How does selling a rental property at a loss affect taxes?
James Olson
Updated on March 10, 2026
Generally, a loss from the sale of a principal home is not tax deductible, but once it is converted to a rental property and the value declines further after the conversion to a rental property, then the loss could be deductible when the property is sold.
What happens when you sell a rental property at a loss?
Gains from the sale of rental property are taxed as capital gains, but a loss on sale of rental property is considered an “ordinary loss.” Typically, the IRS allows you to carry forward a loss if you don’t have gains to offset that loss at year’s end, and you can claim up to $3,000 worth of losses against your other …
Are rental property losses tax deductible?
The rental real estate loss allowance allows a deduction of up to $25,000 per year in losses from rental properties. Property owners who do business through a pass-through entity may qualify for a 20% deduction under the new law.
Can you claim capital loss on sale of rental property?
If you sell capital property such as land, jewelry, securities or a range of other items at a loss, you may be able to claim a capital loss on your taxes. Capital losses from these properties have to be applied against capital gains from the same categories.
Why is my rental property loss not deductible?
Without passive income, your rental losses become suspended losses you can’t deduct until you have sufficient passive income in a future year or sell the property to an unrelated party. You may not be able to deduct such losses for years. In short, your rental losses will be useless without offsetting passive income.
How many years can you take a loss on rental property?
What about depreciation write-offs? For many rental property owners, the tax-saving bonus is the fact that you can depreciate the cost of residential buildings over 27.5 years, even while they are (you hope) increasing in value.
Why is my rental loss not deductible?
How many years can you claim a loss on rental property?
How do I claim a loss on my rental property?
You will report your property losses, along with your rental income, on Form 1040 Schedule E, then transfer the information to Line 17 Form 1040 Schedule 1. You’ll only be able to claim rental property losses against other passive income, like rental property income.
What’s the tax loss on selling a rental property?
As an example, you convert your residence into a rental when the property’s cost basis is $350,000, and its FMV is $250,000. Later, you sell it for $210,000 after claiming $15,000 in depreciation write-offs. For tax loss purposes, your tax basis is $235,000 ($250,000 FMV on conversion date minus $15,000 depreciation = $235,000).
Can a rental property be a loss in TurboTax?
TurboTax can help you track your tax basis for your properties. Let’s assume you do expect a tax loss from selling a rental property you’ve owned for more than a year. That loss will be a Section 1231 loss—which can be a good kind of loss to have. Here’s why.
How can I reduce capital gains on my rental property?
There are various methods of reducing capital gains tax, including tax-loss harvesting, using Section 1031 of the tax code, and converting your rental property into your primary place of residence.
Can You claim loss on sale of personal property on taxes?
Converting a personal residence into rental property. Losses from selling a personal residence are not deductible. Generally, you can only claim tax losses for sales of property used for business or investment purposes.