Most Confusing Parts Of The Income Tax Code, Part 1: Passive Activity Loss Rules

February 24, 2017 Shamsey Oloko Leave a comment News

Many provisions of the Internal Revenue Code are complicated. Proper interpretation of the rules and regulations contained in these provisions requires the assistance of an experienced and knowledgeable tax professional. The first part of the series about the most confusing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code addresses passive activity loss rules.

Why Is It Confusing?

Many exceptions
Understanding defined terms
Calculating losses over time is complicated and cumbersome

A passive activity is any rental activity or any business in which a taxpayer does not materially participate. Nonpassive activities include businesses in which the taxpayer works on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis. Passive income does not include wages, salaries, portfolio, or investment income.

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Tax Treatment Of Lease Terms Part 4: Lease Termination Payments From Tenant To Landlord

November 18, 2016 Shamsey Oloko Leave a comment Leases

There are many issues which landlords and tenants must negotiate in commercial leasing transactions. In the first two parts of this article, which deals with the tax treatment of important lease terms, we discussed lease inducement payments and tenant construction allowances. In this part, we will conclude our discussion of lease termination payments.

As mentioned earlier in this series of blogs, there are two types of lease termination payments: (1) payments made by the landlord to the tenant and (2) payments made by the tenant to the landlord. Part three addressed payments made by the landlord to the tenant. This final section will consider lease termination payments made by a tenant to a landlord.

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Tax Treatment Of Lease Terms Part 3: Lease Termination Payments From Landlord To Tenant

November 17, 2016 Shamsey Oloko Leave a comment Leases

There are many issues which landlords and tenants must negotiate in commercial leasing transactions. In the first two parts of this article, which deals with the tax treatment of important lease terms, we discussed lease inducement payments and tenant construction allowances. In this part, and the next, we will briefly discuss the importance of lease termination payments.

Generally, I.R.C. § 263 disallows a current deduction for amounts chargeable to capital account. The applicable Tax Regulations provide that a taxpayer must capitalize amounts paid to another party to terminate a lease of real property between the taxpayer-lessor and the lessee. However, these regulations fail to discuss whether the payment is a nondeductible capital expenditure or whether it is amortizable and, if so, for what period is it capitalized into the cost of the building?

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Passive Activities – What is A Rental Activity?

October 6, 2016 Shamsey Oloko Leave a comment Expenses Deductions, Passive Activities

There are two kinds of passive activities: trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate during the year; and rental activities, even if the taxpayer does not materially participate in them, unless the taxpayer is a real estate professional. Many taxpayers have heard the term “passive activity” in relation to a rental activity and wondered exactly what it means.

An activity is a rental activity if real or personal tangible property is used or held for use by a taxpayer and gross income or expected gross income from the activity represents amounts paid or to be paid primarily for the property’s use, whether pursuant to a lease, service contract, or other agreement.

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Real Estate Loss Deduction for Individuals

April 11, 2016 Shamsey Oloko Leave a comment Audit, Business Expenses, Capital Gains, Capital Losses, Deductions, Form 1040, Gains & Losses, Income Tax, Representation

In the last ten years, too many taxpayers have sold real estate at a loss. How does this type of loss ultimately affect the amount of taxes owed to the IRS? First, to accurately determine the amount of a loss from disposition, compare the property’s sale price to its tax basis. The tax basis is generally the original purchase price, plus the cost of improvements (but not expenses deducted as repairs and maintenance) less depreciation.

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