N
The Global Insight

Are rental properties subject to capital gains tax?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on March 11, 2026

When you sell a rental property, you need to pay tax on the profit (or gain) that you realize. The IRS taxes the profit you made selling your rental property two different ways: Capital gains tax rate of 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on filing status and taxable income.

Do landlords pay capital gains tax?

Capital Gains Tax for landlords Capital Gains Tax is paid by a landlord when they sell a property. The amount they pay is based on the profit or gain in the property’s value. As such, it’s the gain that’s taxed rather than the amount that the property is sold for.

Do you have to pay capital gains tax on rental property?

This amount is doubled if you are married. For a rental property, however, the amount of capital gains taxes you have to pay depends on your personal tax bracket (see below). There is no allowance for investment properties meaning tax must be paid on all profits made after the sale of the investment property.

How are capital gains on sale of jointly owned property taxed?

In the case of long-term capital gains on sale of the jointly owned property, whether commercial or residential, each one of the co-owner shall be entitled to claim an exemption under Section 54EC, by investing the indexed capital gains up to Rs 50 lakhs.

When do you defer capital gains on a rental property?

Section 1031 of the tax code allows you to defer your taxes on the capital game, with some conditions: The deferral of capital gains taxes will occur after selling a rental property. Then, the seller can purchase a like-kind property.

Do you have to pay tax on capital gains on a primary residence?

Capital Gains Tax on Your Investment Property The IRS allows $250,000 of tax-free profit on a primary residence. What this means, in a simplified sense, is if you bought your primary residence for $300,000 in 2010, lived in it for 8 years, and then sold it in 2018 for $550,000, you wouldn’t have to pay any capital gains tax.