Rental investment property and your taxes

Question: I purchased a rental investment property nine years ago. Every year I have filed the rental income on my tax return. This year I sold the property. In addition to my rental income, what tax implications will I have to report? - Jared, Toronto

Answer: Hopefully, you made a profit! The real estate market has been healthy for the past several years and continues to be strong. Selling a real estate investment property will generate either a capital gain/loss and/or a recapture of income/terminal loss.

You will have a capital gain when the proceeds of the sale exceed the original cost of the property. A capital gain must be included in your personal tax return (if you own it personally) and is taxed on 50 per cent of the gains at your personal tax rate. A capital loss occurs when the cost is greater than your proceeds. The capital losses should be included on your personal return and applied against capital gains in that year. Any excess losses can be carried back three years, or carried forward indefinitely to reduce capital gains.

In calculating the capital gain/loss, determining the adjusted cost of the property is an essential factor. The adjusted cost must include not just the purchase price but also other costs incurred that had to be capitalized. As well, the proceeds of disposition are all the cost, including the selling price and adjustments pertaining to the sale of the investment.

In addition to the capital gains/losses, you may have a recapture of income. This occurs when you are taking capital cost allowance (depreciation) on the building, in any of the years that it was owned by you. The balance in this account is called the “undepreciated portion.”

A recapture of income occurs when the lesser of the proceeds and the cost of the property is higher than the undepreciated capital cost (UCC). The recapture of income is taxed in its entirety at your personal tax rate. Alternatively, a terminal loss occurs when the lesser of the proceeds and the cost of the property is less than the UCC. This terminal loss can be applied in the current year to reduce other income (such as salaries or business income). Any unused amounts can be carried back three years or carried forward.

Good record keeping is essential to calculate the correct gains and/or losses.

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