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Publication 225
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Property Received
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| Net increase in value of the gift |
| Amount of the gift |
The net increase in value of the gift is the FMV of the gift minus the donor's adjusted basis. The amount of the gift is its value for gift tax purposes after reduction by any annual exclusion and marital or charitable deduction that applies to the gift. For information on the gift tax, see Publication 950, Introduction to Estate and Gift Taxes.
Example. In 2002, you received a gift of property from your mother that had an FMV of $50,000. Her adjusted basis was $20,000. The amount of the gift for gift tax purposes was $39,000 ($50,000 minus the $11,000 annual exclusion). She paid a gift tax of $9,000. Your basis, $26,930, is figured as follows:
| Fair market value | $50,000 |
| Minus: Adjusted basis | - 20,000 |
| Net increase in value | $30,000 |
| Gift tax paid | $9,000 |
| Multiplied by ($30,000 ÷ $39,000) | × .77 |
| Gift tax due to net increase in value | $6,930 |
| Adjusted basis of property to your mother | +20,000 |
| Your basis in the property | $26,930 |
FMV less than donor's adjusted basis. 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 a loss when you dispose of the property. Your basis for figuring gain is the donor's adjusted basis plus or minus any required adjustment to basis while you held the property. Your basis for figuring loss is its FMV when you received the gift plus or minus any required adjustment to basis while you held the property. (See Adjusted Basis, earlier.)
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 gain nor loss on the sale or other disposition of the property.
Example. You received farm land as a gift from your parents when they retired from farming. At the time of the gift, the land had an FMV of $80,000. Your parents' adjusted basis was $100,000. After you received the land, no events occurred that would increase or decrease your basis.
If you sell the land for $120,000, you will have a $20,000 gain because you must use the donor's adjusted basis at the time of the gift ($100,000) as your basis to figure a gain. If you sell the land for $70,000, you will have a $10,000 loss because you must use the FMV at the time of the gift ($80,000) as your basis to figure a loss.
If the sales price is between $80,000 and $100,000, you have neither gain nor loss. For instance, if the sales price was $90,000 and you tried to figure a gain using the donor's adjusted basis ($100,000), you would get a $10,000 loss. If you then tried to figure a loss using the FMV ($80,000), you would get a $10,000 gain.
Business property. If you hold the gift as business property, your basis for figuring any depreciation, depletion, or amortization deductions is the same as the donor's adjusted basis plus or minus any required adjustments to basis while you hold the property.
The basis of property transferred to you or transferred in trust for your benefit by your spouse is the same as your spouse's adjusted basis. The same rule applies to a transfer by your former spouse if the transfer is incident to divorce. However, adjust your basis for any gain recognized by your spouse or former spouse on property transferred in trust. This rule applies only to a transfer of property in trust in which the liabilities assumed plus the liabilities to which the property is subject are more than the adjusted basis of the property transferred.
The transferor must give you records needed to determine the adjusted basis and holding period of the property as of the date of the transfer.
For more information, see Property Settlements in Publication 504, Divorced or Separated Individuals.
Your basis in property you inherit is generally one of the following.
If a federal estate tax return does not have to be filed, your basis in the inherited property is its appraised value at the date of death for state inheritance or transmission taxes.
Special use valuation. Under certain conditions, when a person dies, the executor or personal representative of that person's estate may choose to value the qualified real property at other than its FMV. If so, the executor or personal representative values the qualified real property based on its use as a farm or other closely held business. If the executor or personal representative chooses this method of valuation for estate tax purposes, this value is the basis of the property for the heirs. The qualified heirs should be able to get the necessary value from the executor or personal representative of the estate.
If you are a qualified heir who received special-use valuation property, increase your basis by any gain recognized by the estate or trust because of post-death appreciation. Post-death appreciation is the property's FMV on the date of distribution minus the property's FMV either on the date of the individual's death or on the alternate valuation date. Figure all FMVs without regard to the special-use valuation.
You may be liable for the additional estate tax if, within 10 years after the death of the decedent, you transfer the property or the property stops being used as a farm. This tax may apply if you dispose of the property in a like-kind exchange or involuntary conversion. The tax does not apply if you transfer the property to a member of your family and certain requirements are met. See Form 706-A and its instructions for more information on this tax.
You can elect to increase your basis in special-use valuation property if it becomes subject to the additional estate tax. To increase your basis, you must make an irrevocable election and pay interest on the additional estate tax figured from the date 9 months after the decedent's death until the date of payment of the additional estate tax. If you meet these requirements, increase your basis in the property to its FMV on the date of the decedent's death or the alternate valuation date. The increase in your basis is considered to have occurred immediately before the event that resulted in the additional estate tax.
You make the election by filing with Form 706-A, a statement that does all the following.
Community property. In community property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), husband and wife are each usually considered to own half the community property. When either spouse dies, the total value of the community property, even the part belonging to the surviving spouse, generally becomes the basis of the entire property. For this rule to apply, at least half the value of the community property interest must be includible in the decedent's gross estate, whether or not the estate must file a return.
Example. You and your spouse owned community property that had a basis of $80,000. When your spouse died, half the FMV of the community interest was includible in your spouse's estate. The FMV of the community interest was $100,000. The basis of your half of the property after the death of your spouse is $50,000 (half of the $100,000 FMV). The basis of the other half to your spouse's heirs is also $50,000.
For more information about community property, see Publication 555, Community Property.
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