1997 U.S. Code
Title 26 - INTERNAL REVENUE CODE
Subtitle A - Income Taxes
CHAPTER 1 - NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES
Subchapter B - Computation of Taxable Income
PART III - ITEMS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM GROSS INCOME
Sec. 121 - Exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence

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§121. Exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence (a) Exclusion

Gross income shall not include gain from the sale or exchange of property if, during the 5-year period ending on the date of the sale or exchange, such property has been owned and used by the taxpayer as the taxpayer's principal residence for periods aggregating 2 years or more.

(b) Limitations (1) In general

The amount of gain excluded from gross income under subsection (a) with respect to any sale or exchange shall not exceed 0,000.

(2) 0,000 limitation for certain joint returns

Paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting “0,000” for “0,000” if—

(A) a husband and wife make a joint return for the taxable year of the sale or exchange of the property,

(B) either spouse meets the ownership requirements of subsection (a) with respect to such property,

(C) both spouses meet the use requirements of subsection (a) with respect to such property, and

(D) neither spouse is ineligible for the benefits of subsection (a) with respect to such property by reason of paragraph (3).

(3) Application to only 1 sale or exchange every 2 years (A) In general

Subsection (a) shall not apply to any sale or exchange by the taxpayer if, during the 2-year period ending on the date of such sale or exchange, there was any other sale or exchange by the taxpayer to which subsection (a) applied.

(B) Pre-May 7, 1997, sales not taken into account

Subparagraph (A) shall be applied without regard to any sale or exchange before May 7, 1997.

(c) Exclusion for taxpayers failing to meet certain requirements (1) In general

In the case of a sale or exchange to which this subsection applies, the ownership and use requirements of subsection (a) shall not apply and subsection (b)(3) shall not apply; but the amount of gain excluded from gross income under subsection (a) with respect to such sale or exchange shall not exceed—

(A) the amount which bears the same ratio to the amount which would be so excluded under this section if such requirements had been met, as

(B) the shorter of—

(i) the aggregate periods, during the 5-year period ending on the date of such sale or exchange, such property has been owned and used by the taxpayer as the taxpayer's principal residence, or

(ii) the period after the date of the most recent prior sale or exchange by the taxpayer to which subsection (a) applied and before the date of such sale or exchange,

bears to 2 years.

(2) Sales and exchanges to which subsection applies

This subsection shall apply to any sale or exchange if—

(A) subsection (a) would not (but for this subsection) apply to such sale or exchange by reason of—

(i) a failure to meet the ownership and use requirements of subsection (a), or

(ii) subsection (b)(3), and

(B) such sale or exchange is by reason of a change in place of employment, health, or, to the extent provided in regulations, unforeseen circumstances.

(d) Special rules (1) Joint returns

If a husband and wife make a joint return for the taxable year of the sale or exchange of the property, subsections (a) and (c) shall apply if either spouse meets the ownership and use requirements of subsection (a) with respect to such property.

(2) Property of deceased spouse

For purposes of this section, in the case of an unmarried individual whose spouse is deceased on the date of the sale or exchange of property, the period such unmarried individual owned and used such property shall include the period such deceased spouse owned and used such property before death.

(3) Property owned by spouse or former spouse

For purposes of this section—

(A) Property transferred to individual from spouse or former spouse

In the case of an individual holding property transferred to such individual in a transaction described in section 1041(a), the period such individual owns such property shall include the period the transferor owned the property.

(B) Property used by former spouse pursuant to divorce decree, etc.

Solely for purposes of this section, an individual shall be treated as using property as such individual's principal residence during any period of ownership while such individual's spouse or former spouse is granted use of the property under a divorce or separation instrument (as defined in section 71(b)(2)).

(4) Tenant-stockholder in cooperative housing corporation

For purposes of this section, if the taxpayer holds stock as a tenant-stockholder (as defined in section 216) in a cooperative housing corporation (as defined in such section), then—

(A) the holding requirements of subsection (a) shall be applied to the holding of such stock, and

(B) the use requirements of subsection (a) shall be applied to the house or apartment which the taxpayer was entitled to occupy as such stockholder.

(5) Involuntary conversions (A) In general

For purposes of this section, the destruction, theft, seizure, requisition, or condemnation of property shall be treated as the sale of such property.

(B) Application of section 1033

In applying section 1033 (relating to involuntary conversions), the amount realized from the sale or exchange of property shall be treated as being the amount determined without regard to this section, reduced by the amount of gain not included in gross income pursuant to this section.

(C) Property acquired after involuntary conversion

If the basis of the property sold or exchanged is determined (in whole or in part) under section 1033(b) (relating to basis of property acquired through involuntary conversion), then the holding and use by the taxpayer of the converted property shall be treated as holding and use by the taxpayer of the property sold or exchanged.

(6) Recognition of gain attributable to depreciation

Subsection (a) shall not apply to so much of the gain from the sale of any property as does not exceed the portion of the depreciation adjustments (as defined in section 1250(b)(3)) attributable to periods after May 6, 1997, in respect of such property.

(7) Determination of use during periods of out-of-residence care

In the case of a taxpayer who—

(A) becomes physically or mentally incapable of self-care, and

(B) owns property and uses such property as the taxpayer's principal residence during the 5-year period described in subsection (a) for periods aggregating at least 1 year,

then the taxpayer shall be treated as using such property as the taxpayer's principal residence during any time during such 5-year period in which the taxpayer owns the property and resides in any facility (including a nursing home) licensed by a State or political subdivision to care for an individual in the taxpayer's condition.

(8) Sales of remainder interests

For purposes of this section—

(A) In general

At the election of the taxpayer, this section shall not fail to apply to the sale or exchange of an interest in a principal residence by reason of such interest being a remainder interest in such residence, but this section shall not apply to any other interest in such residence which is sold or exchanged separately.

(B) Exception for sales to related parties

Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any sale to, or exchange with, any person who bears a relationship to the taxpayer which is described in section 267(b) or 707(b).

(e) Denial of exclusion for expatriates

This section shall not apply to any sale or exchange by an individual if the treatment provided by section 877(a)(1) applies to such individual.

(f) Election to have section not apply

This section shall not apply to any sale or exchange with respect to which the taxpayer elects not to have this section apply.

(g) Residences acquired in rollovers under section 1034

For purposes of this section, in the case of property the acquisition of which by the taxpayer resulted under section 1034 1 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this section) in the nonrecognition of any part of the gain realized on the sale or exchange of another residence, in determining the period for which the taxpayer has owned and used such property as the taxpayer's principal residence, there shall be included the aggregate periods for which such other residence (and each prior residence taken into account under section 1223(7) in determining the holding period of such property) had been so owned and used.

(Added Pub. L. 88–272, title II, §206(a), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 38; amended Pub. L. 94–455, title XIV, §1404(a), title XIX, §1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1733, 1834; Pub. L. 95–600, title IV, §404(a)–(c)(2), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2869, 2870; Pub. L. 97–34, title I, §123(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 197; Pub. L. 100–647, title VI, §6011(a), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3691; Pub. L. 105–34, title III, §312(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 836.)

References in Text

Section 1034 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this section), referred to in subsec. (g), probably means section 1034 of this title as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105–34 which amended this section generally and was approved Aug. 5, 1997. Section 1034 was repealed by Pub. L. 105–34, title III, §312(b), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 839.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 121 was renumbered section 139 of this title.

Amendments

1997—Pub. L. 105–34 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, section related to one-time exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence by individual who had attained age 55.

1988—Subsec. (d)(9). Pub. L. 100–647 added par. (9).

1981—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 97–34 substituted “5,000 (,500” for “0,000 (,000”.

1978—Pub. L. 95–600, §404(a), substituted “One-time exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence by individual who has attained age 55” for “Gain from sale or exchange of residence of individual who has attained age 65” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–600, §404(a), substituted “55” for “65”, “5-year” for “8-year”, and “3 years” for “5 years”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–600, §404(a), in par. (1) substituted provisions respecting dollar limitations for amount of gain for provisions setting forth applicable limitations where the adjusted sales price exceeds ,000 and added par. (3).

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 95–600, §404(c)(1), substituted “5-year period” for “8-year period”.

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 95–600, §404(c)(2), substituted “5-year period” for “8-year period” and “3 years” for “5 years”.

Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 95–600, §404(b), added par. (8).

1976—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 94–455, §1404(a), substituted “,000” for “,000” in three places.

Subsecs. (c), (d)(5). Pub. L. 94–455, §1906(b)(13)(A), struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment

Section 312(d) of Pub. L. 105–34 provided that:

“(1) In general.—The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 25, 32, 56, 143, 163, 215, 280A, 464, 512, 1016, 1033, 1038, 1223, 1250, 1274, 6012, 6045, 6212, 6334, 6504, and 7872 of this title and repealing section 1034 of this title] shall apply to sales and exchanges after May 6, 1997.

“(2) Sales before date of enactment.—At the election of the taxpayer, the amendments made by this section shall not apply to any sale or exchange before the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 5, 1997].

“(3) Certain sales within 2 years after date of enactment.—Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as amended by this section) shall be applied without regard to subsection (c)(2)(B) thereof in the case of any sale or exchange of property during the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act if the taxpayer held such property on the date of the enactment of this Act and fails to meet the ownership and use requirements of subsection (a) thereof with respect to such property.

“(4) Binding contracts.—At the election of the taxpayer, the amendments made by this section shall not apply to a sale or exchange after the date of the enactment of this Act, if—

“(A) such sale or exchange is pursuant to a contract which was binding on such date, or

“(B) without regard to such amendments, gain would not be recognized under section 1034 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act) on such sale or exchange by reason of a new residence acquired on or before such date or with respect to the acquisition of which by the taxpayer a binding contract was in effect on such date.

This paragraph shall not apply to any sale or exchange by an individual if the treatment provided by section 877(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 applies to such individual.”

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Section 6011(b) of Pub. L. 100–647 provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to any sale or exchange after September 30, 1988, in taxable years ending after such date.”

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Section 123(b) of Pub. L. 97–34 provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to residences sold or exchanged after July 20, 1981.”

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Section 404(d)(1) of Pub. L. 95–600 provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 1033, 1034, 1038, 1250, and 6012 of this title] shall apply to sales or exchanges after July 26, 1978, in taxable years ending after such date.”

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Section 1404(b) of Pub. L. 94–455 provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1976.”

Effective Date

Section 206(c) of Pub. L. 88–272 provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section, redesignating former section 121 as 122, and amending sections 1033, 1034, and 6012 of this title] shall apply to dispositions after Dec. 31, 1963, in taxable years ending after such date.”

Transitional Rule in Case of Sale or Exchange of Residence Before July 26, 1981

Section 404(d)(2) of Pub. L. 95–600, as amended by Pub. L. 99–514, §2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095, provided that: “In the case of a sale or exchange of a residence before July 26, 1981, a taxpayer who has attained age 65 on the date of such sale or exchange may elect to have section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954] applied by substituting ‘8-year period’ for ‘5-year period’ and ‘5 years’ for ‘3 years’ in subsections (a), (d)(2), and (d)(5) of such section.”

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 25, 56, 72, 143, 163, 216, 280A, 464, 1033, 1038, 1274, 1400C, 6012, 6045, 6334, 7872 of this title.

1 See References in Text note below.