal with the depreciation I took while it was rented out? If, during the 5-year period ending on the date of sale, you owned the home for at least 2 years and lived in it as your main home for at least 2 years, you can exclude up to the maximum dollar limit. However, you cannot exclude the portion of the gain equal to depreciation allowed or allowable for periods after May 6, 1997. This gain is reported on Form 4797. If you can show by adequate records or other evidence that the depreciation allowed was less than the amount allowable, the amount you cannot exclude is the amount allowed. Refer to Publication 523 , Selling Your Home and Form 4797 (PDF), Sale of Business Property for specifics on calculating and reporting the amount of gain. References: Publication 523 , Selling Your Home Publication 527 , Residential Rental Property Publication 587 , Business Use of Your Home Form 4797 (PDF), Sale of Business Property How do you report the sale of a second residence? Your second home is considered a capital asset. Use Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF) to report sales, exchanges, and other dispositions of capital assets. References: Publication 544 , Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets Tax Topic 703 , Basis of Assets Tax Topic 409 , Capital Gains and Losses 10.2 Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home: Stocks (Options, Splits, Traders) How do I figure the cost basis of stock that has split, giving me more of the same stock, so I can figure my capital gain (or loss) on the sale of the stock? When the old stock and the new stock are identical the basis of the old shares must be allocated to the old and new shares. Thus, you generally divide the adjusted basis of the old stock by the number of shares of old and new stock. The result is your new basis per share of stock. If the old shares were purchased in separate lots for differing amounts of money, the adjusted basis of the old stock must be allocated between the old and new stock on a lot by lot basis. References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Tax Topic 409 , Capital Gains and Losses How do I figure the cost basis when the stocks I'm selling were purchased at various times and at different prices? If you can identify which shares of stock you sold, your basis is what you paid for the shares sold (plus sales commissions). If you sell a block of the same kind of stock, you can report all the shares sold at the same time as one sale, writing VARIOUS in the "date acquired" column of Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF). However, what you enter into the "cost or other basis" column is the total of all the acquisition costs of the shares sold. If you cannot adequately identify the shares you sold and you bought the shares at various times for different prices, the basis of the stock sold is the basis of the shares you acquired first (first-in first-out). Except for certain mutual fund shares, you cannot use the average price per share to figure gain or loss on the sale of stock. For more information, refer to Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses . References: Publication 525 , Taxable and Nontaxable Income Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Tax Topic 409 , Capital Gains and Losses Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF) How do we show on our tax form where dividends are reinvested? Some corporations allow investors to choose to use their dividends to buy more shares of stock in the corporation instead of receiving the dividends in cash. If you are a member of this type of plan, you must report the fair market value on the dividend payment date of the dividends that are reinvested as income on your tax return. You do not actually show that the dividends were reinvested on your return. Keep good records of the dollar amount of the reinvested dividends, the number of additional shares purchased, and the purchase dates. You will need this information when you sell the shares. Report the dividends that were reinvested with your other dividends, if any, on Form 1040 (PDF) or Form 1040A (PDF). If your total income from ordinary dividends exceeds a dollar amount set by law, you also must file either Form 1040, Schedule B (PDF) or Form 1040A, Schedule 1 (PDF). For more information on this and other types of dividend reinvestment plans, refer to Ordinary Dividends in Chapter 1 of Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses . References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Form 1040, Schedule B (PDF) Tax Topic 404 , Dividends How do I compute the basis for stock I sold, when I received the stock over several years through a dividend reinvestment plan? The basis of the stock you sold is the cost of the shares plus any adjustments, such as sales commissions. If you have not kept detailed records of your dividend reinvestments, you may be able to reconstruct those records with the help of public records from sources such as the media, your broker, or the company that issued the dividends. If you cannot specifically identify which shares were sold, you must use the first-in first-out rule. This means that you deem that you sold the oldest shares first, then the next oldest, then the next-to-the-next oldest, until you have accounted for the number of shares in the sale. In order to establish the basis of these shares, you need to have kept adequate documentation of all your purchases, including those that were through the dividend reinvestment plan. You may not use an average cost basis. Only mutual fund shares may have an average cost basis. Refer to Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses, and Publication 551 , Basis of Assets . References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Publication 551 , Basis of Assets Tax Topic 404 , Dividends How do I report participation in a qualified employee stock purchase plan on my tax return? If you participated in a qualified employee stock purchase plan, you do not include any amount in your gross income as a result of the grant or exercise of your option to purchase stock. When you sell the stock that you purchased by exercising the option, you may have to report compensation and capital gain or capital loss. For additional information on tax treatment and holding period requirements, refer to Publication 525 , Taxable and Nontaxable Income . References: Publication 525 , Taxable and Nontaxable Income I purchased stock from my employer under a qualified employee stock purchase plan. Now I have received a Form 1099-B from selling it. How do I report this? If the special holding period requirements are met, generally treat gain or loss from the sale of the stock as capital gain or loss. However, you may have compensation income if: The option price of the stock was below the stock's fair market value at the time the option was granted, or You did not meet the holding period requirement. The holding period requirements is that you must hold the stock for more than 2 years from the time the option is granted to you and for more than 1 year from when the stock was transferred to you. If you do not meet these holding period requirements, there is a disqualifying disposition of the stock. The compensation income that you should report in the year of the disqualifying disposition is the excess of the fair market value of the stock on the date the stock was transferred to you less the amount paid for the shares. If the holding period requirements are met, but the option price is below the fair market value of the stock at the time the option was granted, you report the discount as compensation income (wages) when you sell the stock. Generally, this compensation income is the lesser of the excess of the fair market value of the stock on the date of the disposition less the exercise price OR the excess of the fair market value of the stock at the time the option was granted less the exercise price. If the holding period requirement are met and your gain is more than the amount you report as compensation income, the remainder is a capital gain reported on Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF). If you sell the stock for less than the amount you paid for it, your loss is a capital loss, and you do not have ordinary income. For more information, refer to Publication 525 , Taxable and Nontaxable Income , and Publication 551 , Basis of Assets. References: Publication 525 , Taxable and Nontaxable Income Publication 551 , Basis of Assets Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF), Capital Gains and Losses Should I advise the IRS why amounts reported on Form 1099-B do not agree with my Schedule D for proceeds from short sales of stock not closed by the end of year? If you are able to defer the reporting of gain or loss until the year the short sale closes, there are certain notations you can make on your Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF) that will allow you to reconcile your Forms 1099-B to your Schedule D and still not recognize the gain or loss from the short sale. You will also need to attach a statement explaining the details of your short sale and that it has not closed as of the end of the year. Include your name as it appears on the return and your social security number. For more on these rules and exceptions that may apply, refer to Chapter 4 of Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses . References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Tax Topic 409 , Capital gains and losses Do I need to pay taxes on that portion of stock I gained as a result of a split? No, you generally do not need to pay tax on the additional shares of stock you received due to the stock split. You will need to adjust your per share cost of the stock. Your overall cost basis has not changed, but your per share cost has changed. You will have to pay taxes if you have gain when you sell the stock. Gain is the amount of the proceeds from the sale, minus sales commissions, that exceeds the adjusted basis of the stock sold. References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses Tax Topic 409 , Capital gains and losses 10.3 Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home: Mutual Funds (Costs, Distributions, etc.) I have both purchased and sold shares in a money-market mutual fund. The fund is managed so the share price is constant. All gain is reported as dividends. Do I have to report the sale of these shares? Yes, you report the sale of your shares on Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF), Capital Gains and Losses . Generally, whenever you sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of a capital asset, you report it on Schedule D. If the share price were constant, you would have neither a gain nor a loss when you sell shares because you are selling the shares for the same price you purchased them. If you actually owned shares that were later sold, the fund or the broker should have issued a Form 1099-B There is no requirement with that form that there be gain or loss on the sale, only a sale or exchange of an investment asset and sales proceeds. References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions How do return of principal payments affect my cost basis when I sell mutual funds? A return of principal (or return of capital) reduces your basis in your mutual fund shares. Unlike a dividend or a capital gain distribution, a return of capital is a return of part of your investment (cost). However, basis cannot be reduced below zero. Once your basis reaches zero, any return of principal is capital gain and must be reported on Form 1040 Schedule D (PDF), Capital Gains and Losses . References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions How do I calculate the average basis for the sale of mutual fund shares? In order to figure your gain or loss using an average basis, you must have acquired the shares at various times and prices and have left them on deposit in a managed account. There are two average basis methods: Single-category method, and Double-category method. Single-category method. First, add up the cost of all the shares you own in the mutual fund. Divide that result by the total number of shares you own. This gives you your average per share. Multiply that number by the number of shares sold. Double-category method. First, divide your shares into two categories, long-term and short-term. Then use the steps above to get an average basis for each category. The average basis for that category is then the basis of each share in the sale from that category. Once you elect to use an average basis method, you must continue to use it for all accounts in the same fund. You must clearly identify on your tax return the average basis method that you have elected to use. You do this identification by including "AVGB" in column (a) of Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF) . Refer to Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions, Sales, Exchanges and Redemptions . References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions Form 1040, Schedule D Instructions If I used an average basis method for shares of one mutual fund I sold, do I have to use it for all mutual funds I sell? No, you may use a different method, as long as you have not used an average basis method for that fund previously. Once you have elected to use an average basis method to compute the gain or loss on shares in a mutual fund, you must use that same method for the sale of shares from any account in that same fund. References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions How do I calculate the average cost method of a mutual fund if the fund price splits? If your mutual fund splits, or adjusts its price, it is treated like a stock split. Your total basis doesn't change after the split, but since you now own more shares without paying any more money, your per-share basis will decrease. To calculate your per-share basis, divide the total cost that you have invested in the fund (minus any shares previously sold) by the current number of shares that you hold. References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions I received a 1099-DIV showing a capital gain. Why do I have to report capital gains from my mutual funds if I never sold any shares? A mutual fund is a regulated investment company that pools funds of investors allowing them to take advantage of a diversity of investments and professional asset management. You own shares in the fund, but the fund owns assets such as shares of stock, corporate bonds, government obligations, etc. One of the ways the fund makes money for its investors is to sell these assets at a gain. If the asset was held by the mutual fund for more than one year, the nature of the income is capital gain, which gets passed on to you. These are called capital gain distributions, which are distinguished on Form 1099-DIV (PDF) , from income that is from other profits, called ordinary dividends. Capital gains distribution are taxed as long term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned the shares in the mutual fund. If your capital gains distribution is automatically reinvested, the reinvested amount is the basis of the additional shares purchased. References: Publication 564 , Mutual Fund Distributions 10.4 Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home: Losses (Homes, Stocks, Other Property) Is the loss on the sale of your home deductible? The loss on the sale of a personal residence is a nondeductible personal loss. References: Publication 523 , Selling Your Home Tax Topic 409 , Capital gains and losses I own stock which became worthless last year. Can I take a bad debt deduction on my tax return? If you own securities and they become totally worthless, you can take a deduction for a loss, but not for a bad debt. The worthless securities are treated as though they were capital assets sold on the last day of the tax year if they were capital assets in your hands. Report worthless securities on Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF), in Part 1 or 2 depending on whether you held the stock short term and write "Worthless." In the applicable column of Schedule D. For additional information, refer to Chapter 4 of Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses (Including Capital Gains and Losses). For more information on bad debts, refer to Tax Topic 453 , Bad Debt Deduction . References: Publication 550 , Investment Income and Expenses (Including Capital Gains and Losses) Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF), Capital Gains and Losses Tax Topic 453 , Bad Debt Deduction More Frequently Asked Tax Questions Accessibility | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act | Important Links | IRS Privacy Policy | U.S. Treasury