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The tax experts at J.K. Lasser have answered a lot of your tax preparation questions, ranging from 1040 filing, income tax deductions and credits, self-employment taxes to tax planning for college and retirement, estate and real estate taxes. Ask J.K. a question by filling out the form below. Or browse Ask J.K. answers or use the Search box to see if J.K. has already answered your question.

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Real Estate

  1. I bought a principal residence in 2001 and relocated in December 2005 because of a job change. Instead of selling, I rented it out. I continue to own this residence. If I buy a new home, can I qualify as a first-time homebuyer?Free
  2. When my father died in February 2009, I inherited his home and assumed the mortgage. I have never owned a home before. Can I take the first-time homebuyer credit?Free
  3. I'm purchasing a two-family home in September. I have never owned a home before. Can I qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit?Free
  4. I inherited a home from my great aunt and sold it 4 months later at a loss. Can I deduct the loss?Free
  5. I purchased commercial property that had a house on it. Can I take a loss for the difference between the appraised value and what I received?Free
  6. I deposited $15,000 with a builder to construct a new home for me, but lost it when I couldn't sell my old home and didn't go through with the construction. Can I deduct the deposit I lost?Free
  7. If I sell raw land, can I reinvest the proceeds in other raw land to defer any taxes due on the original sale?Free
  8. My husband and I built a new home four years ago and sold it this year at a loss of around $35,000. My taxman said we can?t deduct this. Is he correct?Free
  9. I own rental real estate and paid a plumber to fix a leaky water heater. It couldn?t be repaired and had to be replaced. How do I treat the cost of the new tank and the labor charge?Free
  10. What is the proper way to report deductions when moving a home office from one home to another?Free
  11. Is the interest paid on my student loan tax deductible?Free
  12. If we are forced to sell our house because we've changed jobs or faced uncertain circumstances, a portion of our gain is exempt from taxes. Can you please clarify?Free
  13. Will the interest on the refinanced loan on our main house be fully deductible?Free
  14. Can the origination fee on the refinanced loan be used as an itemized deduction?Free
  15. Does my ex-wife need to sign off on the home loan interest so that I can claim the interest as a deduction?Free
  16. Is there a formula to use when comparing my potential tax savings from deductions related to homeownership and my standard deduction?Free
  17. What do I have to show in order to take nonpassive losses in real estate?Free
  18. Does the IRS require one to depreciate investment properties?Free
  19. I want to buy my first house. Can I use my IRA to help make the down payment?Free
  20. What is the definition of a "first-time home buyer"?Free
  21. What documents are necessary to show improvements on a house when it is sold?Free
  22. If someone inherits a house (not the spouse), does the home sale exclusion apply?Free
  23. If I recieve gain on the sale of rental property, can I offset the capital loss carryover?Free
  24. Can I claim capital loss on the sale of a personal residence?Free
  25. Can I deduct points and pre-paid property tax on Schedule A?Free
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