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How long live in a house for capital gains tax free -

My question is: US-specific
QUESTION: How long do you have to live in a house before selling to avoid
taxes
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david ingram replies:
Under US law, you have to have lived in the house for 24 out of the last 60
months before sale to escape tax on up to $250,000 per owner.  The profit is
still recorded on Schedule D and then an equivalent amount is deducted with
a notation that it has been deducted under Section 121.
There is an exception where you have been in the house less than 24 months.
If you have been transferred, injured, had a baby, divorced, married or had
another major situation happen that means the home is not suitable (One lady
here in Vancouver just had sextuplets for instance), you can prorate the
$250,000 per person by the number of months you did live in it.
So, (as an example) if you bought a house and moved in on April 1, 2006 and
suddenly have to sell on March 31, 2007, you would have been in the house
for 12 months.  Providing there was a valid and good reason to sell, you
would get up to 12/24 x's $250,000 or $125,000 tax free.
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