A CPA in Santa Clarita is discussing the potential tax advantages to a variety of financial decisions, from avoiding “death taxes” to turning a home into a rental property instead of selling it.

Matt Denny of Denny & Company, LLP first explained how someone with a substantial estate might avoid death taxes for their heirs.

“Very often a lot of death taxes are avoided because a family might set up a foundation,” he said. “So the Getty Center, for example, is funded by the Getty Foundation, which is where he put all of his billions when he died. It’s managed by a board of trustees and I think some family members might be involved.”

Related: CPA In Santa Clarita Explains 1031 Exchanges, How They Save Money In Taxes

In this instance, the family is taking their profits and doing charitable or nonprofit things with it “rather than give it all to government or pay taxes on (it),” Denny added. 

Another decision that could have substantial tax advantages is to turn a house into a rental property instead of selling it before buying another house, according to Denny. 

“There are a lot of tax advantages to doing that, and people accumulate many homes that way by just never selling the home they lived in,” he said. “They just turn it into a rental and move to the next one.” 

A 1031 exchange on non-residential property can also save money on capital gains taxes in the case that a person is selling a property that is worth more now than when they first bought it, and instead of pocketing the profits, they roll it into the purchase of another property of like kind, Denny noted. 

“Let’s say you have a rental property that you’ve owned for 30 years,” he said. “Obviously 30 years ago you paid a lot less for it than it’s worth now. If you sell it, you would have to pay long-term capital gain taxes on that gain, but you can also postpone that gain by taking the money you get for that and rolling it into another property of like kind.”

Rather than look at these types of scenarios as loopholes, Denny explained that they are instead offered by the government to “encourage commerce.”

“As a society we want to encourage commerce to happen, and if you’re going to penalize people for doing things, you’re going to get less of it, or if you raise the price of doing something, you’ll get less of it,” Denny said. “That’s true with everything. So if we want people to be mobile, if we want people to invest in real estate, … we shouldn’t penalize them.”

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Community Spotlight for Denny & Company, LLP.

The Santa Clarita CPA firm Denny & Company, LLP was established in 1984, and is a full-service firm of Certified Public Accountants in Santa Clarita, including Partners Matt Denny and Carolyn Denny. The Santa Clarita accountants work with small businesses and individuals, specializing in catering to each client’s unique needs and desires using a flexible approach. As a CPA in Santa Clarita, Matt Denny shares his knowledge and experience regularly on “Common Ground” on KHTS Radio. Those looking for the best CPA in Santa Clarita or a “CPA near me” can contact Denny & Company, LLP for more information today.

Denny & Company, LLP

23929 Valencia Blvd. Suite 304
Valencia, CA 91355

(661) 286-8860

Denny & Company, LLP – Valencia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2g686G81eY

Denny & Company LLP, Denny & Company, Matt Denny, Carolyn Denny, CPA in Santa Clarita, Santa Clarita CPA, Accountant in Santa Clarita, Santa Clarita Accountant, Best CPA in Santa Clarita, CPA Near Me