When creating your estate plan, it is important to consider how income taxes may impact your beneficiaries. In order to do this, you need to have a basic understanding of cost basis rules. The following information will help you understand cost basis so that you can have meaningful discussions about the impact of capital gains tax on your estate with your estate planning attorney and tax professional.

WHAT IS COST BASIS?

Cost basis is the value you paid for an asset. Simply stated, basis equals cost. Certain costs incurred in purchasing the property may also be included in the initial cost basis.

WILL MY COST BASIS EVER CHANGE?

Your cost basis can change due to capital improvements or depreciation of property. After factoring in any changes, your new basis is referred to as your adjusted basis.

IF I GIFT AN ASSET, WHAT IS THE RECIPIENT’S COST BASIS?

The general rule is that when you gift property, the recipient will receive a carryover basis. This means that the recipient’s basis will be the same basis that you had in the property. However, if the property had depreciated in value by the time of transfer, the new recipient’s basis will be the fair market value of the gift or the donor’s basis, whichever is lower.

IF PROPERTY PASSES AT MY DEATH, WHAT IS THE BENEFICIARY’S COST BASIS?

When property is included in your estate, the beneficiary will receive a stepped-up basis. This means that your beneficiary’s basis will generally be the fair market value of the property as of the date of your death. There is an exception to this rule if an alternate valuation of your estate is beneficial to you from an estate tax standpoint. If you think this may apply to your situation, you should discuss the alternate valuation rules with your attorney and tax professional.

AT MY DEATH, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE COST BASIS OF MY JOINTLY OWNED PROPERTY?

If you hold property with your spouse as tenants by the entirety or joint tenants with rights of survivorship, your spouse will be treated as inheriting your half of the property. This means that the surviving spouse will get a full step-up in basis for one-half of the property. The surviving spouse’s half of the property will not get a step-up. For example, if you and your spouse jointly purchased an asset worth $10,000, you each would have a cost basis of $5,000. During your joint lives, assume the value of the asset increases to $20,000. At your death, your spouse would maintain his or her initial $5,000 cost basis for his or her half of the property and inherit a $10,000 cost basis for your half. This would leave the surviving spouse with a $15,000 cost basis. It is important to note that this analysis may not apply to an asset owned jointly with a non-spouse.

AT MY DEATH, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE COST BASIS OF COMMUNITY PROPERTY?

In community property states, the surviving spouse gets a complete step-up in basis to the fair market value of the property at the deceased spouse’s death. In the example above, your spouse’s cost basis would become $20,000 at your death. Community property states include Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The community property rules vary from state to state, and you should discuss with a local attorney any questions about what constitutes community property.

For more information, see IRS Publication 551, Basis of Assets.